Background and Aim: Considering the increasing number of users who interact with online social networks, it can be inferred that these networks have become an essential part of users' lives and play different roles in their everyday life. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the role of these networks in users' everyday-life information seeking.
Method: This research is an applied research with qualitative approach and it was conducted using thematic analysis method. This method includes a semi - structured interview with active users of online social networks.
Results: Results indicate that online social networks play different roles in the users' lives, such as entertainment, education, communication and interactions; accompanied by, news, favorite contents, and up-to-date information; but, these networks face some challenges that affect information seeking behavior of users which compels users to utilize active information seeking.
Conclusion: Richer social capital and diversity of users in an individual's social network leads to the access to more qualitative information which in turn increases the probability of finding the required information and achieving the expected results with the least effort.
Background and Aim: These days, Internet and online databases play a significant role in peoples’ information-seeking behavior, especially for postgraduate students. The kind of behavior seen on the part of those students who get help from online databases to write their theses might be completely different from those who search library sources to get the needed information. This study investigates the information-seeking behavior of postgraduate students of Kharazmi University who are writing their theses.
Method: This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Quantitative data were gathered using an information-seeking behavior questionnaire, which was then, analyzed using statistical analysis (T-Test and Friedman-Test). Content analysis and semi-structured interviews were used to analyze qualitative data. The participants were 100 students including 50 male and 50 female students.
Results: Results of analyzing the T-Test for male and female groups showed that there is not any significant difference of girls' and boys' information-seeking behavior. Results of analyzing the Friedman-Test however showed difference in average ratings of information-seeking behavior dimensions. With regard to results obtained from this analysis: pre-existing knowledge confirmation, relevancy judgments, bringing up new thoughts, time and effort for searching information contain maximum to minimum rates in a respective manner. Results of the qualitative data also showed that: most of the students’ problems lie in: seeking for and using the collaborative behavior and collaborative searching, difficulty in finding the related information, language limitations, diversity of goals, limitations the forms of the sources, unfamiliarity with the specific sources, lack of information literacy, and spending so much time to search.
Conclusion: Findings obtained in this study showed that postgraduate students do not have the skills and knowledge needed for using online data. This also indicates their deficiency and lack of information seeking and information literacy skills. So, recognizing the obstacles on the way of knowing and using these online databases and training students for purposeful searching seem to be essential.
Background and Aim: The aim of this article is to revise the methodological status of some of the most prominent studies and models in the field of Information Seeking Behavior in order to provide Iranian researchers with a brief comparative perception of the field.
Method: A literature review approach is applied to identify the research methods and historical origins of each study related to the realm of ISB.
Results: Research studies suggest that Iranian researchers - in their information seeking endeavors - have been unaware of the methodological tradition of the most prominent studies in this capacity, which are mainly based on the principle of methodological diversity and most of time have been imitating the methodological approach of other researchers in a stereotyped manner.
Conclusion: By deliberating the books written on the subject of study and research methodologies across a wide range of scientific disciplines, one can in a deductive manner, grasp a list of scientific methods in the form of independent researches to test the extent of their capabilities. The main Key to current problems is methodological diversity
Background and Aim: The present study was conducted to determine health, educational, religious, economic and cultural information needs of nomadic women in Kohkilouyeh city and identifying the way they use resources, their barriers and problems in accessing information, their information priorities.
Methods: This is applied survey conducted using a researcher-made questionnaire and oral interviews with 235 nomadic women. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics through SPSS v.19.
Results: The findings showed that over %60 of samples had primary school degree. The main information need of nomadic women was health information needs (%36.2), and the main motivation for them for access and seeking information was to create a healthier life (%56.2). Among the resources of information, Radio had been used mostly in over %57.9 compared to other resources. The research findings showed that %53.2 of women nomads had a very low familiarity to public libraries as an information center. Respondents stated the most important obstacles to access to information resources impassable roads for commuting, lack of information and communications infrastructure, lack of familiarity with the sources of information, lack of easy access to health, training, cultural and service centers.
Conclusion: It seems that nomadic women are in serious needs with information resources, and especially hygenic and educational information, thus full attention must be paid to them.
Background and Aim: Contrary to the fact that information must be accessible to all in every society, it is not obtainable for immigrants and refugees. The aim of this study is to find Information needs and the effective factors on information seeking of foreign immigrants in Iran and finding solution and presenting refining Policies.
Method: Mixed research method was applied. Participants selected from 12 provinces (384 immigrants), were all Afghan and Iraqi legal immigrants. Instrument was a researcher made questionnaire which its reliability and validity was tested and approved. Further, to identify most convenient strategies for immigrants information accessibility ten managers and Policy makers were interviewed to find refining policies.
