Increasingly, workplace information seeking takes place in digital information environments and is reliant upon search systems. Existing systems are designed to retrieve information that is relevant to the query, but are not capable of identifying information that is well-suited to the context and situation of a search. This is a problem for professionals who often are searching for a small amount of useful information that can be applied to a problem or task, and have limited time to browse through large sets of results. This inability of search systems to discriminate between relevant and useful documents is one of the core problems in information retrieval. In this dissertation, I address this problem by studying the role that contextual factors play in determining how a group of professionals searches for and selects information. The central question concerns the nature of the relationships between these contextual factors, specifically between the genres in the document collection and the tasks of the searcher, with an aim to exploit such relationships to improve workplace information retrieval. Research was conducted through multiple studies in three phases, moving from an exploratory study of workplace information behaviour to a controlled experimental user study. Findings confirm that workplace context shapes search behaviour. This relationship is modeled as a set of key contextual factors and sets of context-dependent access constraints, preferred document characteristics, and search strategies. Among the contextual factors identified, work tasks and information tasks were found to be significantly associated with document genres. This task-genre relationship was modeled as a matrix of associations between domain-specific task and genre taxonomies and successfully implemented as a filtering component in a workplace search system. This is the first major study of the relationship between task and genre in information seeking and of its application to information retrieval systems.

Ever-evolving information technology influences the information behaviour of users. This enforces both academic libraries and other libraries to try by all means to cope with the accelerating rate of information technology. The abundance of electronic and digital resources and tools have been reported to have a strong impact on the information behaviour of researchers (Vilar and Žumer 2011). / Mini Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Carnegie Corporation of New York / Information Science / MIT / Unrestricted

The test scores of spatial ability for women lag behind those of men in many spatial tests. On the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), a significant gender gap has existed for over 20 years and continues to exist. High spatial ability has been linked to efficiencies in typical computing tasks including Web and database searching, text editing, and computer programming. The relationships between the components of visuospatial ability and performance are complex. However, research strongly indicates that a connection exists, and further research is necessary to determine the interactions between the variables of environment, genetics, and spatial training. Spatial experience can enhance spatial skills. However, to what extent spatial skills can be enhanced in female adolescents through a spatial curriculum to reduce the gap in scores has not been fully researched, nor has the impact of spatial skill on information seeking. This research project investigated spatial skill in adolescent females by examining (1) the extent to which the intervention of teaching a spatial curriculum in a single-sex setting could improve mental rotation test scores, and (2) the impact of spatial skills on an information seeking task in a single-sex setting. The extent to which a spatial visualization curriculum can improve MRT scores from a pretest to a posttest for girls was the first factor examined using a spatial visualization curriculum. The information seeking task used 4 tasks from a doctoral study and utilized the scholarly journal database JSTOR® (JSTOR, Ann Arbor, MI, www.jstor.org).

A current trend that has emerged as a result of the information age is information-seeking behavior. From individuals to large social institutions, information-seeking behavior is utilized to attain a wide variety of goals. This body of work investigates the information-seeking behaviors of police officers who work in police stations in the Turkish National Police force. The study utilizes Leckie et al.’s (1996) model of information-seeking behavior of professionals. The findings indicated that police officers initially consulted their personal knowledge and experience. Next, officers rely upon their colleagues and then official documents. These information sources were consulted in the context of both conducting tasks and staying current. However, contrary to expectation, they rarely consulted informants. In addition police officers rarely consulted printed journals, libraries, books and attendance at conferences as information sources. The results of this study show that there were significant differences in the information sources used by police officers based on their gender in the context of staying current. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the context of conducting police station tasks, by gender. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences in the information sources used by police officers based on their educational level. There were significant differences in the use of information sources by age, service years in police stations and service years in policing in the context of conducting police station tasks. Lastly, the results of this study indicated that service years in policing and the roles in police station were significantly correlated with the information sources used by police officers regarding staying current. This body of work offers insight into the factors that guide the information-seeking behaviors of police officers.

