The purpose of this study is to gain knowledge of the information related activities of health educators. Health educators have been interviewed about how they search for and use information, how they motivate their choice of information resources and how they keep up with research and new insights within their profession. Using a theoretical framework based on a model developed by Pamela McKenzie (2003) together with Wilson’s (1983) concept of cognitive authority, different features of the information practice emerged in the empirical material.The method used in this study is semi-structured interviews with seven health educators, who work at training centers, preventive community centers and in occupational health services. Different information related activities could be identified using categories based on McKenzie’s terminology: active seeking, active scanning, non-directed monitoring and information seeking by proxy. As is well known from earlier research seeking information through colleagues was common, and observing how colleagues use their bodies emerged as another information related activity. Health educators also developed certain strategies using information from health authorities in response to clients’ questions about popular diets and training methods. It was found that McKenzie’s model which is developed from everyday life information seeking, could be adapted to investigate information practices in working life.

The aim of this Bachelor’s thesis is to obtain understanding and knowledge about how literary scholars collaborate regarding information. Seven scholars have been studied in the aim to find out social and cultural elements which create particular prerequisites for their practice, with focus on information sharing. The method used has consisted of semi-structured interviews. The informants have been studied from a socio cultural and domain analysis starting point, which means that they are studied in the light of being members in their practice. The result of the study has shown that information sharing is not limited to any specific type of information. Different types of information are for example reviews and book tips. Collaboration regarding information considerable occurs in informal situations, for example at the time of lunch and in spontaneous conversations. Formal situations consist of conferences and seminars. Another situation of collaboration is supervision. The most useful communication resource is e-mail. To obtain this information my key questions are formulated about collaboration regarding information, such as types of information, situations and communication resources. The earlier studies which are used in this thesis were chosen by the author in an initial phase, and then the work went on with the interviews. The analysis and discussion led then to my conclusions I show in the summary and also in brevity in this section.

The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine the information needs in the character subjects of the students at a vocationally oriented program in the Swedish upper secondary school. I also examine from which sources the students get the information. I want to create a wider understanding of information seeking processes at a vocationally oriented programme. The main focus is the students’ own thoughts and opinions about their information needs and information seeking processes. The results are related to research on information literacy from a sociocultural perspective as represented by Roger Säljö. The literature that has been used consists of material from research concerning information literacy in a learning context. Two group interviews and eight individual qualitative interviews were conducted with students at the Vehicle Mechanics Programme at a Swedish upper secondary school. The results show that most of the students have a high awareness of their information needs and their information sources. It is distinct in my study that the interaction between teacher, students and context is decisive for what information needs they have and what information sources they have access to. Information needs depend on what school they are in and what tasks the students are getting and whether they are at school or are in a work experience period. The study shows that interaction between the vocationally oriented program and working life and also between teacher and students is missing concerning information practices. / Program: Bibliotekarie

This thesis deals with information practices of first time parents. The term information practice covers topics ranging from the information a parent need and use, the information they actively seek for through to information attained through browsing, monitoring or simply being aware. Four problem areas have been formulated. What information do first time parents need? How do they get hold of information and how do they use it? What factors decide what sources they use? How do the first time parents validate the information they get? The following theoretical framework have been used; Marcia J Bates’ model of information practice and Reijo Savolainen’s Mastery of Life theory. In order to get an overview of what subjects interest first time parents I visited a parent group at a child health centre. Seven parents were later interviewed in semistructured interviews. Childbirth, child care, health issues, economy and child products were the areas parents felt a need for information. I found that most parents preferred personal contacts, and that the nurse at the health centre was an important source, as used of some of the parents, as were books and booklets. They sought out competent sources, while the information itself could vary from scientific to commonplace. Some parents felt that they sometimes get to much information and some felt that they lack reliable information. Sometimes vital information was ascertained by accident.

The aim of this bachelor’s thesis is to develop a deeper understanding of children’s librarians and their work related information practice, more specifically on how they stay informed and updated in their professional role. The empirical material was collected through six semi structured interviews with children’s librarians from different public libraries in Sweden. The material was then analysed with Bates (2002) model of different modes of information seeking. The results showed that the children’s librarians' work consisted of a wide variety of tasks which influenced their information seeking practice and consequently had to cover a wide spectrum of areas. The respondents further described how their work with library activities directed to children affected their information seeking as they needed varying forms of information to support the development and implementation of these activities. The most central information sources that the respondents seemed to turn to in order to stay updated were networks, colleagues, their target group (children), the library collection, other organizations, other professions who also worked with children and the internet. The main modes of information seeking that the children’s librarians’ seemed to use to stay informed was ‘Searching’ and ‘Monitoring’. These are the most directed information seeking modes that are included in Bates (2002) model. The information seeking was further identified as an ongoing activity that was integrated with other work tasks. Staying informed was often described as being driven by a personal interest which sometimes led to work related information seeking in the spare time.

