Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Library and Information Studies) / The study investigated the information behaviour of Nigerian undergraduates with a focus on online media, especially Web 2.0. Nigeria has a laudable vision tagged Nigeria Vision 20:2020 (NV 20:2020), which is to be one of the top 20 knowledge economies by the year 2020. To achieve this grand feat, the nation requires a skilled population with 21st century graduate attributes who are information literate. That is, graduates who possess the competencies and high capabilities to effectively use and disseminate information for optimum service delivery in this epoch of information proliferation and technologies that are yet evolving. To ascertain the preparedness of Nigeria for the laudable Vision 20:2020, the research work investigated the information behaviour of Nigerian undergraduates using a specialized university, the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, as the case study site. The university was established in 2007 to meet the demands of the petroleum industry which is the largest in Nigerian in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This thesis explored the ways in which people experiencing psychosis respond to their distressing experiences. Mixed methodology was used to address the research questions. Chapter two included a thorough systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between safety seeking behaviours and psychosis. This review concluded that safety seeking behaviours, avoidance and resistance were associated with increased distress whereas engagement was associated with reduced distress. The review also highlighted some conceptual difficulties with differentiating between safety seeking and coping in this population. Study one, a qualitative exploration of how people respond to the experience of psychosis is presented in chapter four. This study found three key themes relating to perceived importance of responses, accuracy of threat appraisals and perceptions of ability to control experiences. An overarching theme of fighting a daily battle to maintain functioning was also identified. This analysis provided some support for the model of safety seeking responses but also demonstrated additional complexities in the way that people respond to their distressing experiences. Chapter five presents study two, the development and validation of a measure of responses to psychosis. Principal Components Analysis identified three subscales: threat monitoring and avoidance, social control and reassurance seeking and conscious self-regulation attempts. The subscales were found to have good internal consistency and convergent validity. To build on this work, study three used Structural Equation Modelling to test an integrative cognitive and metacognitive model of voice hearing (chapter six). In support of this model, it was found that voice hearing predicted beliefs and beliefs predicted responses and negative affect. Responses were not predicted either by voice hearing or negative affect. It was also found that both schematic beliefs and meta-worry mediated the relationship between avoidance and negative affect. Finally, in study four, presented in chapter seven, the response styles of attentional avoidance and attentional focusing were manipulated in response to an ambiguous auditory task in an experimental study. It was found that the attentional avoidance response resulted in a significantly greater increase in words heard during the task. However, the manipulation did not have an impact on distress levels. This thesis has demonstrated significant relationships between response styles, distress, appraisals and voice hearing. This, therefore, confirms the important role of responses to unusual experiences in models of psychosis. It appears that avoidance is likely to be unhelpful however, it should not be assumed that other responses are either helpful or unhelpful as this is likely to be person and context specific. The clinical and research implications of this are discussed.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements and the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2013. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the information needs and seeking behaviour of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and caregivers, and to examine the role of service providers in disseminating information to OVC and caregivers in Namibia. Although several studies focusing on different aspects of the OVC situation have been done, the researcher could not identify any study that focused on the information needs and seeking behaviour of OVC and their caregivers in Namibia and how the two groups satisfy their information needs at present. In order to obtain data from the respondents, the study adopted qualitative and quantitative research methods for data collection. A questionnaire was mailed to the sampled service providers, while interviews were conducted with OVC and caregivers. Focus group discussions were also held with caregivers and key informants in order to explore the general attitudes, feelings, beliefs, experiences and reactions of the research population with respect to information needs and seeking behaviours. The study took place in the rural community of Ohangwena and the urban setting of Khomas. A total of 566 OVC, 70 caregivers, and 18 services providers from both regions took part in the study. A total of eleven focus group discussions took place; eight focus group discussions were held in Ohangwena, while three were in the Khomas region. Both rural and urban OVC indicated that they needed information in order to access financial vii assistance/grants, child care/support, feeding schemes, and health services. The most important information required, according to the OVC from Ohangwena, was information on school development fund exemption, financial assistance or grants, health services, child care/support and training opportunities. The OVC from Khomas had similar priorities with the exception of training opportunities, which was replaced with counselling. Both rural and urban OVC consulted relatives, teachers, and friends to satisfy their information