The focus of this thesis is information use. Although a key concept in information behaviour, information use has received little attention from information science researchers. Studies of other key concepts such as information need and informationseeking are dominant in information behaviour research. Information use is an area of interest to information professionals who rely on research outcomes to shape their practice. There are few empirical studies of how people actually use information that might guide and refine the development of information systems, products and services. The thesis begins to address this imbalance in information behaviour research by exploring the concept of information use through an empirical study. Fifteen senior managers from two organisations in the cultural industries sector participated in the study. Analysis of interviews revealed that the managers understood and experienced information use in five different ways: as information packaging; as information flow; as developing new knowledge and insights; as shaping judgements and decisions; and as influencing others. These five different ways of experiencing information use are related in a hierarchy that reflects three different views of information: as an object; as a construct; and as a transformative force. Embedded in the hierarchy are different relations between people and information in their work environments, different processes of information use and different criteria for determining the quality of information that is used. The thesis demonstrates that the concept of information use can be explored empirically using phenomenography as the research approach. This approach, which originated in the field of education, has been used infrequently in information behaviour research. It offers potential for the further exploration of not only information use but also other concepts germane to information behaviour. The thesis highlights the richness of peoples' experiences of information use and points to some directions that might be taken by practitioners in developing information systems, products and services to support people as they 'go about their business'.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2009.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Texas at Arlington, 2009.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. in Computer Science)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Don Brutzman, Curtis L. Blais. Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-176). Also available online.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is to explore the theoretical foundation for conceptualizing information-sharing behavior and to develop a composite index or a global scale for measuring the overall level of information sharing in the context of supply chains. Specifically, the study investigates two research questions: What are the basic characteristics of information-sharing behavior? How can the overall level of operational information sharing of small- and medium-sized Canadian enterprises in supply chains be measured? Three major characteristics of information-sharing behavior are identified in the study: there must be mutual benefits, a mixture of collaborative and competitive actions, and a dependent relationship. Correspondingly, a theoretical definition of information-sharing behavior is proposed: information-sharing behavior is a type of information behavior in which two groups of actors connected by a certain type of relationship transfer information between them through collective actions in order to achieve individual or common interests. Furthermore, a general analytical framework of information-sharing behavior is developed. The analytical framework, which includes major factors involved in information-sharing activity, broadens the scope of interactions beyond the systems and information, and adopts a new perspective emphasizing incentives and interactions between actors in addition to the system-centered and user-centered views traditionally assumed in information behavior studies. / Le but de cette étude est d’explorer les fondements théoriques pour conceptualiser le comportement du partage d’information et pour développer un index composé ou une échelle globale afin de mesurer le niveau complet du partage d’information dans le contexte de chaînes d’approvisionnement. En pratique, le partage d’information entre les membres d’une chaîne d’approvisionnement est crucial afin d’augmenter la compétitivité et la performance des entreprises individuelles et de la chaîne entière. Néanmoins, le partage d’information rendu possible par les réseaux informatiques dans les entreprises canadiennes en ·est toujours à ses balbutiements, et il n’y a aucune méthode applicable pour évaluer les efforts des entreprises pour améliorer le niveau du partage d’information dans les chaînes d’approvisionnemeont. Spécifiquement, l’étude examine les deux questions de recherche suivantes: Quelles sont les caractéristiques de base du comportement du partage d’information? Comment peut être mesuré le niveau général du partage d’information opérationnel entre les petites et les moyennes entreprises canadiennes dans les chaînes d’approvisionnement? Trois caractéristiques majeures du comportement du partage d’information sont identifiées dans l’étude: il doit y avait un avantage mutuel, un mélange d’actions collaboratives et compétitives, et une relation de dépendance. Une définition théorique de comportement du partage d’information est proposée: Le comportement du partage d’information est un type de comportement informationnel dans lequel deux groupes d’acteurs sont reliés par un certain type de relations de transfert des informations par des actions collectives afin de réaliser des intérêts individuels ou communs. En outre, une structure analytique d’ensemble du comportement de partage d’information est développée. La structure analytique, qui comprend des facteurs majeurs dans l’

The focus of this thesis is information use. Although a key concept in information behaviour, information use has received little attention from information science researchers. Studies of other key concepts such as information need and informationseeking are dominant in information behaviour research. Information use is an area of interest to information professionals who rely on research outcomes to shape their practice. There are few empirical studies of how people actually use information that might guide and refine the development of information systems, products and services. The thesis begins to address this imbalance in information behaviour research by exploring the concept of information use through an empirical study. Fifteen senior managers from two organisations in the cultural industries sector participated in the study. Analysis of interviews revealed that the managers understood and experienced information use in five different ways: as information packaging; as information flow; as developing new knowledge and insights; as shaping judgements and decisions; and as influencing others. These five different ways of experiencing information use are related in a hierarchy that reflects three different views of information: as an object; as a construct; and as a transformative force. Embedded in the hierarchy are different relations between people and information in their work environments, different processes of information use and different criteria for determining the quality of information that is used. The thesis demonstrates that the concept of information use can be explored empirically using phenomenography as the research approach. This approach, which originated in the field of education, has been used infrequently in information behaviour research. It offers potential for the further exploration of not only information use but also other concepts germane to information behaviour. The thesis highlights the richness of peoples' experiences of information use and points to some directions that might be taken by practitioners in developing information systems, products and services to support people as they 'go about their business'.

Thesis (MIS (Information Science)) -- University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 116-121)

Thesis (MPhil) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2004. / Also held in print (115 leaves, 30 cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection (T 658.4038011 HIL)