Šiame darbe buvo išanalizuota keletas paieškos sistemų, bei įvardinti jų privalumai bei trūkumai. Palygintos sistemos kūrimo technologijos. Tai įvertinus buvo sukurta informacijos paieškos sistema elektroninėje bibliotekoje (eLABa). Jos pagrindinis privalumas yra tai, kad paieška vykdoma ne tik tarp dokumento metaduomenų (aprašo), bet ir dokumento tekste. Eksperimentiškai buvo nustatytas galimas paieškos vykdymo optimizavimas. / This system is invented to help people search for the e. documents in FEDORA repository. The system has following features: indexing of Fedora FOXML records, including the text contents of data streams and search in the index. There is possibility to registered users to save results in the history page, and to do repeated search if you want. Also you can go directly to e. document after you have made search.

<p>The project examines the information seeking behaviour of a small group of so-called Generation Y students at the Stellenbosch University as they undertake an academic&nbsp / assignment. There is consensus across the world that universities need to adapt to the needs of Generation Y students, brought up with high-level information technology, the internet and social networking. However, research shows that this does not mean that they are information literate. They have high-tech skills but often do not know how to analyse an information need or discriminate between information sources. Information scientist Carol Kuhlthau develop the ISP model upon which the study was based. Her model sees information seeking as a complex cognitive and affective process. Successful seekers have learned how to manage the process. University libraries need to adapt their information retrieval systems and services to meet the needs of their new kinds of students. The study, a small-scale intensive qualitative case study, hopes to provide insight into how they might do this. The researcher collected data while the participants were writing the assignment. Data gathering methods included interviews, journal writings and questionnaires.</p>

Title: Blog Influence on Consumer Information Search Authors: Emma Hammer, Charlotta Hellström &amp; Emma Martin Tutor: Jonas Dahlqvist Date: 2015-05-11 Key Words: Blog marketing, information search, blog characteristics, blog influence, consumer behavior, online information, online communication Abstract Information search is crucial to consumers because it can potentially lead to better decision-making, therefor it is argued to be the most important aspect during the consumer decision process (Beatty &amp; Smith, 1987; Schmidt &amp; Spreng, 1996). The Internet has greatly impacted the way consumers search for information (Peterson &amp; Merino, 2003). The easy access of online information has made consumers to turn to blogs as an information source, to find inspiration and to be entertained. Moreover, the opportunity to interact with bloggers increases trust and thus consumers feel a stronger connection to the information being shared (Piscopo, 2015).   This thesis intends to analyze and describe what influences consumers to use blogs as an information source and why consumers continuously use blogs over traditional media. To be able to fully understand the use of blogs, the most influential characteristics of blogs affecting consumer behavior are investigated. This thesis discusses similarities and differences with existing literature concerning blogs and consumer behavior and intends to narrow the knowledge gap on the topic.   To fulfill the purpose of this thesis, existing literature was carefully studied to gain knowledge of the topic and qualitative primary data was collected through personal interviews to gain insights from consumers’ perspectives among experienced blog readers. The interview questions were developed based on the theory and previous literature addressed in this study.   The findings of our study indicated that all of the respondents were influenced to read blogs both internally and externally. Our study showed that consumers prefer using blogs as an information source over traditional media because it is easily accessible, free and more convenient. Finally, the continuous use of blogs was realized as a result of these blog characteristics explained by the respondents: familiarity, frequency, convenience, inspirational, humor and professionalism.

