Information Behavior

Analysis of practical management of information in a task management meeting

by Shinichiro Sakai

Co-authored with Norihisa Awamura and Nozomi Ikeya.
Accepted and will be published in the Proceedings of the Information Behaviour Conference (ISIC) 2012.

Introduction. Although many researchers have generally recognised the importance of understanding information use... more Introduction. Although many researchers have generally recognised the importance of understanding information use embedded in practices, many studies have nonetheless concentrated on the investigation of information behaviour rather than on the activities in which these behaviours appear. In this paper, an attempt is made to demonstrate a way to examine information activities as embedded in practice (practical management of information) through explicating how activities are organised as they are experienced by the participants.

Methods. We conducted fieldwork at the workplace of a group of Japanese IT hardware engineers to understand their practices. Audio and video recordings, as well as field notes and photos, were taken as part of the fieldwork.

Analysis. By taking an ethnomethodological approach, we tried to understand how the engineers went about carrying out task management on a daily basis through a morning meeting. We also examined how participants manage information through the morning meeting.

Conclusions. Some distinctive features of practical management of information have emerged from the analysis: information activities of various kinds are mutually elaborative to each other and to the overall activity, and these are developed in a contingent and ad hoc manner. All of these features are aspects of the embedded character of information activities that can be identified because the examination of practical organisation reveals the interactional, contingent development of activities.

Why do we need to share information?: Analysis of collaborative task management meetings

by Shinichiro Sakai

Co-authored with Nozomi Ikeya and Norihisa Awamura.
2010. in Foster, J. (ed.), Collaborative Information Behaviour: User Engagement and Communication Sharing, pp. 89-108. IGI Global, Hershey: PA.

In order to study collaborative information behaviour (e.g. information search, creation, and sharing) in the work... more In order to study collaborative information behaviour (e.g. information search, creation, and sharing) in the work environment, it is important that we take into consideration its embedded nature in collaborative work, however not many studies have actually taken this into consideration. In conducting fieldwork, we studied group task management in the work of IT product hardware designers. The study shows how understanding the details of information activities embedded in task management allowed us to generate some ideas for transforming task management into a more collaborative activity, and for reembedding task management more thoroughly into their work practices together with the practitioners. The paper discusses how taking an ethnomethodological approach can be fruitful for researchers who want to gain a close understanding of actual collaborative information activities and their embedded nature in work, and how understandings of this kind can be important for developing ideas for transforming practice, both with or without the introduction of technology.

Scholarly Communication in Scientific Research Practice-A Study of Computer Sciences Faculty

by Yi Shen

New modes of information behavior emerging from the social web

by Maria Kronqvist-Berg

Widén-Wulff, Gunilla, Huvila, Isto, Hall, Hazel, Kronqvist-Berg, Maria, Nivakoski, Outi and Francke, Helena: New modes of information behaviour emerging from the social web. Proceedings of the 2009 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, 2009.

A jump to the left (and then a step to the right): reading practices within academic ebooks

by Dana McKay

Published in OzCHI 2011, 'Design, culture and interaction', the 23rd Annual Conference of the Australian Computer-Human Interaction Special Interest Group (OZCHI 2011), Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 28 November-02 December 2011, pp. 202-210. Author final draft available at http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/207832

Considerable attention has been paid to how readers find, triage, navigate and read periodical material such as... more Considerable attention has been paid to how readers find, triage, navigate and read periodical material such as journal articles. Until recently however, applying these questions to books has been impractical or impossible. This paper reports an exploratory log analysis of ebook usage in an academic library. This study investigates raw usage, document triage practices, and in-book navigation.

Categorization in the wild

by Teenie Matlock

Metaphors we surf the web by

by Teenie Matlock

Notes from the Underground City of Disinformation: A Conceptual Investigation

by Natascha Karlova

co-authored with Jin Ha Lee; published & presented at the ASIST 2011 conference; #misdis

Inaccurate information, in the field of library and information science, is often regarded as a problem that need to... more Inaccurate information, in the field of library and information science, is often regarded as a problem that need to be corrected or simply understood as either misinformation or disinformation without further consideration. Misinformation and disinformation, however, may cause significant problems for users in online environments, where they are constantly exposed to an abundance of inaccurate and/or misleading information. This paper aims to establish conceptual groundwork for future empirical research by examining the relationships among information, misinformation, and disinformation. Our analysis extends to a discussion of cues to deception, as means for detecting misinformation and disinformation. We argue that misinformation and disinformation are related yet distinct sub-categories of information. Misinformation is a multifaceted concept, more complex than simply being inaccurate or incomplete, and disinformation does not always entail misinformation. We conclude our discussion by highlighting the significant roles of context and time in defining misinformation and disinformation.