needs, indicating that people were their most important source of information. The findings from focus group discussions (FGDs) with caregivers and key informants indicated that there are disparities between rural and urban areas in terms of information access and use based on literacy and education. For example, the rural dwellers cited their need for information on educational support, psychological and counselling services, child care/support, and job opportunities. In the urban setting of Khomas, educational support and the establishment of small businesses featured as prominent needs. The FGDs revealed that the radio, traditional leaders, regional councillors, friends and relatives were the most important sources and channels of information in Ohangwena, while in Khomas, friends and relatives, community leaders, and regional councillors were the most popular channels. Social workers and the television were also popular channels in Khomas. The findings of the study indicate that service providers provide a range of services to OVC and caregivers in both rural and urban areas. In the rural areas, the majority of the supporting organisations had health-related programmes focusing on feeding schemes and nutrition, and HIV/AIDS awareness. In urban areas, service providers provided psychosocial support, counselling, and resilience services. The findings reveal that the majority of the service providers used community meetings and public forums to communicate their own information and to create awareness of their services in both regions. The channels that were most frequently used in Ohangwena were community meetings and open forums, while the use of volunteers featured prominently in Khomas. The OVC and caregivers encountered various problems in accessing information, including: long distance to access information and services; language barrier for printed materials; shortage of service providers in rural areas; lack of coordination of service providers; and viii bureaucratic red tape from government departments. Major recommendations stemming from the study include: the need for service providers to provide clear information on how to access the different services that target OVC and caregivers; service providers should collaborate and use mass media channels to disseminate information; the need for a “one stop shop” where all information related to OVC services would be made available; and the need to provide information in local languages. The study concluded that information provision is a crucial resource for OVC and caregivers because it helps them identify and take advantage of available services. Conversely, lack of information leads to the lower utilization of available services and increased poverty and disempowerment. Several recommendations are made on how to improve the flow of information to OVC and caregivers to help them easily locate and use facilities and services that have been set up for them either by the government, or by non-governmental organisations and other service providers. The study also proposes a model to improve the provision of information to OVC and caregivers in the two regions. / University of Zululand

Ever-evolving information technology influences the information behaviour of users. This enforces both academic libraries and other libraries to try by all means to cope with the accelerating rate of information technology. The abundance of electronic and digital resources and tools have been reported to have a strong impact on the information behaviour of researchers (Vilar and Žumer 2011). / Mini Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Carnegie Corporation of New York / Information Science / MIT / Unrestricted

The research problem of this project is to investigate if, and how, Birkinshaw and Bouquet‟s model of subsidiary attention seeking by means of weight and voice needs to be modified for MNC subsidiaries operating in emerging markets. The qualitative research technique used for this research was the multiple-case study method. Key findings are that weight is moderated by institutional environments and voice by national culture in emerging markets. Recommendations are made to assist managers of subsidiaries in increasing weight and voice in emerging markets in order to gain more attention from Corporate Headquarters. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study was conducted to elucidate and to compare some factors which influence the host-seeking behaviour of adult female simuliids in two geographically isolated regions. Various observations and experiments were performed with the knowledge of a mechanism inherent in the feeding behaviour of simuliids. This approach has helped to clarify the orientation of simuliids to their hosts and has enhanced the understanding of the transmission of parasites by these flies. Further, it was found valuable to determine whether the behaviour state of simuliids influenced their reaction to visual stimuli. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

This dissertation reports on a study of the self-reported readiness of undergraduate first-year students at a very large distance teaching institution, the University of South Africa (Unisa). The Unisa library does not offer an online information literacy programme for distance students and has not conducted surveys on students’ needs and their readiness for using online information resources and an online learning management system. The main research question thus was: What are the information seeking behaviour and the readiness of Unisa distance students in using and accessing the library online resources? Sub-questions were: • What has been reported on information literacy and information literacy programmes for distance students, with special reference to online programmes? • What has been reported on virtual learning environments with specific reference to distance education? • What are the students’ self-rated perceptions of their information literacy skills? • What are the students’ information seeking behaviour and preferences in using online information resources? • What are the students’ self-rated perceptions in using an online learning management system in a virtual learning