Labels serve as a source of external information during the consumer decision–making process, and frequently contribute to consumers’ prior knowledge of different products as well as their search activities prior to purchase of furniture. Labelling of a wide range of products, such as food and clothing has been investigated with regard to the effectiveness of the label, to convey information and draw consumers’ attention to the product, and the usage of the labels by consumers. However, no literature suggests the existence of labels with regard to furniture items, or consumers’ expectations about furniture labels. It is believed that labels on furniture items could assist consumers during the pre–purchase information search of the decision–making process. The current study investigated consumers’ expectations of furniture labels, during the pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process, in order to propose furniture labels. The objectives of the study were to determine what questions regarding product information consumers frequently ask store assistants prior to furniture purchasing; to determine consumers’ expectations regarding furniture labels in terms of the product information on the label, the appearance of the label and the placement of the label on furniture items; and finally to suggest a preliminary furniture label according to consumers’ expectations. A mixed–method research approach was followed, using a two–phase exploratory design. Qualitative findings indicated that consumers enquire about the type of materials used for the manufacturing of furniture items, finishes used on items, quality, guarantees, warrantees, design, performance, maintenance, care instructions and colours of items. Similarly, quantitative results showed that the majority of respondents deemed the price, materials used, cleaning instructions, guarantee and warrantees important to be displayed on the furniture label. Appearance characteristics were summarised and preliminary furniture labels were suggested accordingly. These labels can be used by product developers, marketers, and the furniture industry to assist consumers during their pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process. / Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Labels serve as a source of external information during the consumer decision–making process, and frequently contribute to consumers’ prior knowledge of different products as well as their search activities prior to purchase of furniture. Labelling of a wide range of products, such as food and clothing has been investigated with regard to the effectiveness of the label, to convey information and draw consumers’ attention to the product, and the usage of the labels by consumers. However, no literature suggests the existence of labels with regard to furniture items, or consumers’ expectations about furniture labels. It is believed that labels on furniture items could assist consumers during the pre–purchase information search of the decision–making process. The current study investigated consumers’ expectations of furniture labels, during the pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process, in order to propose furniture labels. The objectives of the study were to determine what questions regarding product information consumers frequently ask store assistants prior to furniture purchasing; to determine consumers’ expectations regarding furniture labels in terms of the product information on the label, the appearance of the label and the placement of the label on furniture items; and finally to suggest a preliminary furniture label according to consumers’ expectations. A mixed–method research approach was followed, using a two–phase exploratory design. Qualitative findings indicated that consumers enquire about the type of materials used for the manufacturing of furniture items, finishes used on items, quality, guarantees, warrantees, design, performance, maintenance, care instructions and colours of items. Similarly, quantitative results showed that the majority of respondents deemed the price, materials used, cleaning instructions, guarantee and warrantees important to be displayed on the furniture label. Appearance characteristics were summarised and preliminary furniture labels were suggested accordingly. These labels can be used by product developers, marketers, and the furniture industry to assist consumers during their pre–purchase information search of the consumer decision–making process. / Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Magister Bibliothecologiae - MBibl / The project examines the information seeking behaviour of a small group of so-called Generation Y students at the Stellenbosch University as they undertake an academic assignment. There is consensus across the world that universities need to adapt to the needs of Generation Y students, brought up with high-level information technology, the internet and social networking. However, research shows that this does not mean that they are information literate. They have high-tech skills but often do not know how to analyse an information need or discriminate between information sources. Information scientist Carol Kuhlthau develop the ISP model upon which the study was based. Her model sees information seeking as a complex cognitive and affective process. Successful seekers have learned how to manage the process. University libraries need to adapt their information retrieval systems and services to meet the needs of their new kinds of students. The study, a small-scale intensive qualitative case study, hopes to provide insight into how they might do this. The researcher collected data while the participants were writing the assignment. Data gathering methods included interviews, journal writings and questionnaires. / South Africa

