Inefficiencies associated with online information search are becoming increasingly prevalent in digital environments due to a surge in Consumer Generated Content (CGC). Despite growing scholarly interest in investigating users' information search behavior in CGC environments, there is a paucity of studies that explores the phenomenon from a theory-guided angle. Drawing on Information Foraging Theory (IFT), we re-conceptualize online information search as a form of adaptive user behavior in response to system design constraints. Through this theoretical lens, we advance separate taxonomies for online information search tactics and strategies, both of which constitute essential building blocks of the search process. Furthermore, we construct a research framework that bridges the gap between online information search tactics and strategies by articulating how technology-enabled search tactics contribute to the fulfillment of strategic search goals. We validate our research framework via an online experiment by recruiting participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Participants were tasked to perform searches on custom-developed online review websites, which were modeled after a popular online review website and populated with real restaurant review data. Empirical findings reveal that the provision of different search features indeed engenders distinct search tactics, thereby allowing users varying levels of search determination control and search manipulation control. In turn, both types of search controls affects users' result anticipation and search costs, which when combined, determine the efficiency of goal-oriented search strategy and the utility of exploratory search strategy. This study provides valuable insights that can guide future research and practice.

M.Inf. / Information is a vital resource for every enterprise for innovation and effective decision-making. In other words, information is vital in all spheres of national development. It is vital for development planning and for building an internationally competitive economy. People need information to participate in a democratic process and thus without information the best and most idealistically development plans are likely to fail. As a result of the importance of information in an enterprise, it requires to be managed effectively in order to establish whether the information assets of a particular enterprise are in line with business objectives or not. Information auditing techniques such as InfoMapp have been developed in order to guide an auditor on how to go about auditing information resources of a particular enterprise. Cicira College is a teacher’s training college and its information assets need to be managed and audited like other resources. Hence this study has been undertaken to establish whether the information assets available at Cicira College meet its goals and objectives. The InfoMapp method developed by Burk and Horton has been used to conduct the information audit at Cicira College. This technique has been chosen because of its ability to match the information assets with strategic planning.

For assessment, a pre-test/post-test approach was used to measure the learning effects of the use of WebQuests. The tests assessed students' overall achievement of the target learning outcomes. Besides, the work completed by students throughout the WebQuest activities was evaluated by using four specially designed rubrics. During the implementation of the WebQuests, the physical activities and the computer screens of five working groups were video recorded. After the implementation, the five working groups were also interviewed to gather information regarding their learning processes and what they had learned throughout the WebQuests. / Information literacy is generally defined as a set of abilities enabling individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the capacity to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. As a consequence of the ongoing proliferation of information resources on the Web, information literacy is required and gains a high profile as central to education. Since the late 1990s, the concept of WebQuest has been developed to promote higher-order thinking through authentic assignments that emphasize inquiry-based and cooperative learning. The WebQuest model stresses the evaluation, analysis, and transformation of information. In linking the two concepts, there are discussions and theoretical assertions suggesting WebQuest as a useful tool for helping improve information literacy. / Owing to the suggested use of WebQuest for information literacy training, the study investigated if WebQuest activities supported the improvement of information literacy. Specifically, the research was intended to act as an empirical study for verifying the theoretical assertions. It was like a treatment study investigating whether using a set of well-designed WebQuests, as treatment, could yield significant improvement in developing students' information skills, in order to help junior secondary students achieve a set of specific learning outcomes defined in the Information Literacy Framework for Hong Kong Students. / The findings of the study have implications for future research and practice in the area of employing the WebQuest model for information literacy instruction. Concerning the growing body of WebQuest research, the findings of this dissertation work contribute to the inadequate literature by enriching the empirical data. For practical concern, information gained from this study may have significant implications and provide useful reference for implementing the Information Literacy Framework for Hong Kong Students at Junior Secondary level. / The results indicated significant treatment effect on the overall achievement of the target learning outcomes for information literacy. Individually, the test results indicated significant treatment effect on five out of the seven learning outcomes. Among the five, large effect size was found for one, and medium effect size was found for the other four. For another two learning outcomes, findings from the qualitative data showed that the primary reason for the failure was about the absence of practice for the information skills concerned owing to some sort of supports given to students, the Web materials given in the WebQuests, and the implicit learning opportunities provided in the WebQuest. / The study took place in a co-educational secondary school in Hong Kong lasting for about three months. One hundred and forty junior students constituted the sample of the research. Four self-designed and adapted WebQuests were involved in the study as instruments aiming to help students practice their information skills in order to achieve seven learning outcomes for information literacy. The WebQuests were delivered to five groups of S.2 students through the Computer lessons. Each group consisted of 20 mixed ability students representing half of a S.2 class in the school. / by Tsui, Yuen. / Advisers: Fong Lok Lee; Ho Man Lee. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-02, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 250-264). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Australian Centre for Educational Studies, School of Education, 2009. / "2008". Bibliography: p. 268-283.