Recommendations on breastfeeding in the United States suggest that infants should be exclusively breastfed for six months with continued breastfeeding in conjunction with complementary foods for at least one year. However, only 22.30% of women are exclusively breastfeeding when their infant reaches the age of six months, which indicates the existence of barriers hindering prolonged breastfeeding. In this study, I consider the factors related to information-seeking behavior that may influence breastfeeding rates. Specifically, I focus on the relationship between the sources a woman selects to receive information about breastfeeding and her level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, which has been shown to be a significant predictor of breastfeeding success. A sample of 222 breastfeeding women was recruited for participation in this study. Participants completed a mixed-methods survey, and the results of the survey were analyzed using applied thematic analysis, correlation, and regression analysis. Women who participated in this study used non-expert online information sources most frequently when searching for information related to breastfeeding. Criteria women used most frequently when choosing an information source included source affordances (e.g., convenience and quickness), information characteristics (e.g., variety of information and information quality), and source characteristics (e.g., source expertise). Hypotheses for this study posited a relationship between source characteristics (i.e., expertise, trustworthiness, goodwill, and social support) and breastfeeding self-efficacy; all hypotheses were supported, and expertise, trustworthiness, goodwill, and social support were found to have a significant positive relationship with breastfeeding self-efficacy. Source expertise was found to be the strongest predictor of breastfeeding self-efficacy among those that were measured for this study; however, it is not an individual significant predictor when modeled alongside the remaining source characteristics. Implications of this study stress the importance of access to quality information related to breastfeeding and continued research on the development of breastfeeding self-efficacy in various demographic populations and over the span of a breastfeeding relationship.

This study examined the information seeking behaviour of faculty and use of the Internet at Gulu University Library. The purpose of the study was to answer the following research questions: What has been reported in the subject literature on the information behaviour of faculty with specific reference to the use of the Internet, which research methods need to be used to study the information behaviour and Internet use of faculty? What is the information seeking behaviour of faculty at Gulu University with specific reference to the following: factors driving information seeking? Information seeking preferences? Use of the Internet? And challenges encountered while seeking information? The study used descriptive survey design and the respondents were faculty members from Gulu University. No sampling method was used since the whole population was considered. Data for the study was collected using self- administered questionnaires. The study found that faculty members make considerable use of e-resources available through the Internet for teaching, research, and general work. Faculty members’ self rating of information seeking skills is good regarding WWW search engines, Internet browsers, searching electronic journals and using simple/basic search interfaces. Faculty members at Gulu University slightly prefer seeking for electronic information resources more than print information resources. The majority of faculty members use the Internet frequently and the major points of access are: wireless Internet, personal modems and access provided in the main library. The most searched for Internet information resources are reference materials, e-journals, newspapers and magazines. The most frequently used Internet tools are general search engines and e-mail. Subscription databases such as EBSCOhost, HINARI, AGORA, Cochrane Library, Medline, Emerald and Blackwell are unpopular among faculty members at Gulu University with only Google scholar which is free being popular and used frequently. The most important factors influencing non-use of the Internet by faculty members at Gulu University are: slow Internet speed and unreliable Internet connections. The gaps identified in the Gulu University Library service are: absence of a library website, inadequate current textbooks and inadequate e-resources. It was concluded that the University Library with support from Gulu University management and government should increase bandwidth for faster Internet access. Furthermore they should improve on the maintenance of computers and Internet services, invest in alternative power backup such as solar energy and generators, increase the number of networked computers and integrate information literacy training in the course curriculums at Gulu University. / Mini Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Information Science / MIT / Unrestricted

