The study of the information behavior of Puerto Ricans and their reliance on personal social networks to procure needed information upon their migration to Central Florida is the core of this research. Life experiences of the researcher, as well as unstructured observations made in Puerto Rico from 1980 to 1996, and in Central Florida from 1996 to 2005 indicated that Puerto Ricans steadily rely on family members, friends, and acquaintances to solve their information needs and have a tendency to use similar personal social networks to seek information and to make sense of the new environment upon migration. This dissertation sought to answer three main questions: Is the information seeking behavior of Puerto Ricans modified by their relocation experience? Once they relocate to Central Florida, how do they use their personal social networks to seek the information needed to make sense of their new environment?; and; What new patterns of information behavior, if any, emerge from their information transactions/ interactions in their new environment? To answer these questions, this study used the combination of Yin's multiple case studies and Dervin's Sense-Making interview design for data collection. For the analysis of the data, Glaser's grounded theory emerging design was used. As the result of this study, a documented record of the patterns of information behavior of Puerto Ricans migrants in Central Florida, and an emergent grounded theory to that effect, are hereby presented. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / April 10, 2009. / Puerto Rico, Orlando, Central Florida, Information Behavior, Emergent Theory, Information Seeking Behavior, Puerto Rican Migration, Puerto Ricans, Grounded Theory, Grounded Analysis / Includes bibliographical references. / Kathleen Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Felipe Korzenny, Outside Committee Member; Sylvia Hall-Ellis, Committee Member; Michelle Kazmer, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_254009 |
| Contributors | Rodriguez-Mori, Howard (authoraut), Burnett, Kathleen (professor directing dissertation), Korzenny, Felipe (outside committee member), Hall-Ellis, Sylvia (committee member), Kazmer, Michelle (committee member), School of Library and Information Studies (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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