Visits, “Fuegians”, and Information Networks

by Ramiro Barberena

L.A. BORRERO, F. MARTIN, R. BARBERENA
(IInformation and its Role in Hunter-Gatherer Bands. 2011. UCP)

The well-known descriptions of two hunter-gatherer groups in southern Patagonia, the Aónikenk and the Kawéskar, led... more The well-known descriptions of two hunter-gatherer groups in southern Patagonia, the Aónikenk and the Kawéskar, led ethnographers to conclude that there were wide differences between terrestrial and maritime huntergatherer adaptations. Based on the concept of open social formations, and descriptions of mixed groups in the central Strait of Magellan, we believe that the two societies were more connected than is usually assumed. It seems more reasonable to conclude that these groups followed a regimen of visitation than it is to postulate the existence of a different ethnic unit—the Airre, Zapoliens, or Guaycurúes—as some have done. Archaeological evidence, especially that obtained in the zone of the morros and the central strait, can be used to suggest that similar interactions were probably taking place at least since circa 2000 B.P.

Roles of e-texts in research projects in the humanities

by Suzana Sukovic

Doctoral thesis, UTS, 2008

Bradford’s Law and its relevance to researchers

by Naomi Hay-Gibson

Shenton, A.K. and Hay-Gibson, N.V. (2009) Education for Information 27, pp. 217–230.

The Use of Information Resources by LIS Graduate Students In Kuwait

by Samir Hamade

The Role of Trust in the Successful Implementation of Information Systems

by Carol Tutzauer

Draft study proposal

Increasingly, chief information officers (CIOs) in major corporations face critical decisions relating to the... more Increasingly, chief information officers (CIOs) in major corporations face critical decisions relating to the successful development, deployment, adoption, and management of information technology (IT) systems. In 1995 alone, software project spending in the U.S. reached nearly $250 billion, while U.S. companies found themselves facing cost overruns estimated to be $59 billion and canceled projects amounting to $81 billion (Johnson 1995). With over half of spending on IT systems devoted to overruns and abandoned projects, CIOs must not only weigh carefully decisions to embark on new projects, but also manage such projects effectively.This paper extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) beyond purely technological considerations to encompass organizational and human factors -- in particular, the role of organizational trust. A research project is also proposed to test the revised model.

THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS OF USERS’’ INFO-COMMUNICATIONAL BEHAVIORS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS IN INTERNET

by Leandro Libério

THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS OF USERS’’ INFO-COMMUNICATIONAL BEHAVIORS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS IN INTERNET

Leandro Libério da Silva (Universidade de Aveiro, Univ. do Porto –– Portugal)

Armando Malheiro da Silva (Universidade do Porto –– Portugal)

Fernando Hadad Zaidan (Escola de Ciência da Informação/UFMG –– Brazil)

Keywords: information behavior, information literacy, personality traits, social networks in Internet

Social networks in Internet (SNI) have become a remarkable info-communicational space, validating social changes... more Social networks in Internet (SNI) have become a remarkable info-communicational space, validating social changes potentialized by telecommunication networks and mobile content access, as pointed out by actual researchers and scholars. Information science studies focusing the role of the information users in the Web 2.0 context need a cognitive and social approach. Based on this fact, this paper aims to explore the theoretical premises of the triad: Informational literacy, Profile and Potential Assessment and SNI. This work also sought to reflect about SNI from the media convergence approach, based on Jenkins concepts over media culture convergence aiming to contribute for future researches about personality aspects of the user and its influences on their informational behavior. For these purposes, a literature review was conducted, applying an exploratory methodology, which aggregates data about Internet usage in Brazil and Portugal. In the context of SNI, the initial question that arises is: Do those twenty dimensions of Profile and Potential Assessment relate to informational competence? The results provided by the theoretical research will serve as a base for a Doctorate project in the Information Science area.

Sukovic, Suzana. 2011. E-texts in research projects in the humanities. In Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 33, edited by A. Woodsworth, 131-202. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

by Suzana Sukovic

This research paper explores the roles of electronic texts in research projects in the humanities and seeks to deepen... more This research paper explores the roles of electronic texts in research projects in the humanities and seeks to deepen the understanding of the nature of scholars’ engagement with e-texts. The study used qualitative methodology to explore engagement of scholars in literary and historical studies with primary materials in electronic form (i.e., e-texts). The study revealed a range of scholars’ interactions with e-texts during the whole research process. It uncovered a particular pattern of information-seeking practices in electronic environments called netchaining and the main types of uses and contributions of e-texts to research projects. It was found that e-texts play support and substantive roles in the research process. A number of influences from electronic environment are identified as challenges and aids in working with e-texts. The study does not have statistical significance. It indicates a need for further research into scholarly practices, training requirements, and new forms of service provision. Study results are relevant for the development of digital collections, information services, educational programs, and other forms of support for the use of technology in research. The results can be also used to inform approaches to text encoding and development of electronic information systems and have implications for organizational and industry policies. The study found a range of scholars’ interactions and forms of intellectual engagement with e-texts that were not documented and analyzed by earlier studies. It provides insights into disciplinary variations in the humanities and contributes to the understanding of scholarly change catalyzed by information technology.

