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.

Orientador: Helen de Castro Silva Casarin / Banca: Mariângela Spotti Lopes Fujita / Banca: Daisy Pires Noronha / Resumo: A questão ambiental ocupa um importante espaço na sociedade e vem crescendo cada vez mais em abrangência. Uma das características da área de meio ambiente é que esta apresenta facetas de difícil controle, por ser multi e interdisciplinar. A informação produzida e utilizada nesta área encontra-se dispersa em diversas fontes. Dessa forma, o comportamento de busca da informação ambiental por pesquisadores da área faz-se pertinente. A pesquisa teve como objetivo principal a análise do comportamento de busca e uso da informação ambiental por parte dos pesquisadores de duas instituições vinculados a programas de pós-graduação da área de Ecologia. Objetivou-se ainda caracterizar a informação ambiental, incluindo aspectos históricos e atuais, enfocando o contexto brasileiro, delinear o perfil dos pesquisadores-usuários da informação ambiental, identificar os hábitos de busca e as fontes de informação consideradas fundamentais. Utilizou-se uma metodologia quantitativa e descritiva e os dados foram obtidos através de questionário contendo perguntas abertas, semi-abertas e fechadas. Constatou-se que os pesquisadores da área de meio ambiente, tanto de mestrado, quanto de doutorado, apresentam um comportamento de busca e uso da informação independente, não necessitando necessariamente de intermediários para a realização da busca por informação e estes apresentam aspectos similares e diferentes no que concerne a esse comportamento. Espera-se que este estudo possa trazer significativas contribuições ao campo da Ciência da Informação, em especial a linha de Organização da Informação e que suscite outras discussões sobre este tema. / Abstract: The environmental issue occupies an important place in society and is growing increasingly in scope. One of the characteristics of environment area is that it presents facets difficult to control, to be multi and interdisciplinary. The information produced and used in this area is scattered in various sources. Thus, the study of the conduct of search of environmental information by researchers in the field it is relevant. The research was aimed primarily at examining the conduct of search of environmental information by researchers from both institutions linked to postgraduate programmes in the ecology area. The objective was to further characterize the environmental information, including current and historical aspects, focusing on the Brazilian context, outlining the profile of researchers-users of environmental information, identify patterns of search and sources of information considered essential. We used a descriptive and quantitative methodology and data were obtained through a questionnaire containing questions open, semi-open and closed. It was found that researchers in the field of environment, both master's or a doctorate, presenting a performance of search and use of independent information, not necessarily requiring an intermediary to conduct the search for information and they have similar and different aspects in relation to this behavior.It is hoped that this study could bring significant contributions to the field of Information Science, in particular the line of Organization of information and that raises further discussions on this subject. / Mestre

Information is one the essential elements of science. It is an imperative condition that researchers review antecedent works as they advance and create new knowledge. Knowledge creation in science is a process of adding and refining new pieces of data, information, and knowledge to what has already been accomplished by others. Few scientific communities have unlimited access to scientific information sources. Most communities’ access to information is limited by economic, social, cultural, and technological conditions. This study investigates information seeking behavior and information dissemination practices of the Venezuelan scientific community. A model of scholarly communication in a context of dependency emerges from the following major themes: persisting interpersonal communication with the international scientific community; publication in international journals; prestige and name recognition; and contacting the authors to access full-text journal articles. A qualitative approach is used to illuminate the information seeking behavior of scientists in Venezuela, to discover the barriers experienced by the Venezuelan scientific community when accessing scientific information, and to explore their scientific information dissemination practices. Interviews were conducted in July 2009 with thirteen Venezuelan scientists from the fields of biology, chemistry, or physics. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed in Spanish. Coding, categories, data analysis, and theory building followed a general inductive approach.

The Relationship between Organizational Socialization, Information Seeking Behavior, and Organizational Commitment of New High-tech Professionals Abstract Due to the rapid growth of high-tech industry in Taiwan, there is an increasing need for high-tech professionals. Therefore, it is easy for high-tech professionals to switch jobs frequently. This phenomenon causes high-tech companies to spend a lot of money and time on the management of newcomers every year, so it is important to understand how newcomers adjust to the new environment and increase their commitment to the organization. Organizational socialization is generally defined as the process whereby newcomers learn the behaviors and attitudes for assuming roles in an organization. Research on socialization has focused on the socialization tactics used by organizations and tends to portray newcomers as passive in the socialization process. However, relatively is known about how newcomers obtain the information they need. Hence, this study was designed to examine the relationship between organizational socialization, information seeking behavior and organizational commitment of high-tech professionals. Besides, this research also examined the mediating effects of socialization content on the relationship between organization socialization and organizational commitment and the relationship between information seeking behavior and organizational commitment. Surveys were given to 99 new professionals six and twelve months into their jobs. The results of the research indicate that: 1. High-tech companies tend to use institutionalized socialization tactics; new professionals tend to use overt, third party and observing tactics to obtain the information . 2. Collect, sequential, fixed and serial socialization tactics are associated with high socialization content; overt and observing information seeking tactics are associated with high socialization content. 3. Sequential fixed and serial socialization tactics are associated with high organizational commitment; observing information seeking tactic and high socialization content are associated with high organizational commitment. 4. The mediating effects of socialization content on the relationship between organization socialization and organizational commitment and the relationship between information seeking behavior and organizational commitment are not obvious. Key words: organizational socialization, information seeking behavior, socialization commitment, high-tech company, newcomer

