In the United Kingdom (UK) historic houses form part of the tourism and leisure market. Heritage encompasses a wide variety of establishments including historic houses, historic gardens, heritage centres, town centres, countryside and museums. The UK has a vast cultural resource in this respect and the research intends to concentrate on establishments that are known as the "built heritage" and that are often described as "historic" or "country houses". Millions of visitors annually visit properties to experience an insight into earlier periods of British history and culture. Many operate similarly to small businesses and often have a more diverse range of needs. A model was developed for the study to show the information needs of historic houses and the information seeking behaviour of those managing historic houses. Data have been collected both via questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires involved the investigation of those managing (owners, administrators, custodians) heritage establishments. The interview questions were put directly to individuals responsible for properties from a geographically dispersed area, with different categories of ownership (English Heritage, National Trust, private, local authority) and with different levels of visitor traffic. The survey focused on diversity of activities, information provision, use of information, developments (including technology) and collaboration. Historic houses have been part of a growing sector, allied to the growth in the leisure industry, which has led to increasing demands on their time and finances. In a world that increasingly provides more information than can be handled effectively by any one individual, properties need to be able to make effective use of this to protect the heritage for future generations. Building on the empirical work recommendations are made on policy making, education, audits, co-operation and technology to improve the provision and management of information within the sector to support these establishments. The research represents the first study to investigate the existing situation of historic houses and their information needs in the UK, to try and provide an overview of the sector and information provision and how that might be improved.

Information technology is constantly changing, and if academic users are to make best use of these resources, they must sustain efficient information-seeking behaviour. This study explores the information-seeking behaviour of graduate students at Kuwait University, and investigates the factors influencing that behaviour. The population also includes faculty members engaged in teaching and supervising graduate students, and academic librarians. Adopting Wilson's information-seeking model (1999) as the theoretical framework, the study identifies factors influencing graduate students' information behaviour and formulates hypotheses that illustrate the relationship between the different variables. The use of this model provides useful insights into determinants of the information-seeking behaviour patterns of students in a multidisciplinary graduate context. The research uses a mixed method approach, comprising questionnaire survey, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Application of the Critical Incident Technique method provided in-depth data about the patterns of information-seeking behaviour of both graduate students and faculty members. Logistic regression revealed that significant factors related to library awareness, information literacy, organisational and environmental issues, source characteristics, and demographics act as determinants of the patterns of students' information-seeking behaviour. Uneasiness on the part of graduate students towards using the library and consulting its personnel reflects a broader negative perception of the role of the library in shaping students' information-searching patterns. The clearest finding that emerged from the analysis of the students' information literacy dimension was that the majority of graduate students still face difficulties in finding the appropriate information resources, particularly when using resources that need advanced search strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed a heavy reliance on the information resources that require least effort (search engines, Internet websites, and personal contacts). Further, results revealed that graduate students are overwhelmed by an information overload, which leads them to become anxious about finding the appropriate information resources. Based on the results of the research, recommendations are made to further explore the information-seeking behaviour patterns of graduate students in order to enhance their information literacy skills. Improving information-seeking behaviour and enhancing the information literacy of students require interventions on various fronts: faculty members, academic librarians, the university administration, and graduate students themselves.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to study the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of doctors as an essential element in developing successful clinical information systems and improving the quality of healthcare services. This doctoral thesis focuses on exploring the information needs and information seeking behaviour of doctors in Kuwait government hospitals (KGH). The aims are to investigate the internal and external information sources used by doctors in Kuwait government hospitals and to analyse whether the existing clinical information sources meet their needs. A strategy of sequential, mixed-method procedures was followed to gather the research data using focus groups, a paper-based questionnaire and semi-structured telephone interviews. The participants of the research included all categories of doctors (consultants, senior specialists, specialists, senior registrar, registrar, assistant registrar and trainees), working in four government hospitals: Mubarak AI Kabeer, AI Sabaha, AI Farwania and AI Amiri in Kuwait. The findings of the study show that the most frequently mentioned need for information was to keep up-to-date to maintain good practice. It was found that interpersonal communication and a doctor's personal collection, consisting primarily of electronic resources, were the sources most frequently reported as used by the doctors. However, the degree of use of clinical information sources showed that doctors' information seeking varied depending on the clinical scenario. Doctors' knowledge and patient data were the doctors' most frequently used sources of information in the three clinical scenarios: outpatients, wards and the emergency department. There was a low use of knowledge-support resources such as the Internet and library resources in the outpatient and emergency rooms. However, use of the knowledge-support resources was highest in the wards. The results showed some contextual factors either supported or hindered doctors in seeking the information they need. The factors were categorised in the following contexts: a) Organisation context, b) Socio-cultural context; c) Information sources context and d) Scenarios context. Doctors made a number of suggestions for effective information communication and improving the information provision system in KGH. Two conceptual models result from the study findings: a clinical decision-making model scenario· and the overall conceptual model of information seeking by doctors in Kuwait government hospitals. The thesis concludes with recommendations and practical implications to enhance the information provision in KGH. Suggestions for further research are also given.