This thesis reports on a study that investigated the information needs and the information-seeking patterns of secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho with the aim of guiding the design and the implementation of information service for these teachers. It was instigated by variations in content acquired by geography teachers graduating from the National University of Lesotho. The study followed a survey method using focus group discussions with the in-service teachers who were the core participants, questionnaire with the prospective teachers and individual interviews with officials in institutions that work closely with secondary level geography teachers in order to triangulate and validate the survey results. The school libraries as part of information service provided to these teachers were also partially observed through site visits to note existing services. From the visits to school libraries the status quo and key problems in this regard were identified. The data collected through the questionnaire were mainly quantitative and were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while the qualitative data from the focus group discussions and individual interviews were analysed by examining themes in such a way that common trends were established. Narratives were compared with each other throughout the entire data-processing stage. There were 82 in-service geography teachers from 28 out of 51 schools offering geography at both junior and senior secondary level in seven out of ten districts of Lesotho who participated in the study. Furthermore, 46 out of 62 prospective geography teachers and nine officials from institutions involved in secondary level geography education participated in this study. The study used the Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain’s (1996) information-seeking of professionals’ model as its theoretical framework but overlaid it with other models such as Savolainen’s (1995) everyday life information-seeking model and Wilson’s (1999) nested model of information behaviour where necessary. The Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain’s (1996) model helped to reveal the work environment of the in-service teachers, including their work roles, associated tasks, information needs and information-seeking patterns. The secondary level geography teachers (including in-service and prospective teachers) in Lesotho have a variety of information needs. The nature of the information needed is current and accurate for the content that they have to deliver in class. The format of information needed is mostly audio-visual for teaching aids and materials for use in class to concretise abstract foreign geographical features and principles of geography to the learners, and print format for teachers’ personal use. The study found that the participants all have the main educator role of teaching geography. Consequently the scope of information needed covers geography content with more emphasis on physical geography sphere. The scope of information needs also covers pedagogy or teaching methods, classroom management, learners’ academic assessment and specific information pertaining to their social background, including information concerning youth and adolescence issues generally. It transpired that the participants also have administrative roles and tasks that require institution-specific information such as education policies, syllabus and curriculum documents, teaching regulations, national examinations and education legal frameworks. The results of the study also reveal that teachers have a social responsibility and caregiving role in respect of orphans whose numbers are increasing owing to the high prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Lesotho. Fulfilling this role requires information on social assistance for orphans and vulnerable children. Findings on the teachers’ information-seeking patterns include preferences for information sources and the order of consulting such sources. In this study, teachers’ preferred order of information sources is the syllabus, then the learners’ prescribed textbooks, their own collection of books and then colleagues who are also geography teachers in their schools and professional associations, science, agriculture and development studies teachers. Teachers’ age and the geographic location of schools seem to have an influence on information-seeking patterns, given that younger novice teachers always start with the syllabus, while older teachers with longer teaching experience indicated that they do not consult the syllabus that much. Other marginal differences between the participants are that while younger teachers in urban schools reported occasional use of the internet, older teachers mostly consult their colleagues in other schools, as they seem to have well-established social networks. Teachers in the rural schools use the people in their communities, such as farmers and miners, as information sources. Libraries are hardly used because they are reported to be stocked with outdated books that bear no relevance to a current understanding of geography. The school libraries were reported to be staffed by incompetent people who are unable to assist with addressing the teachers’ information needs. It was evident that journals are lacking in schools and the teachers have limited means of keeping abreast with the latest developments in geography education other than through media such as television, radio and newspapers. In terms of preferences for information sources and order of use, it is evident that teachers begin with the syllabus, which is a national framework guiding teaching and learning, moving on to internal and external information sources such as book collections, with a preference for colleagues specialising in disciplines such as geography, agriculture and natural sciences and development studies. This is followed by selective use of the internet as a global information source by younger teachers in urban areas. In satisfying information needs, teachers in rural schools also reach out to community members, such as farmers and miners. Popular media such as television, radio and newspapers compensate for lack of journals and other current literature possibly existing in well-functioning libraries. In seeking information, communication channels used to access information are also important and had to be considered in this study. The study found that secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho use face-to-face communication as well as telephone/cell-phone calls, including Short Message System (SMS), for communication. The internet was recommended by 100% of the participants as one of the ways that could improve information service to these teachers. The internet is regarded as the key source to provide current and varied information, even though at the time of the study it was mostly used only by younger teachers in the urban areas. Communication channels preferred by secondary level geography teachers need to be noted, as they can shed light on how to communicate information to these teachers. Based on the findings, the study proposes an information service model for secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho. The model is based on the information needs and information-seeking patterns of these teachers, including their preferred information sources and order of use, as well as communication channels. The model also considers, in its design, the prevailing poverty and limited resources in Lesotho to ensure that it is realistic and achievable. The model outlines its implementation strategies, as well as strategies to evaluate the proposed information service. The study concludes by making recommendations concerning the modalities for addressing the information needs of secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho, the most important being that the teachers have access to information that is current and relevant to their teaching, disseminated in their preferred format and communicated through their preferred channels. Following the findings on information needs and information-seeking patterns, including the expressed need for internet, the study also recommends strategies on how these teachers may access the internet. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Information Science / unrestricted