The subject of this two year Master's thesis in Library and Information Science is the information practices of illiterate immigrants in everyday life. The purpose is to examine how immigrants seek, identify, understand and value information sources and information, and how the practices have changed with their arrival in Sweden. It furthermore focuses on the barriers that illiterate immigrants meet in accessing and understanding information. It moreover investigates the strategies they use to overcome them. For this purpose twelve qualitative research interviews were carried out, with illiterate immigrants as well as with service providers. The theoretical concepts of the essay is information practices, which means that the information process is within a context, and information poverty, that people in different context do not have adequate and equal access to information and information sources. Using McKenzie's model of information practices, the essay concludes that illiterate immigrants are active in their information process, especially when they interact with information. The most commonly used information practice is to seek out and ask for help in their social network. They use service providers to explain written information. In addition to actively seeking out people to help them, they use a variety of information practices. They use Internet on their smartphones. Some of them use a translator app to translate letters and communicate with others. They use Facebook and watch TV. They also use other visual sources. Their information practices function as strategies to cope with barriers connected to illiteracy. They utilize their social network that possesses writing and reading skills to help them read and explain. Other strategies are to use numbers and to learn things by heart. Although the illiterate immigrants use a variety of practices and strategies, they still do not get adequate and equal access to information and therefore can be called information poor. Their social network is a resource, but it can also be a limitation. They risk lacking information about intangible things. But they do not, opposed to Chatman's theory, keep their needs concealed. One participant differed from the others in this aspect, since he expressed an unwillingness to ask. He was also troubled by his illiteracy. He perceived himself as being more limited because of it. The interpretation of this is that he lives in a more literate world than the other participants. Therefore is he able to realize what he lacks. It is important to give illiterate immigrants adequate and equal information. This essay thus suggests that institutions seek to adapt their information services to the practices and strategies that the group acquires and uses.

The purpose of the current study was to confirm or dismiss Saudi students' behavioral intention with regard to using smartphone applications for learning purposes. A quantitative, non-experimental survey research design and descriptive research conducted on the determinants -performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence- that predict Saudi students' intention at University of North Texas to use smartphone applications for learning purposes, based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) as the framework. This study aims at filling gap found in understanding of students' intentions and their behaviors regarding the adoption and use of the Smartphone applications. Data was collected by means of an online questionnaire. The hypothesized model validated empirically using data collected from around 234 Saudi students who enrolled at University of North Texas. The model developed from UTAUT explained 50.1% of the variance of behavioral intention, and behavioral intentions explained 13.6% of the variance of usage behavior. The result of this study support that the determinants of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions were the highest predictors of behavioral intentions in using smartphone applications for learning purposes. The results of this study could encourage students, educators, and the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education to provide educational applications that meet students' needs for information and knowledge.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, page: 0340. Adviser: Shannon P. Marquez. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract: Using an adapted Straussian Grounded Theory approach, and as a participant observer, data from members of a Facebook group made up of parents and caretakers of infants or children with Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) were collected and analyzed. During the first exploratory phase, 31 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 theoretically sampled members of the group. During the second phase, 604 postings (original and comments) created by members of the online social media group, for one week, were analyzed. The study explored various dimensions of informal learning in this space. These included what learning strategies members used, what types of knowledge were encouraged and shared, how community within the group was characterized and its role in the learning space, what factors led members to join and share knowledge, and what patterns of participation existed in the group. The findings revealed a core concept of a disconnect between group members and their medical community that drove participation in the online health-related social media group, as well as a substantive theory of learning to survive. A new framework for understanding online informal learning spaces in social media was developed and proposed. It was adapted from Wenger’s Community of Practice and Gee’s Affinity Spaces. Its key components include a disconnect; inherent learning processes; community and space characteristics; and types of knowledge that are encouraged and available. Findings also contributed to a better understanding of online information-seeking behaviors by introducing a new model of information-seeking within online social media groups. This model includes the stages of initiating, lurking, and browsing; requesting information; being guided by a highly knowledgeable member; reconciling; applying; and appraising. The model is a continuous cycle with entry and exit permitted at each stage based on the learner’s needs. In addition, this study’s findings demonstrate that social media spaces are a viable avenue for the transferring of experience-based knowledge. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Technology 2018

This paper aims to describe health information seeking behaviour and identify its associated factors among undergraduate university students in developing countries. An online survey is used to collect data from 138 students. The data is analysed using the multivariate logistic regression analysis method. Results reveal that a substantial number of students have sought health information mostly from the Internet. Health literacy, perceived susceptibility to health problems and alcohol consumption are found to be the significant factors influencing health information seeking behaviour. Results provide an understanding of health information seeking behaviour in developing countries.

When it comes to hospice care, patients and their families residing in rural counties need competent rural community-based hospice social workers on their team. The study of information seeking behaviors of rural community-based hospice social workers during the global COVID-19 pandemic is significant as there is a need to fill gaps regarding how this specific medical discipline performs their job responsibilities when duties become more complicated due to evolving infection control protocols, decreased direct access to patients, and poor internet services. Community-based rural hospice social workers rely on up-to-date information and resources when providing support services to patients and their families. This has become particularly important during the global pandemic COVID-19. Utilizing Chatman's small world theory, this research lends itself to community-based hospice social workers identifying solutions to the challenges of finding timely and accurate COVID-19 information and resources for hospice patients and their families. Purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews, and qualitative social network analysis (SNA) with ATLAS.ti comprise the methodology for this research. The purpose of this study is to investigate the information seeking behaviors of community-based hospice rural social workers in order to understand how they select their COVID-19 information resources.