This thesis aimed to study the actual and perceived quality of midwifery practices during childbirth at peripheral and central health care levels in two low-income countries, Angola (I-III) and Mozambique (IV-V). Theoretical models interpreting women's and midwives' views have been developed. Objectives: Study I evaluates midwives' use of an adapted model of the World Health Organization's partograph, a tool used to monitor the progress of labour. Study II describes midwives experiences of working without immediate medical assistance. Study III explores women's perceptions of care-seeking behaviour during childbirth. Study IV observes perinatal midwifery care routines and examine partograph documentation. Study V explores and develops a theoretical understanding of factors perceived to obstruct or facilitate midwives ability to provide quality of perinatal care. Methods: Study I: A one-group pre-and post-test interventional evaluation of 100 partographs from one peripheral delivery unit. Study II: Semi structured interviews with eleven midwives, analysed in a qualitative process comprising six steps. Study III. Ten focus group discussions with pregnant and non-pregnant women, analysed using the grounded theory technique. Study IV. Pre-and post intervention observation of midwifery care of 702 vs. 616 women during delivery and examination of the partographs. Study V: In-depth interviews with 16 midwives, analysed using grounded theory technique. Educational interventions were designed and applied in study II and IV. Results: Study I. Significant improvement of documenting was found in seven of the ten variables and more partographs were correctly documented in sample II compared to sample I. Missed transfers increased, however, in sample II. Study II: The midwives experiences were sorted under four main areas: (1) Society/culture (2) Significant Others (3) Personal Self (4) Professional Self. Confidence was felt in the role as autonomous midwives but dependency on various factors such as the partograph, a functional referral system, peer support, community trust and continuous supervision was emphasised. Socio-economic hardships were identified as major stress factors for themselves and the women. Study III: Women seemed compelled to "mould" their care seeking behaviour and four patterns, two 'avoiding' and two 'approaching' institutional care were identified. The salient features of each pattern were found to be "personal courage", [B1]"disempowerment", "discarding traditional practices" and "awareness and emancipation". Study IV. No improvements were found in quality of care following the intervention. Common problems proved to be hypothermia and rare initiation of the graphic part of the partograph, which monitors progress of labour. Study V. A process labelled "changing perinatal care management" emerged, which comprised four dimensions addressing aspects related to i) existing environment ii) midwives' interaction with women in labour, iii) midwifery profession and iv) caring technology in order to improve quality of care. Communication and collaboration were identified as change agents. Conclusions: The findings in this thesis indicate that midwives' ability to provide quality of maternal and perinatal care in lowincome and post-war affected countries is restricted by organizational, structural, educational as well as attitudinal aspects. Women in need of assistance during childbirth are negatively affected as a consequence of midwives reaction to the various constraints, which at times (Luanda) seems to oblige adverse care seeking behaviour. Midwives recognises the need for change, but change is found to be a slow and complex process, which requires engagement by all levels of the care chain. A model suggesting how to achieve quality of maternal and perinatal care in Safe Motherhood context is presented.