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hospitality Management / Junehee Kwon / With the advancement of the Internet and information technology, consumers have access to a massive amount of information before purchase. In the hospitality industry, consumers frequently search online information to make decisions. However, there has been limited hospitality research exploring the actual information search behaviors in the online setting. The purpose of this research was to assess the actual information search behaviors of consumers when choosing restaurants through consumer review websites. To accomplish the purpose, three mixed-methods were used including eye-tracking experiments (Phase I), qualitative, retrospective think-aloud (RTA) interviews (Phase II), and a scenario-based survey (Phase III). In the eye-tracking experiments, 30 participants were recruited and instructed to conduct restaurant search tasks. Variables included fixation duration, fixation count, and visit count, indicating how long and how often consumers’ attention had been attracted to certain information areas. The eye-tracking data was also visualized through heat maps and gaze plots. Following eye-tracking experiments, RTA interviews were conducted to investigate the underlying thinking process of consumers. A playback of the recorded eye-tracking video was presented to each participant while participants verbalized their thinking process and reasoning of information search behaviors. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through grounded-theory model to identify important information elements. To overcome the limited generalizability of the eye-tracking experiments and interviews, a scenario-based survey was created, and seven hypotheses were developed to evaluate impacts of online reviews, images, and advertisements on consumers’ interests and restaurant visit intentions based on the results of Phases I and II. Restaurant selection scenarios were provided to the participants to look through screenshots of webpages in order to mimic the online environment. The online survey company Amazon MTurk was used for data collection. A total of 406 usable survey responses were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-sample Chi-square tests, and visualized heat maps. Eye-tracking experiment results revealed that images, consumer reviews, and filter functions were the top information areas to which consumers paid considerable attention. Advertisements in Yelp also received much attention from participants, but during RTA interviews, advertisements were found to be less impactful for consumers’ decision-making than the number of reviews, images with food items, and consumer reviews. Five out of seven hypotheses in Phase III were supported, indicating that it was mostly consistent with findings of the eye-tracking experiments and interviews (Phase I and II). Specifically, consumers’ interests and intentions to visit restaurants were greater for restaurants with a higher number of reviews, food images, and without advertisements. Consumers also were more interested in extremely rated reviews and preferred evenly-distributed image groups. This study contributes to the existing hospitality literature related to consumer behavior with the utilization of the innovative, combined methods of eye-tracking technology, RTA interviews, and scenario-based survey. This approach allowed the researcher to obtain a holistic view of actual consumer behavior, thinking process accompanying the behavior as well as the verification with large sample. Consumer review websites and restaurateurs were provided with specific recommendations to enhance the online user experience and improve customer satisfaction, respectively.

Political consumers, by using their consumerism to make political statements, constitute a potential force in changing global consumption patterns towards more sustainable ones. Thus new insights concerning this specific group and its ways of searching for information prior to a purchase decision might help understand the mechanisms behind sustainable consumption choices. This study is based on a series of twelve personal qualitative interviews conducted with Swedish consumers of sustainable goods. These interviews confirmed certain characteristics known to political consumers, such as a high level of commitment, high standards regarding information and the frequent use of labelling schemes. Furthermore this study has shown the complexity experienced by this group of consumers regarding sustainability claims and the role of a chosen “sustainability champion” in helping make sense of this complex information. Finally this study reminds of the significance of respecting the consumer and his trust for a message as well as the need for simple and clear information tools to distinguish proper sustainable goods from others.

Master Thesis, Master of Science in Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design with specialisation in Business Administration Field of research: Business Administration, School of Business &amp; Economics University: Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden. Course code:5FE07E Semester: Spring 2017 Author: Juan Sebastian Duque L. Examiner: Saara Taalas Tutor: Soniya Billore Title: Social media influence Subtitle: Qualitative study of Colombian consumer attitude toward social media and its influence Background: The reason for conducting this master thesis in the field of Colombian consumer perspective and the influences on social media, was due to the realisation that there was a need for an increased understanding of the influences that social media is making on Colombian consumer. Besides, the main question is why Colombia? This country is a developing country that its level of growth in multiple sectors is remarkable. It is a market that is attracting multinational companies and expanding with prestigious national brands. The furniture industry is one of the most competitive businesses in this country, therefore using every single resource to acquire customers is a relevant aspect to take into consideration. However, the digital marketing and e- commerce are just emerging. Therefore, there is a need to understand how the Colombian consumer perceives and is influenced by the social media. Also, as Colombia is ranked number 15 with the most daily active users worldwide, meaning that the digital market on social media has a high potential. Colombian consumers are different than European consumer regarding online and social media purchase. Therefore, it is important to understand their attitudes and cognition about this subject. Research question: Q1: How do Colombian consumers perceive the purchase of furniture products through social media? Q2: In which way social media influence Colombian consumer’s attitudes toward purchasing furniture? Purpose: Identify what is the Colombian consumer’s attitude and perception toward purchase furniture through social media. Also, recognising how does social media influence Colombian consumer attitudes toward buying furniture. Method: The research design was qualitative and abductive manner. The empirical data was collected through Semi-structure interviews. It was essential for this study to settle in the ontological part as consumers’ behaviour was examined. Conclusion: This research found that Colombian consumers have a negative attitude towards social media. Nevertheless, this first attitude tends to change when it comes to the influences that social media have in their final decision making when purchasing furniture. Also, the Colombian consumer is seeking for information on social media for every purchase they make. Reviews are a key aspect that they take into consideration when purchasing an item of furniture. These reviews have the power to influences their perception of products and their final decision either to positive or negative.