This bachelor’s thesis aims to examine the librarians' Competitive Intelligence (CI) practices and their views on the matter. Today, easy access to information makes greater demands on librarians’ and users’ knowledge regarding source criticism. Current trends in information services that develop through technological aids require strategies regarding CI to meet users’ information needs. Swedish libraries implement similar practices in their job description, where most of the information gathering is done by regional librarians. Though public libraries could benefit from a more structural conformation of CI definitions and execution, it seems to be of low priority. The research questions are: “How does CI take place among professionals in public library activities?” and “How do professionals in public libraries estimate the need for further development concerning CI within the organization?” Surveys were constructed with both opened-ended and closed questions and sent out to 40 randomized public libraries in Sweden. The empirical data was analyzed using a multimethod research containing both qualitative and quantitative content analysis. The thesis uses a theoretical analysis tool consisting of Ola Pilerots’ translation of Marcia Bates’s model “Modes of Information Seeking”. It was used to assist in coding the data and then analyzing them to get a better understanding of CI as an information practice. The findings indicate that CI occurs on a self-responsibility level with little consideration for scheduling, and librarians seem to wish for more structure and time regarding this activity.

The aim of this thesis is to create an understanding of nurses' information practices. To be able to search, find, use and critically evaluate information is important, not just during studies, but also in professional life. This study is intended to deepen our understanding of nurses ' information literacy in a workplace context.The main questions are: What information do nurses need on a daily basis and how do they experience information activities? What factors determine the sources they use? Do information practices vary in the workplace? Do nurses‟ professional experiences impact on their information practices? Nine nurses were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The interviews have been analysed through a hermeneutic approach. I use a model of the information seeking of professionals created by Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain as well as the concept of cognitive authority as developed by Wilson in the analysis. I reach the conclusion that information practices differ within the same context and occupational group. Differences in information needs and information seeking practices emerged between the different groups who were identified during the interviews. Professional experience proved to be important in information activities. It also became clear that oral sources had a dominant role as a source of information and that different sources are given different authority. An experienced colleague is seen as a cognitive authority as well as established textual sources. There was often an interaction between written and oral information. It was found that there were shortcomings in the system that makes information available. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The purpose of this study is to contribute to knowledge about the information practices of female Finnish Swedes who have moved to Sweden. The study takes a sociocultural perspective. The analytical focus is on the concept ‘information practice’. Due to the complexity of the concept, focus has been on central constituents such as information interests, information resources and information seeking activities. Semi-structured interviews with ten informants have been conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis together with McKenzie’s (2003) model of information practices in everyday-life. Six themes emerged concerning information interests: economy, accommodation, employment, healthcare and welfare, personal interests and registration in Sweden. The information resources could be clustered in 3 categories: authorities, public agencies and social networks. Interpersonal contact was important when selecting information resources. This is known from earlier studies but in this study, not only acquaintances, but authorities and public agencies were used as long as an interpersonal contact existed. McKenzie’s (2003) model was applied to the data and all four information seeking modes could be identified; active seeking, active scanning, non-directed monitoring and by proxy, even though non-directed monitoring situations were few. The informants’ information practices varied and their information seeking did not end until enough information was found. Informants became more aware of their information practices in a Swedish context compared to a Finnish context.

The purpose of this study is to explore the collective identity of incels created on the incel forum incels.is from an information science perspective. This is done by studying both the cognitive information behavior of the forum members as well as the socio-cognitive information practice of the forum. Considering the incel community is online based, a netnographic approach is used. A netnographic approach relying on a non-participant observation of 86 posts made on a publicly available incel forum. Personal narratives in the posts are regarded as the cognitive information behavior of the forum members and analyzed to depict the collective identity of incels through social interactions on incels.is from the collective identity theory. By identifying the incel discussion forum as an echo chamber we explore its information practice with the theory of selective exposure. The information practice of the forum accentuates the habitualization and continuity of the values and polarization that shape the collective identity. The empirical findings show that the collective identity is based off of a polarization between in-groups and out-groups which is heavily marked by terminology and selective exclusion. The forum is a social space strictly for heterosexual males that considers their personal state of involuntary celibacy an identity that needs to be enacted socially with likeminded. The empirical findings tell that the incels believe in a societal hierarchy where they are placed at the bottom for not meeting the heteronormative ideal of beauty and therefor lack romantical and intimate experiences. The collective identity of incels on incels.is consists of evaluating common incel traits, comparing the in-group with the out-group and vent their anger towards those responsible for the men’s loneliness.

The intention of this thesis is to take a closer look at the information practices of SFI students, a group that is not researched much in regards to their behavior of handling, processing and searching for information and news. This was done using a survey that was sent out to 90 students at an SFI school and it resulted in 59 students answering, furthermore this empirical data was then analyzed using Reckwitz (2002) basic ideas about practice theory, further built on Shove, Pantzar & Watsons (2012) thoughts on the different concepts, as well as Savolainen's (2007, 2008) thoughts on information practice. Findings show that a majority of the respondents search for both information and news with the help of the internet, and furthermore is sharing as well as receiving information and news to and from others of great importance. The study also finds that the respondents think of information as knowledge and learning, and that information and news is something that can be helpful in regards to being aware of ones surroundings and the rest of the world. Findings show as well that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact in regards to how the respondents search for information and news, and how they perceive it.