Network Externalities in Hawala Exchanges

by Anamaria Berea

Innovative Youth Information Behaviors in Scratch

by Kyungwon Koh

The 2011 ALISE Youth Services SIG Informal Paper The 2011 ALISE Youth Services SIG Informal Paper

O modelo FRBR e a descoberta de informação: a experiência do projecto TELplus

by Teresa Teixeira

Margarida Lopes, Nuno Freire (BN), Hugo Manguinhas, Gilberto Pedrosa, Maria Teresa Teixeira, José Borbinha (IST/INESC-ID)"

Neste resumo descreve-se uma experiência levada a cabo pela Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal e o Instituto Superior... more Neste resumo descreve-se uma experiência levada a cabo pela Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal e o Instituto Superior Técnico, no âmbito do projecto TELplus, para testar a relevância da aplicação do modelo FRBR para a apresentação dos resultados no portal TEL. O modelo conceptual FRBR veio apresentar um novo paradigma resultante do reconhecimento das limitações dos modelos MARC tradicionais. Descreve-se o modelo FRBR nos seus aspectos principais, seguindo-se a descrição da experiência levada a cabo e seus resultados. Os registos utilizados estavam no formato MARC21 e UNIMARC, pelo que apenas se testou a relevância do modelo FRBR para apresentação dos resultados de pesquisa, não tendo este estudo incidido sobre a catalogação.

Contributions to FRBRization The library catalogue in a new digital environment: how FRBR can help produce better displays in OPACs

by Teresa Teixeira

Libraries face new challenges. There is a new networked environment with access to more user-friendly search tools... more Libraries face new challenges. There is a new networked environment with access to more user-friendly search tools than those that exist in libraries, the OPACs, the On-line Public Access Catalogues. These became less intuitive and difficult to use.
This work has the goal of showing how FRBR, the Functional Requisites for Biblio-graphic Records, can help libraries with a better display of search results on catalogues enhancing better conditions for information access. Current catalogues provide long alphabetical lists of records.  These displays, with no evident organization, are becoming more and more confusing to the end users. FRBR is a study produced under the auspices of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), that recommends a new conceptual model of the bibliographic universe with a strong user focus.
Libraries can make use of FRBR to display bibliographic records grouping them into relevant categories or clusters, providing a better understanding of what is being re-trieved.
Though the implementation of FRBR may bring relevant advantages to the world of libraries in the future, there is a legacy of millions of records in an old format, MARC, Machine Readable Cataloguing, that cannot be forgotten. Converting all these records to a new FRBR system would be a daunting task. The solution may be in the design of a new search interface that may display the information according to the new model without changing the catalogue. Researching what is being done all over the world in with FRBR applications as related to different types of collections and information environments and a brief description of some of the issues that have been identified in each area, was accomplished and integrated in TELplus, a project created to provide value-adding services and products for The European Library, with which this thesis is connected to a certain point. 
Further, this work gives a detailed report of how, with this knowledge, a FRBRization of a sample of records extracted from PORBASE, the national union catalogue, was implemented, and a development of a searching tool prototype took place.
Keywords: OPAC, catalogue, information searching, FRBR, IFLA, FRBRization,  PORBASE, TELplus project, European Library.

Exploring Users’ Information Behavior in Social Networks

by Juan D. Machin Mastromatteo

Master Thesis, International Master in Digital Library Learning, Tallinn University

Social networks are most commonly seen as a technology used only for entertainment purposes. However, they can also be... more Social networks are most commonly seen as a technology used only for entertainment purposes. However, they can also be used for serious purposes in business and education environments because they are powerful tools that can accomplish various roles and purposes. It is important to do research on them from an information system and information science point of view by analyzing user information behavior so we can see trends and issues in behavior in connection with these systems. This research aim was to explore how Web 2.0 and social networks are having an effect on users’ information behavior. The method used for the collection of data was a semi structured interview, containing questions constructed according to the issues of Web 2.0 and social networks identified on the literature, along with typical features or characteristics of social networks. Purposive sampling was used, the interview participants selected were four teachers and four second year students of the DILL Master Course. This sample was selected according to the criteria that they had to have a professional background on information science and knowledge and skills about using social networks. The method for analyzing data was discourse analysis and a framework of categories was created to present the data in a certain order. This study identified various trends and tendencies in users’ information behavior and some future directions for research were proposed. Findings of this type of study provide insights to users’ information behavior in information systems, they could contribute to a better understanding of the users and to the design of such systems; this is relevant when it is necessary to build information systems from the point of view of users needs and behaviors, that is, by taking a bottom-up approach.