"2008". / Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Australian Centre for Educational Studies, School of Education, 2009. / Bibliography: p. 268-283. / Introduction -- Review of the literature -- Methods and procedures -- Pre-intervention qualitative data analysis & discussion of findings -- Intervention -- Post-intervention qualitative data analysis & discussions of findings -- Post-intervention quantitative data analysis & discussions of findings -- Conclusions. / Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that is organized around the investigation and resolution of problems. Problems are neither uniform nor similar. Jonassen (1998, 2000) in his design theory of problem solving has categorized problems into two broad types - well-structured and ill-structured. He has also described a host of mediating skills that impact problem solving outcomes. However, this list of skills is not exhaustive and in view of the utility of the Internet as an informational repository, this study examined the need for effective information searching skills to be included in this list. -- This study was aimed at studying how students solve well and ill structured problems and how different Internet information seeking strategies can be used to engage in problem solving. This study devised and empirically tested the efficacy of an interventionist conceptual model that maps the application of different information seeking techniques to successfully resolving well and ill structured problem types. The intervention helps to better understand the influence of information searching skills on problem solving performance and the various problem solving strategies students can adopt in approaching problem solving. The contrasting patterns of navigational path movements taken by students in seeking information to resolve ill and well structured problems were also investigated. -- A mixed methodology research design, involving a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used in this study. The research site was a polytechnic in Singapore that has implemented problem-based learning in its curriculum design. A first year class of 25 students were the sample population who participated in this study. Six problems from the curriculum were chosen for this study - three well-structured and another three ill-structured problems. -- The research findings of this study inform that information searching skills indeed play an important role in problem solving. The findings affirm the need for students to be systematically instructed in the skills of information searching to be aware of the complexities involved in information seeking and accomplish desired problem solving goals. This study has also shown that well and ill structured problems demand different cognitive and information seeking capabilities. Well-structured problems are easily solved and come with singular correct answers. The information searching necessary for solving well-structured problems is constrained and readily manageable. Thus, students only have to be acquainted with fundamental information searching skills to solve well-structured problems. On the other hand, ill-structured problems are messy and contain a number of unknown elements. There are no easy prototypic solutions. Subsequently, the information needs of ill-structured problems are usually complex, multi-disciplinary and expansive. Hence, students have to be trained to apply a more advanced set of information searching skills in resolving ill-structured problems. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / xiv, 283 p. ill

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Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of premature death in the UK. Chest pain, the most common symptoms associated with this disease, accounts for 1% of all primary care consultations, 5% of visits to emergency departments, and up to 40% of emergency admissions to hospital. When people experience acute coronary symptoms such as chest pain, or other symptoms such as pain in the arms, back or shoulder pain and pain in the jaw and neck, we know that prompt diagnosis and treatment of heart disease can significantly reduce mortality. However, we also know that when people experience these symptoms they can wait sometime before seeking medical help. Part of the problem may be that people do not attribute their symptoms a serious problem such as heart disease. Whilst several campaigns have been aimed at the general population there is no information resource targeted at people who may be at risk of heart disease to help them understand and evaluate their symptoms and take prompt action. The overall aim of this thesis is to fill this gap by producing a piloted draft information resource which aims to help people to respond effectively to symptoms that might be attributable to heart disease for people at high risk of heart disease. Using focus group discussions and individual interviews with people who had experienced symptoms that might be attributable to heart disease or might be at high risk of heart disease experiential data about their response to symptoms were gathered. Participants were also asked their views on what an information resource should be like and their experiences and views formed the basis of the content of the first draft of the information resource. In making sense of their symptom the participants drew upon a range of past experiences and the experiences of others to help them; participants who experienced severe symptoms sought help quickly; those whose symptoms were mild or transient waited, in some cases a considerable time, before seeking help. Previous personal experience may be the factor that helped those who acted quickly. Whereas the experience of others, evident in many of the accounts of those who waited, may not be sufficient to help people interpret and make sense of their own symptom experiences. The information resource incorporated the experiences of people with symptoms that ended up being attributable to heart disease and included examples of the range of symptoms that can be encountered to illustrate the different ways in which heart disease can be manifested as well as information drawn from best practice resources in the management of heart disease. Participants in the original focus group discussions and interviews were asked to be involved in the development of the resource and seventeen agreed. The information resource went through three drafts; at each stage changes were made to incorporate respondent views; at the penultimate draft health professionals’ views were also sought and used to inform the final draft which is now ready for further evaluation.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences. / Department of Sociology

This thesis presents methods and a system for video search over the internet or the intranet. The objective is to design a real time and automated video clustering and search system that provides users of the search engine the most relevant videos available that are responsive to a query at a particular moment in time, and supplementary information that may also be useful. The thesis highlights methods to mitigate the effect of the semantic gap faced by current content based video search approaches. A context-sensitive video ranking scheme is used, wherein the context is generated in an automated manner.

Das Information Resource Center (IRC) des amerikanischen Generalkonsulats in Leipzig spielt seit vielen Jahren eine aktive Rolle im bibliothekarischen Netzwerk der Bundesländer Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt und Thüringen. Zurzeit besteht ein aktives Arbeitsverhältnis mit rund 40 Bibliotheken, zu denen wissenschaftliche und öffentliche Bibliotheken sowie Schulbibliotheken gehören, aber auch die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Leipzig. Seit 2006 wurden im Rahmen des America@YourLibrary (A@YL) Programms der USBotschaft in Berlin 5 Bibliotheken, nämlich die Stadtbibliothek Leipzig, die Stadtbibliothek Chemnitz, die Bibliothek der Europa-Schule in Görlitz, die Stadtbibliothek in Magdeburg, und die Stadtund Landesbibliothek in Erfurt A@YL, Partnerbibliotheken des US-Generalkonsulats...