Life coaching is a rapidly expanding industry that focuses on client development, enhancement of life experience, and goal attainment often when clients are experiencing personal, professional, and social change. Online communities of practice (CoPs) provide opportunity for individuals to connect, share experiences, and learn from each other under the auspices of a unifying theme or subject. Since the 1990s, CoPs have spread from education to other areas of business and industry and continue to shape participant professional development. However, the everyday life information seeking and practices of life coaches remains unexplored within information science literature from the perspectives of life coach engagement in seeking information, life coach engagement in CoPs, and life coach interactions with other coaches. The purpose of this research study was to explore life coach perspectives of coaching, the diverse information needs of life coaches, the types and strength of relationships between life coaches and CoPs, the role of coaching certification and/or licensing as contributing to the professionalization of life coaching, and the means of communication exchange by life coaches through information communication technologies. This mixed method study focused on life coaches who self-identify as belonging to a CoP and those that do not. Theoretical frameworks for this study included Savolainen's everyday life information seeking (ELIS) and Wegner and Lave's characterization of CoPs. Methods utilized for this study included an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and social network analysis.

When people access online health information, unfortunately, they have access to both clinically accurate and inaccurate information that they may then utilize to make informed personal health decisions. This research fills a gap in the literature of online health communities as they relate to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The conduct of this research required a multi-phased and multi-method approach, best presented in three distinct essays. In Essays 1 and 2, data gathering within two online health communities specific to COPD allowed this study to address three research questions: (1) what are the information needs of COPD patients that result in their participation in online health communities; (2) what are the information sources offered to the participants in these online communities; and (3) is the information obtained via those communities credible. Essay 1 harvested data from a moderated website hosted by a non-profit organization for patients with COPD and Essay 2 harvested data from a non-moderated Facebook group also serving this unique group. Data Miner, a Chrome extension designed to extract data, was used to collect data, key words and themes which brought an understanding of the health information needs of participants and identified what health information sources were preferred. Using NIH guidelines, the credibility of sources exchanged were evaluated for both groups. The research presented in Essay 1 showed that COPD patients have health information needs and that a clinically monitored social health online community, that is available 24/7 to answer questions that arise at the time of need, provides much needed support. The research in Essay 2 illustrates the need for healthcare workers to be aware of unmoderated sites and promote these sites for the purpose of socialization only, and not for medical information. Building on the knowledge gained through the data analysis in Essays 1 and 2 and based on the theoretical frameworks established in the health belief model, social exchange theory, and the technology acceptance model, Essay 3 generated a new integrated model that seeks to understand information seeking effectiveness in online health communities was proposed. This model identifies the relationships between the types of disease specific information sought by members of 65 COPD Facebook groups, and member success in acquiring credible and clinically accurate health information to use in making health decisions related to disease management and the development of effective health management behaviors. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze survey responses and test the proposed model for statistical significance This study has important implications for health educators and medical professionals that will enhance their understanding of the benefits of online peer health communities and will guide them in providing their patients with an "information prescription" guiding them to clinically accurate and understandable, disease specific health information between office visits and at the patient's time of need.

This study explores ways of visualizing metadata in virtual reality through means other than text. Specifically, we focus on the metadata of a 3D object as a search result and how these visualizations can support understanding of the object. The study draws on research from the field of information science and is positioned in the domain of cultural heritage. There are few studies about human information interaction in virtual reality or metadata visualization in these environments. However, metadata can be a useful tool in the information seeking search process. Because its visualization should depend on purpose, ways of visualizing metadata other than through text are in need of exploration. This study answers the following question: How can descriptive metadata of a 3D search result object be visualized in VR to support users’ understanding of the object? A research through design approach was employed. Data was collected through interviews about objects with visitors at a museum. These interview data were analyzed using a thematic analysis, and the results of that analysis were triangulated with the objects’ metadata in a database. This triangulation resulted in sets of characteristics and techniques that, as expressed by interviewees, could help them gain an understanding of an object of historical and cultural significance. We then selected a smaller set of characteristics for implementation using a prioritization matrix, and an object to visualize metadata for. Brainstorming sessions generated ways of visualizing these characteristics using relevant techniques. The prototype is a virtual reality experience that allows the user to navigate three layers of information with visualizations of the 3D object’s characteristics. The prototype was interactively demonstrated with four participants and their feedback was documented. The discussion is about the definition of metadata, unforeseen designs, the search process, the role of virtual reality in information seeking, how metadata visualizations can support understanding of an object and whether our do, our choice of using research through design as the approach and the study’s ethical and societal implications and its limitations. We conclude that metadata of a search result as an object in VR can be visualized by segmenting the VR experience into different layers of information, specifying a sequence in which the layers are presented that builds a narrative and provides users with multisensory feedback. We encourage future evaluative and comparative studies.