This study explored the information seeking behaviour of a group of nursing students at a single university in the United Kingdom to determine whether any of personality, learning style, or self-efficacy with information literacy impacted on this behaviour. A concurrent embedded quantitative dominant mixed-methods approach was used comprising of a questionnaire and interviews, and took place during the academic year 2008-9. Phase 1 of the research used a questionnaire (sample n=194) consisting of three validated scales (for personality, learning styles, and self-efficacy respectively), plus a section on information seeking preferences based on Foster’s (2004, 2005) non-linear model, and some demographic questions. For Phase 2 a sample (n=11) of students took part in semi-structured interviews using the Critical Incident Technique, the resulting data analysed using a blended method of data collection, analysis and display – Qualitative Interpretative Categorisation (QIC). Results from the questionnaire data (through Chi-square, Odds ratios, and Binomial regression) showed clear links between differing personality traits, learning style preferences, and levels of self-efficacy with information literacy, and with particular elements of Foster’s model. This enabled seven specific profiles and a ‘level of understanding’ continuum to be formulated. The interview data enabled an information search process model to be produced indicating the ‘route’ students’ use during their information seeking and emphasised the role of situation. Finally incorporating the student’s personal profile into the model allowed a complete information seeking process model to be produced. Key recommendations from the study are that students should wherever possible have their information seeking profile determined via questionnaire and that a ‘long and thin’ information skills training programme be embedded into the curriculum. This programme should contain a range of types of session and that can be moulded to the situation the students are in.

Despite the vast research on the productive aspect of rewards, little is known on how the changes in employees’ behaviour, made to enhance their chances of achieving a reward, influence employee well-being. Previous work has failed to address the process of reward-seeking behaviour from an employee’s point of view as the focus was on the motivational aspect of rewards. This thesis uses the case of Malta’s financial institutions to examine the relationship between reward-seeking behaviour from bonuses and promotions and employee well-being by drawing on expectancy theory and self-determination theory. To achieve its aims, this study adopts a qualitative approach, wherein 42 semi-structured interviews with employees and four interviews with human resources managers are conducted at financial institutions in Malta – two of which are small and medium-sized enterprises and one is a large-sized institution. Memos and diary notes are also used to complement the data collected from the semi-structured interviews. Overall, the results strongly support the idea that while almost everyone values rewards, employees differ in their willingness to engage in reward-seeking behaviour and its influence on well-being. This thesis contributes to knowledge through the development of a theoretical model – the four quadrant reward-seeking behaviour – well-being model. This typology based model classifies employees into four main categories, namely, highly motivated, apathetic, work-life balanced and work-life imbalanced. This two by two matrix also led to another model that depicts reward-seeking behaviour and well-being as a non-sequential process. The findings have practical implications for human resources practitioners as they now have the capacity to visualise the actual employee mix according to the categories of the model and act on any significant gaps.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the information needs and information seeking behaviour of coaches in the sports of swimming and track and field who had completed level 2 accreditation of the Australian Coaching Council. The study aimed to identify information needs, the sources from which information is currently obtained and to gauge the level of satisfaction with current information provision in terms of the quantity, content and timeliness of information received. The study also aimed to examine the influence of the independent variables of sport, geographic location and education level on information needs and information seeking behaviour. In line with current theoretical thinking in the examination of information needs described in the literature, the researcher took a 'user-centred' approach in the identification of information needs utilising the structured group discussion process, Nominal Group Technique (NGT) as the first stage of the research. This process established the broad parameters of coaches' information needs and provided the basis for the design of a subsequent survey which was distributed to all swimming and track and field coaches who had completed level 2 accrediation. The survey resulted in a response rate of 69 percent from a total population of 568. The study revealed that coaches have a wide range of information needs many of which would not generally be associated with libraries, that there are few differences between coaches from different sports, those of differing education levels and between those of different geographic locations, although access to information is made more difficult through geographic isolation. The study revealed that coaches use multiple sources to obtain information and that libraries and formal sport information providers are not key sources for most types of information. Low levels of satisfaction were found to exist with the quantity and content of information with the highest level of dissatisfaction being expressed with the timeliness of information received. The study concludes by identifying issues, recommending possible actions in relation to these issues and identifies areas for future research.

