The aim of this Master’s thesis is to investigate international students’ views regarding information seeking and use of information sources. A further aim is also to investigate the possible factors influencing information seeking in relation to everyday life for international students. Interviews were carried out with eight international students, 20-35 years old from three continents. They were to stay in Sweden for at least five months for the purpose of studying. Our theoretical framework is based both on user and context oriented theories of information barriers and on a model of information sources. We have also used a “themes on paper” method which involves constructing themes from the research questions on which the interview guide and analysis were built. Our analysis reveals that the students sought information daily and used a wide range of sources, mostly electronic ones. Internet was the most common information source; printed information and databases had a low usage. Oral sources were used in informal matters. When problems occurred in information seeking the students switched search strategy or asked friends and teachers. The major barrier students encountered lay in the information systems themselves. Teachers and librarians may provide the tools (guided tours, information seeking courses and brochures) but it is up to the student to use them. The major influential factor for seeking information in everyday life was the need to create a sense of security. This can be supported by increasing the amount of relevant information to students before and during their stay in Sweden. / Uppsatsnivå: D

The purpose of this Bachelor’s thesis was to examine the information needs of the international students at the University of Borås. A further aim was to examine the types of information sources the international students was using to satisfy their information needs and the environmental factors keeping them from achieving this. This was done through focus group interviews with international students from four different countries ranging from the ages 20 – 35. The students was studying at masters, bachelor or taking courses as part of the Erasmus Mundus program. The theoretical framework for this thesis is based in Wilson’s theories on information needs and factors influencing needs and information seeking behaviours as well as Daft and Lengel’s theory of information richness. The findings of this thesis were that the international students were well aware of their information needs and were able to choose different sources according to their needs. Most of the international students needs were met with a few exceptions; the education system while well received caused some confusion early on and trouble for at least one international student. Several environmental factors was identified among which the information systems and language proved to be the most problematic for the students. The environmental factors and the problems encountered by the international students can be countered by providing better and more well aimed information before and during their stay.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att presentera internationella studenters perspektiv och tolkningar på hur hierarki och auktoritet kan utrycka sig inom det svenska universitet. För att synligöra detta kontrasteras den svenska kontexten med informanternas tidigare erfarenheter utomlands. Faktorer som informanterna anser påverkar de sociala strukturerna inom universitetet är studiebakgrund, finansieringsutformning och samhällets symboliska syn på högre utbildning. Några skillnader som kontrasteras av informanterna återfinns inom områdena tid, organisation, värdering, ansvar och tävlingsmentalitet. Andra skillnader som uppkom är hur man tilltalar och hälsar på varandra, rollfördelning och skillnaderna mellan personlig och professionell interaktion. Summerat beskriver generellt informanterna den svenska kontexten som mer jämlik, mindre auktoritär och att de sociala relationerna mellan student och lektor kan tolkas som vänskapliga. / The purpose of this paper is to present international students' perspectives and interpretations of how the hierarchy and authority will be expressed in the Swedish university. To make the structures visible will the Swedish context be compared to the informants' previous experiences abroad, to visualise the contrasters. Factors that the informants thinks may will affect the social structures within the university can be found in areas of educational background, financing, responsibility and the society approach to higher education. Some differences that are contrasted by the informants can also be found in the areas of time, organisation, evaluation, accountability and competitive mentality. Other social differences that arose is greetings, academic roles and the differences between personal and professional interaction. In summary the informants overall describes the Swedish context as more equal, less authoritarian and the social relations between the student and the lecturer can be interpreted as amicable.

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to investigate how academic librarians experience reference work aimed at international students. International students are a growing usergroup in Swedish academic libraries. The study’s main research question is:- How do academic librarians experience reference work aimed at international students?The study was performed with a phenomenographic methodological approach where seven qualitative interviews with academic librarians were conducted. These interviews were transcripted in their entirety and analysed using three key concepts based on the study’s research questions that formed the different experiences that created the study’s outcome space. The results show three major viewpoints on reference work aimed at international students. These viewpoints are based foremost on variations on how the barriers that international students meet in their library use are experienced. Within experience category A barriers are perceived as a hindrance for effective reference service. Barriers are acknowledged within experience category B but are seen as possible to overcome. Within experience category C barriers are overlooked, international students are here perceived as user group in no more need than other user groups. Two of the experience categories also represent different views on the relationship between the library system and the user. Experience category A is characterised by a user perspective whilst perception category B has a system oriented view of the interaction. / Uppsatsnivå: D