Dans le cadre scolaire, la recherche d'information sur le web (RIW) assistée par les moteurs de recherche joue un rôle croissant dans l'enseignement et l'apprentissage. Mais si les lycéens effectuent beaucoup de RIW, peu d'études leur sont consacrées : on ne sait pas comment ils conduisent les RIW et quelles démarches ils suivent. La RIW est variée en fonction du contexte de recherche ainsi que de la situation rencontrée dans le processus même de recherche. Deux épreuves avec plusieurs tâches de recherche définies par le chercheur ont été passées avec 79 lycéens vietnamiens. Si elles ne rendent compte que partiellement des RIW des lycéens, elles permettent d'enregistrer les démarches utilisées, faisant l'hypothèse que les démarches mises en œuvre ont une certaine stabilité.En essayant de simplifier la RIW des participants, un schéma général de RIW est conçu avec cinq actions élémentaires de recherche identifiées : lecture de tâche, formulation de requêtes, consultation de page de résultats, lecture de page web et notation de réponses. Ce schéma permet de visualiser des caractéristiques de RIW des participants : les moteurs sont l'outil principal ; la recherche utilise davantage la formulation de requêtes que la navigation web ; les pages de résultats sont le centre de la recherche ; la navigation web s'effectue à partir des pages de résultats et est plutôt en largeur d'abord, selon le modèle « Hub and spoke ».En nous centrant sur les requêtes, quatre démarches élémentaires de RIW sont reconnues : top-down, bottom-up, spécifique et générale. Les participants ont tendance à utiliser une démarche élémentaire spécifique pour une tâche fermée ; une démarche élémentaire générale pour une tâche ouverte. Quand la tâche est difficile, les participants ont tendance à changer plus souvent leurs démarches élémentaires au cours de recherche et utiliser plus de processus, d'outils et plus de techniques de recherche.Pendant une période de deux ans entre deux épreuves, nous constatons des changements de comportements des lycéens vietnamiens : augmentation de la croyance dans la fiabilité de Wikipédia, de l'utilisation de Wikipédia comme un outil de recherche, de l'utilisation des options de traduction de Google et de requêtes en anglais ; la diminution de l'utilisation des guillemets, des opérateurs booléens dans l'écriture de requêtes. / In school, the information search on the web (ISW) assisted by the search engines play a growing role in teaching and learning. But if the students do a lot of ISW, there are few studies on the high school students; we do not know how they do the ISW and what approaches they follow. The ISW is varied according to the search context and the situation met in the search process itself. Two tests with several search tasks defined by the researcher were passed with 79 vietnamese high school students. If they report only partially ISW of the participants, they allow to register the approaches used, making the hypothesis that the approaches implemented have some stability.In trying to simplify the ISW of the participants, a general schema of ISW is designed with five elementary search actions identified: reading of task, formulation of queries, consultation of page of results, reading of web page and notation of answers. This schema allows to visualize characteristics of ISW of the participants: search engines are the main tool; the search uses more the formulation of queries than the web navigation; the pages of results are the center of the search; the web navigation is made from the pages of results is rather in breadth-first and according to the model "Hub and spoke".By focusing on the queries, four elementary approaches of ISW are recognized: top-down, bottom-up, specific and general. The participants tend to use a specific elementary approach for a closed task; a general elementary approach for an opened task. When the task is difficult, the participants tend to change more often their elementary approaches during the search and to use more processes, tools and more search techniques.During a period of two years between two tests, we notice changes of behavior of the vietnamese high school students: the increase of the belief in the reliability of Wikipédia, the use of Wikipédia as a search tool, the use of the options of translation of Google and the increase of queries in English; the decrease of the use of quotation marks, Boolean operators in the writing of queries.