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.

Perspektiv på ökad tillgänglighet inom högre utbildning är en licentiatavhandling där utgångspunkten är det nationella uppdraget att bredda rekryteringen av studenter till högskolor och universitet i Sverige. Det övergripande syftet har varit att på olika sätt studera hur studenter med någon form av funktionshinder upplever tillgängligheten till studierna då digitala verktyg används. Intresset har inte varit fokuserat vid funktionshindret i sig eller vilka funktionshinder som studenterna har, utan snarare på hur tillgängligheten till och användningen av tekniken kan underlätta alternativt försvåra högskolestudierna. Avhandlingen består av en kappa och fyra artiklar: - The design of accessible distance education environments that use collaborative learning. - How can Courses become more Accessible for Disabled People with the help of IT? - Tillgänglighetskriterier för nätbaserad utbildning – Är det möjligt? - Kompensation av läs- och skrivsvårigheter med hjälp av digitala verktyg. Två områden har studerats och behandlas i artiklarna: (1) Tillgänglighet via kollaborativ undervisning över nätet och möjligheten att utveckla ett pedagogiskt och tekniskt system för nätbaserad undervisning tillgängligt för studenter med funktionshinder, då främst synskadade studenter och studenter med diagnostiserade läs- och skrivsvårigheter, och (2) Tillgången till särskilda pedagogiska stöd och möjligheterna för studenter att kompensera läs- och skrivsvårigheter med hjälp av digital teknik. Resultatet från studierna visar att digitala verktyg inte per automatik bidrar till ökad tillgänglighet. Vidare indikerar resultatet att de svårigheter som studenterna upplevde mycket väl kan upplevas av studenter som inte har någon form av funktionshinder. Det finns därför anledning att ytterligare diskutera det stödsystem som tillämpas inom högre utbildning i Sverige för studenter med funktionshinder i relation till alla studenter, då det är skillnad mellan att vara välkommen till högre utbildning oavsett bakgrund (etnisk tillhörighet, bostadsort, könstillhörighet eller funktionshinder) och att ha möjlighet att också slutföra utbildningen.

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 bachelor’s thesis is to find out what kind of information need sports managers have and how they search for the information that they think will solve their need. No studies about sports managers’ information need has been made with a library- and information science perspective, but instead with a pedagogical or sports scientific perspective. Most of the previously published studies have been based on surveys and/or interviews. This study is no different with its data gathering method being semi-structured interviews. The interviews meant to answer the following questions: How do sports managers describe their information need? How do sports managers search for information to satisfy their information need? Using a directed content analysis, the transcribed interviews were analysed with two theoretical standing points: information need according to Höglund and Persson and information seeking according to Bates. With the term “information need” in this study being used as something a person feels when it lacks knowledge in an area has made the two terms “information need” and “knowledge” very interconnected. The result of this study shows a varied range of information needs described by the sports managers. Mentioned information needs were a need of tactical knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, mental knowledge, knowledge of how to be a leader, theoretical knowledge and no need at all. Sports managers tend to use personal contacts, the internet, videos such as broadcasts of previous competitions but also recorded lectures, books, scientific publications and coaching courses in their information seeking process.

The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of children’s tendencies when searching information, by exploring how their motivation and information searching capabilities are affected and shaped depending on whether the assignment derives from internal or external motivation. These tendencies will be analysed by examining what different tools the children use as well as how the information is gained. The empirical data was collected by semi-structured interviews with six pupils in grade six, in a Swedish school. The data was coded and analyzed using Ryan’s and Deci’s sub theory Organismic Integration Theory and Savolainen’s ELIS-model. The result of my study shows that children use varying tools depending on the situation. In school, they use their computers and the search engine Google. External factors regulate the devices used in school. During their free time they use their phones since they are easily accessible, and a greater variety of tools than they use in school. The children use distinct strategies to evaluate and contrast information; mostly in school but also during their free time. An elevated understanding of children’s motivation towards searching information could help school and society to support children and the younger generation in their search for information. They could be given help regarding what tools to use, and how to search, choose and evaluate information.

The aim of this thesis is to understand and describe the ways in which information literacy is expressed in the work of schoollibrarians. Information literacy is seen as an understanding of how information is sought and used within a social setting. Research questions guiding this endeavour are: 1. In what ways do school librarians seek and use information? 2. How can the information literacy of school librarians be described based on their information practices? In order to shed light on the social setting that constitutes the work of school librarians, practice theory and a sociocultural perspective on information literacy is used as a theoretical framework. Empirical data were produced by way of five semistructured interviews with active school librarians. These interviews were analysed thematically. The findings point toward information seeking and use in school library work being integrated information activities taking place in relation to the performance of work tasks, as well as being a highly social activity. Information literacy is described as enacted in the performance of these information activities. It is also understood as expressed on multiple levels, from being informed about current events in the world and within the school, to understanding how this may effect the day to day performance of work tasks.