Föreliggande rapport är resultatet av sex intervjuer kompletterade med litteraturgranskning. Rapporten speglar den pågående debatten kring studieavgifter. Den redovisar, inspirerad av diskursanalytisk metod, tre skilda diskursiva debatter dvs. lärosätets, individens, samhällets, på två diskussionsområden - kompensatoriska åtgärder samt möjligheter, fördelar/styrkor. Rapporten påvisar de problem och lösningar som förts fram inom dessa. Respondenterna lyfter fram att studieavgifter handlar om ett ömsesidigt investeringsproblem för framtida välfärd – för individen såväl som för samhället. Respondenterna pekar också på att samverkan mellan departement behövs liksom företagsstöd för industristipendier eftersom full kostnadstäckning behövs. Brister i investering blir ett dilemma som långsiktigt påverkar Sveriges välfärd och även den enskilda studentens välfärd, i synnerhet för den som inte själv har ekonomiska resurser. Fem av sex respondenter har den samlade synen på avgifter att kravet på full kostnadstäckning inte är rimligt utan ett välfungerande stipendiesystem och innebär att vi förlorar alltför många studenter. Den preliminära lösningen är att vidta kompensatoriska åtgärder samt att regeringen tillskjuter medel, säger studieanordnarna. Jag drar slutsatsen att vi ännu inte är redo för att ta hand om konsekvenserna av avgifter och att samverkansdebatten knappt påbörjats. / This paper is based upon six interviews completed by making a literature examination. The paper reflects the current debate on tuition fees. It shows, inspired by a discourse analysis method, three separate discursive debates i.e. higher education, the individual, the society, in two areas of discussion – compensatory measures and potentials, advantages/ stability. The paper demonstrates the problems and solutions put forward in these areas. The respondents highlight that tuition fees are about a mutual investment problem for future welfare - for the individual as well as the society. The respondents also point out that there needs to be collaboration between the ministries, as well as financial support for industrial scholarships because costs need to be completely covered. Lack in investment becomes a dilemma that affects Sweden’s welfare and even the students individual welfare in the long term, particularly for the one who does not have own economic resources. Five of six respondents have an overall view on tuition fees that indicate the demands on full cost coverage is not reasonable without a well-functioning scholarship system and results in us losing too many students. The preliminary solution is to take compensatory actions and that the government contributes funding, the study providers say. I conclude that we are not yet ready to deal with the consequences of tuition fees and that a collaborative debate has just begun.

The purpose is to investigate the significance of social media for the user group exchange students. But also to investigate their central information needs and how they reason regarding criticism of the sources when it comes to using social media. I used theories regarding information needs from different researchers. I also used a model concerning information behaviors from Wilson. I used another theory concerning building blocks in social media by Kietzmann, Hermkens, MacCarthy and Silvestre. The study was conducted using semi-structured qualitative interviews with 8 exchange students. The questions asked are: Which are a few exchange student’s central information needs and what areas of usage are they related to? What social media do a few exchange students use and what activities do they usually carry out while using them? How do a few exchange students reason regarding criticism of the sources when it comes to social media use? My first conclusion is that social media has a significance impact when it comes to providing exchange students with information. Exchange students can also use social media to communicate with friends, family and relatives. My second conclusion is that exchange student’s information needs are increased. They need more information about news, cultural information and practical information. The last conclusion is that exchange students have good knowledge regarding criticism about the sources and when it comes to judging trustworthiness.

Det konfliktdrabbade Turkiet är hemlandet för denna studies fyra respondenter. Syftet var att undersöka dessa internationella studentmigranters syn och uppfattning angående tre teman; migration, återvändande och våld, vilket gjordes med den instabila politiska situationen i landet i åtanke. Analysen gjordes genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av det producerade materialet där materialet klassificerades i koder och underkoder, för att kunna jämföra respondenternas uppfattningar utifrån den teoretiska grunden.Studien genererade en mängd resultat från vilka slutsatser kunde dras. Begreppet migration kopplades ihop med flyktingar, vilket visade på en vilja att hellre definiera sig som cirkulär migrant då detta innebär fler och bättre möjligheter i mottagarlandet, samt efter avklarade studier. Att hellre identifiera sig som en världsmedborgare än att tillhöra den nationella identiteten visades av flertalet vara viktigt. Begrepp som brain drain, brain circulation och push-pullfaktorer togs upp för att förstå processen från ett statligt perspektiv.Då våld diskuterades nämndes främst det direkta våldet, men alla respondenterna reflekterade över både strukturella och kulturella våldshandlingar så som diskriminering på olika grunder. / The conflict-threatened Turkey is the home country for this study's four respondents. The purpose was to investigate the views of international student migrants on three themes; migration, return migration and violence, which was decided upon and discussed with the unstable political situation in the country in mind. The analysis was done by a qualitative content analysis of the produced material, where the material was classified into codes and sub-codes, in order to be able to compare the respondents' perceptions based on the theoretical framework. The study generated several results from which conclusions could be drawn. The concept of migration was coupled with refugees, which indicated a willingness to better define themselves as circular migrants, as this means more and better opportunities in the recipient country, as well as after completed studies.Preferably identifying themselves as a world citizens rather than belonging to a national identity was shown by most of them. Concepts such as brain drain, brain circulation and push-pull factors were raised to understand the process from a state perspective.When violence was discussed, the direct violence was mainly mentioned, but all respondents reflected on both structural and cultural acts of violence such as discrimination on different grounds