The present study attempted to investigate the information needs/information seeking behaviour of health researchers at the National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health, Indonesia. Its objective was to identify the relationship between information needs/information seeking behaviour and the characteristics of those health professionals. Those characteristics include institution to which health professionals belonged, institution geographic location, level of appointment, level of education, and work experience. Research was carried out through survey by using a questionnaire. This survey obtained a response rate of 92 percent from a sample of 131 health professionals. Their information needs/information seeking behaviour were correlated with their characteristics to determine relationships, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. Frequency distribution, chi-square analysis, and descriptive analysis were used to obtain the results. The study found that the health information available did not match the health professionals' needs and that there was strong demand by these personnel for automated information services. It also found that total hours reading per week was significantly related to level of appointment, level of education, and work experience at other institutions. The perceived usefulness of journals as information sources was significantly related to institution, geographic location, level of appointment, level of education and work experience at other institutions. Government publications and statistical data as a source of information were found to be related significantly to institution and geographic location. There was also a relationship between the perceived value of reference books and work experience at the current institution. The usefulness of library catalogues as a guide to information was found to be related significantly to institution and geographic location, as was the usefulness of abstracting and indexing services to level of education. Frequency of visiting libraries was significantly related to institution, geographic location and level of appointment. The membership of professional organizations and obtaining useful information from friends, colleagues or personal contact were found to be significantly related to level of education. The study concludes with recommendations and suggestions for further research.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Intimate partner violence (IPV) is highly prevalent in Pakistan. Social support is associated with a reduced risk for violence and adverse mental health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between social support and the occurrence of IPV and adverse mental health among Pakistani women exposed to IPV, along with exploring help-seeking behaviour using qualitative interviews. Data from a cross-sectional survey of 759 women, aged 25–60, were analyzed using logistic regression. The results demonstrated that informal social support was associated with fewer occurrences of all forms of IPV and less likelihood of adverse mental health when exposed to psychological violence, whereas formal social support was associated with more occurrences of all forms of IPV and more likelihood of adverse mental health when exposed to psychological violence. The qualitative result showed that fear of social stigma and low autonomy were, among others, obstacles for seeking help. Suggestions for future interventions include strengthening informal social networks and expanding formal resources, as well as raising awareness of IPV in order to address the issue.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> / This thesis was made possible by a Minor Field Study grant from the Swedish International Developmental Agency (SIDA) distributed by the department of Psychology at Stockholm University and we would like to express our gratitude for assisting us financially. / PhD project by Tazeen Saeed Ali, School of Nursing, Aga Khan University, called, “Living with violence in the home - a normal part of Pakistani women's life or a serious transgression of human rights.”

<p>Nine out of ten larger companies have an intranet today which is supposed to improve the communication withinthe company and save money. A great part of these intranets were established in the beginning of the 1990’swithout giving any thought to the users and their needs. How does the communication inside the corporationslook like when the intranets that are supposed to be the source for every information request, aren’t usable? Whatother sources do the users use and how much?The aim of this master thesis is to examine information source selection at a specific company. In addition,the aim is to study the companies intranet usability from the users’ perspective. Interviews with five employeesat Viking Line were carried out to analyze these questions. The empiric material also consists of a survey carriedout among 78 employees of the company. The principle of least effort and the cost/benefit model is introduced astwo possible theories that can explain the information source selection at the chosen company.The results show that the information source selection at the company cannot be explained by only onetheory or one model, in contrast to a great part of prior research. The selection of information source do dependon factors like perceived accessibility and perceived quality of the information but other factors are shown toaffect information seeking decisions as well. Therefore, the empiric material shows that time pressure affectsusers’ choice of source selection to more accessible information sources. Another factor that can have an effecton the user is how one employee treats another. When the employee has been negatively treated at the momenthe is seeking information, the employee is more likely to use impersonal sources.Furthermore, the intranet at Viking Line is the most used as well as the most reliable source according tothe users, even though the intranet does not satisfy all needs of the employees. The users are also highly accustomedwith the intranet which increases its perceived accessibility.The conclusion of this study is that the principle of least effort and the cost/benefit model do indeed explainthe users’ choice of information source, but only partly. The study was conducted at a specific company but theconclusions drawn could be applied to other similar companies where intranets are a great part of the employeesinformation seeking. Finally, I believe, that the effectiveness of the employee is directly connected to the effectivenessof the information sources available at the company. Moreover, if companies improved their intranetsthe companies would become more effective.This paper is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.</p>