The purpose of this thesis is to contribute knowledge about what pregnant people’s information behaviours look like. With this study, we want to find out how people who are currently pregnant seek and avoid information and how they experience information is being conveyed to them. Based on earlier research the study looks for these answers using a web survey and a qualitative and quantitative content analysis. The study uses McKenzie’s (2003a) model of information practices and Sweeny et al. (2010) research on the concept of information avoidance. Due to the lack of access to research in this area, this quantitative and qualitative study tries to extend the knowledge by examining information habits from fortycurrently pregnant individuals, from a library and information science perspective. We examined how the pregnant persons seek information, what information they are passively assigned and what information they actively avoid. The results in this study show that pregnant women have a great need for information. They actively seek information to get answers to questions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and life after childbirth. They value reliable, fact-checked sources and they want the information to be true and based on science. This also means that they avoid sources where they see a risk that the information is incorrect. They are also assigned information in numerous ways, such as receiving tips on where to find pregnancy-related information.

Background: Scientific information is a central part of the evidence-based care (Rosenberg & Donald, 1995). Hospital libraries have opportunity to contribute to the clinical care, for example by offering information retrieval on behalf of healthcare staff. The aim of this study was to describe the information search process in hospital libraries in Sweden. This was made by identifying which components are included in the process and which aspects the librarians consider to be meaningful or challenging in the process. As a theoretical starting point for data collection and analysis, Ingwersen's model for interactions in the IR-process (Ingwersen, 1996) and Ingwersen and Wormell's description of important steps in a mediated information search process (Ingwersen & Wormell, 1990) were used. A questionnaire was sent to all managers of the hospital libraries in Sweden for further distribution to the librarians who worked in the libraries. 50 librarians responded to the survey. The study showed that the most important components in the information search process for the librarians that participated in this study were the user's request question, dialogue with the user and knowledge of databases' search and indexing rules. The biggest challenge was interpreting the user's question. The study provides an insight into the work of hospital librarians, which for example can increase the users’ awareness around the formulation of question and problem area when ordering information searches.

Uppsatsen behandlar sökmotoroptimering gällande Google. En litteraturstudiegörs för att besvara vilka metoder som är de mest effektiva för ett så braträffresultat som möjligt samt vilka metoder som Google inte anser följer derasriktlinjer. En empirisk studie görs även genom att skicka ut ett antal frågor omsökmotoroptimering till SEO-konsulter i Sverige. Ett antal ”on-page”-metoder och”off-page”-metoder redovisas samt även ett antal tveksamma metoder. Vilkametoder som är mest effektiva gällande sökmotoroptimering skiljer sig en del vaddet gäller litteratur från några år tillbaka och vad SEO-konsulterna idag anser.Resultaten från litteraturstudien visar att nyckelord är den viktigaste metodenmedan SEO-konsulterna menar att länkbygge är det man ska prioritera. Vilkametoder som är mest effektiva förändras och kommer att förändras eftersomwebben växer och fler webbsidor skapas vilket resulterar i en högre konkurrens. / The essay treats search engine optimization for Google. A literature study is doneto answer which methods are the most efficient to achieve as good result aspossible and which methods Google does not consider follow their guidelines. Anempirical study is also performed by sending out several questions about searchengine optimization to consultants in SEO in Sweden. Several “on-page”-methodsand “off-page”-methods are presented and also a few methods which are againstthe guidelines of Google. The methods which are the most efficient when it comesto search engine optimization are different if you compare the literature from acouple of years ago and what the consultants in SEO use today. The results fromthe literature study indicate that keywords is the most important method whilethe consultants in SEO say that links should be prioritised. The methods whichare the most efficient change and will be continued to change since the web isgrowing and more web pages are created which results in a higher degree ofcompetition.

This bachelor's thesis examines the information-seeking behavior of Swedish engineering students. In comparison with research conducted on professional engineers there is little known about engineering students. The previous research is limited in providing an in-depth understanding of the information-seeking behavior of engineering students. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore the information-seeking activities and factors influencing the activity of choice. A qualitative research approach was applied, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five students to capture the students’ thoughts and self-perceived experiences. The empirical data was analysed using ‘a non-linear model on information seeking behavior model’ originally created by Foster (2004) later modified by Foster & Urquhart (2012). The model consists of the five broad concepts of Opening, Orientation, Consolidation, Intrinsic Context, and Extrinsic Context. The findings show a rather homogeneous group of engineering students when it comes to information-seeking activities consisting of keyword searching, networking and selective browsing. The influencing factors, however, differ between the students but are summarized in knowledge, affect, motivation, project, time, physical location, and resource access. The findings are consistent with previous research showing that engineering students access information in a fast and effective way due to time constraints with sources that require the least effort, but not at the expense of credibility of the source and quality of the information. Furthermore, the findings are discussed and linked to user education in university libraries.