The main purpose of this study is to explain international students’ social and cultural adaptation to the new environment at Linnaeus University in Växjö. Multiple research methods were used as this study has gathered and analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data, however with an emphasis on the qualitative. Six interviews were conducted and 103 survey responses collected. The data was analyzed in light of four theories; Bourdieu’s theory of social capital, Ebaugh’s theory of role exit, Elias and Scotson’s theory of established and outsiders, and Stier’s description of the role of socialization for cultural learning. The results of the study indicates that the international students form an initial, small social network consisting of other international students through meeting people in class, in their living corridors and on events organized by the University’s organizations. This small social network expands as students meet new friends through their existing social network; through “a friend of a friend”. The social network functions as social capital as the students get access to resources such as jobs, organizations and a less segregated living situation through their friends and acquaintances. The growing social network in time also includes Swedish students, and having Swedish friends help facilitate the students’ cultural adaption. The students get re-socialized into Swedish culture through interaction with Swedish people; by receiving rewards when doing something right and sanctions when doing something wrong. While adapting to Swedish norms they disengage in norms from their home culture. This re-socialization can be viewed as a version of role exit. The final stage of the cultural adaptation is when the Swedish norms have been internalized with the international student to the point where he or she feels like it is a part of his or her personality.

Ämnet som studerades i följande uppsats var internationella studenters upplevelser av de studentföreningar som kallas ‘nationer’ i Uppsala (NE,u.å.). Mer specifikt berörde uppsatsen möjliga förväntningar på internationella studenter i samband med social interaktion kopplat till formella tillställningar samt arbete på nationerna. Det finns inte mycket sociologisk forskning om Uppsalas studentnationer trots att de har utgjort en social samlingsplats för studenter sedan 1600-talet (NE, u.å.). Än mindre sociologisk forskning finns, gällande internationella studenters möte med dessa föreningar som ur ett historiskt perspektiv skapats för och av svenskar. Syftet med studien var därför att utforska internationella studenters upplevelser och erfarenheter av nationslivet, som delvis utomstående och delvis deltagande, för att ge inblick i hur social interaktion på nationer ser ut för internationella studenter. För att uppfylla syftet har 10 intervjuer utförts som består av frågor gällande informanternas syn på möjliga förväntningar på dem vilka de har haft erfarenhet av inom Uppsalas studentnationer. De teoretiska perspektiv som har använts inom studien är Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv, Jenkins sociala identitetsteori samt Bourdieus begrepp habitus och socialt kapital. Resultatet visade att internationella studenter upplever olika grader av tillhörighet samt främmandeskap inom nationslivet i förhållande till de sociala förväntningar som ställs på dem. Olika förväntningar illustrerade därtill hur nationen kan agera som både en främre- och bakre region, utifrån Goffmans definitioner av begreppen.

This study explores the coping strategies amongst international students who moved to a medium sized city in Sweden to study. The aim is to explore how international students cope with loneliness and their perceptions and experiences related to loneliness. The method is qualitative and inductive, with deductive properties such as the topics related to loneliness, coping, resources and technology. We conducted semi structured interviews with six participants. The theory used is a strength-based perspective focusing on the resources and coping of the participants. The results show the participants express various accounts of experienced loneliness and coping strategies. The themes found were a New university and country, Social life, Society and culture, Self-agency, and Coping strategies. International students cope with loneliness by talking to family and friends, often using ICT. Other sources of support come from within the university environment. Most of the support utilized comes from the students acting themselves.