environment? The Unisa School of Accountancy served as case study. All students enrolled for first- year modules in the School of Accountancy (including the Departments of Auditing, Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Taxation) were invited to participate in the survey. Data collection occurred in July and August 2015 by means of a self-administered, semi-structured online questionnaire survey. In total 587 students responded, resulting in 525 usefully completed questionnaires. Most of the students were geographically remote from the institution and the library and its branches. The study collected mostly descriptive quantitative data, with limited qualitative data. The quantitative data were analysed by means of a statistical package (SAS JMP version 12), and the qualitative data by means of thematic analysis. The questionnaire covered self-reported information seeking behaviour when using the library’s online resources, whether students had received training on information literacy skills, and if these skills were effective enough to assist them to locate and access the library’s diverse online information resources relevant to their studies. It also collected data on their readiness to use an online learning management system. The limitations of self-reporting are acknowledged; in this case it was considered appropriate to determine lack of skills. Although the findings cannot be generalised to all Unisa or all distance students, they can inform recommendations on the need for an online information literacy skills programme for distance students and methods to conduct similar studies of students’ readiness to use such a programme. Respondents lacked information literacy skills that could enable them to access or use the online library resources from a distance. They lacked skills in using the virtual learning environment system, experienced problems in accessing the library from a distance, could not use databases to access online full-text articles and were often not aware of the library website and how it could be used. It is recommended that the Unisa library consider developing an online information literacy programme that adheres to international standards and guidelines for information literacy, and that this be informed by the needs expressed by students from diverse disciplines and study years and their self-reported information-seeking behaviour. For distance students a programme must be available through a virtual learning environment and this must be linked to the library’s website and marketing efforts. KEYWORDS • Case study • Distance education • Distance libraries • Distance students • Information literacy skills • Information seeking behaviour • Online information literacy programmes • Online information seeking behaviour / Dissertation (MIS)-University of Pretoria, 2017. / University of South Africa (UNISA) / Information Science / MIS / Unrestricted

Background: The study examined the effects of the determinants of under-five mortality in Malawi. It therefore aimed to estimate the rate or prevalence of under-five mortality in Malawi and to examine differentials in infant and child mortality by socio-economic, demographic, environmental, health-seeking behaviour and nutritional value. Methods: This study involved a secondary data analysis of the 2010 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) data set of children under five years old and women who had given birth in the five years preceding the survey. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate hazard analysis were used to examine the relationship between under-five mortality and socio-economic. demographic, environmental, health-seeking behaviour and nutritional factors. Results: The results show that birth order, mother's education, place of residence. region and exclusive breastfeeding were significantly associated with under-five mortality. The results also show that there was no significant association between under-five mortality and other indicators of socio-economic. demographic. environmental, health-seeking behaviour. The results also show that more deaths of under-fives occurred during infancy than during childhood. Conclusion: The results show that more deaths occurred during the first months after birth than after 12 months of age. This showed that mother's education, birth order, place of residence, region and breastfeeding had a greater influence on the survival of the child. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc. Population Studies) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the information-seeking behaviour, needs and preferences of doctors, specifically with reference to Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) in the UK. This is particularly relevant during the current IT and resource development currently being undertaken in the NHS. Mixed methods research techniques were utilised to gather and analyse the data collected to meet the aims and objectives of this study. Three data collection methods have been utilised. The first utilised Clinical Librarians to count the information needs (questions) of doctors (Clinical Librarians Logs). The second data collection method gathered clinical questions from clinical librarians (specialists), medical librarians (generalists) and from websites hosting clinical questions (such as http://www.attract.wales.nhs.uk). These were analysed using the taxonomy developed by Ely et al. 2000. Finally an online questionnaire was used to gather data on doctors' awareness and use of electronic EBM resources. The major finding is that research undertaken on the information needs in the healthcare sector in the USA cannot be readily utilised in the NHS. This research utilised a unique data collection technique, the Clinical Librarian as a data collector. This enabled the quantification of doctors unperceived information needs. This research identified that doctors in the UK asked roughly one question for every four patients seen. Despite the advances and ease of use of electronic resources, the preferred information source was colleagues. Time continues to be the major barrier for accessinge lectronici nformation to aid clinical decision making.