Result: Findings revealed that most important social, cultural, political and health information needs of immigrants needs extended from: Job (4.02), religion (3071), borders, illegal and legal places (3.81), and diseases (4.05). Afghanistan and Iraq’s TV and radio (3.84) and educational institutions (3.85) had most significant role in securing the information needs of immigrants.
Conclusion: Study shows that the major challenges of Afghans and Iraqi immigrant are accessibility to information to solve Information needs. Substantial portions of these challenges might be resolved by suitable Planning and proper legislation. Also, Information providers could help immigrant by supporting humanitarian outlook and overlooking national origins of people.
Abstract
Background and Aim: Research was carried out as a survey utilizing a researcher made questionnaire. 1149 postgraduate students were selected to fill in the research questionnaire, and 837 questionnaires were sent back. Along with descriptive statistics, independent samples t test was used to examine the difference between groups and Pearson co-efficient to measure correlations of variables.
Findings: More than 60 percent of students evaluated electronic information resources as most valuable and responsiveness to their information needs. More than half of students were only after free search engines, databases and simple searches. Sixtey percent did not formulate their search languages and relied on trial and error to obtain pertinent information. Less than 40 percent of students prefer the databases subscribed by their university. Among different types of electronic documents, electronic papers were most popular amongst students. Most of retrieved documents were used for writing research papers. Seventy percent of students believed that in the case of cessation of electronic resources, their research activities will be hampered. Only 18 percent of students were intended to pay per access to electronic resources and most of them indicated that in the case of disconnection, they will try to find an alternative way of access.
Conclusion: Vis-à-vis the favored situation in science production of the country, in order to fulfill national scientific development strategies, secure access to electronic resources should be guaranteed.
Background and Aim: Nowadays, Internet is known as an attractive source of health information to manage individual's health. Given the importance of it, this study examined the role of Internet in health information seeking behavior among young people in Shiraz.
Method: This research was a survey which target population were youth Internet users in the city of Shiraz. A sample of 400 were randomly selected using, multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were collected by a questionnaire.
Results: Most of respondents used the Internet to search health information. Young women were more likely to seek online health information than young men. As well as level of education, the experience and self-efficacy to search the Internet, showed a significant correlation with searching OHI, too. The main goal of respondents to search OHI was to understand their health condition or disease, better understanding of health information provided by physicians and self-medication. The results also showed that respondents have positive attitude towards health information retrieved via the Internet.
Conclusion: There is a high demand of OHI among young people to manage personal health. Undoubtedly, foresight and planning to improve the quality of OHI, efforts to create a reliable health information database and public education to care about assessing the quality of OHI can herald the development of individual health and consequently the health of our community.
Background and Aim: Usually, researchers who have different levels of academic degrees, are different in terms of specialized knowledge. Also, academic degree may affect the information seeking behavior of researchers. Therefore, in this study, the difference of information seeking behavior of researchers with different academic degree for “conducting the research” and “updating scientific information” was investigated.
Methods: Survey method was used to conduct the research. In order to gather data, self made questionnaire was used. We have not sampled. In total, 140 researchers (70%), out of the 200, completed the questionnaires. Data were analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics methods and were performed using IBM SPSS 22. In order to analysis the data, Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman's tests were used.
Results: Findings showed that the use of “journal articles” (high and very high more than 90%) was a top priority of “PhD and master students” and “PhDs”. In order to access scientific information, “PhD and master students" and “masters/professional doctors” mostly used “communication and consultation with Iranian experts and researchers” (high and very high with 75%) and “personal experiences” (high and very high with 65%). While minimal use of “communication and consultation with foreign experts and researchers” (low and never with 56%) and “participating in foreign congresses” (low and never with 69%) was used by “masters/professional doctors”.
Conclusion: Just in using the "journal articles" was significant difference in order to "update scientific information" and "research" (p<0.05). “PhD and master students”, compared to other levels of education, used “journal articles” more. While, in using the “communication and consultation with foreign experts and researchers”, “participating in foreign congresses”, and “personal experiences”, there was significant differences; So that, PhDs used them more than the others.
Background and Aim: This study attempted to identify Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) and Information Grounds (IG) of Armenians in Tehran .
Methods: The study is of a cross-sectional survey type. The study sample consisted of individuals older than 15 years. Total population was 30,000, of whom 20,000 were over 15 –year-old individuals. Using the Kerjcie– Morgan table, 377 individuals were selected as sample.
Results: Data analysis showed that the kind and amount of use of the Iinformation Grounds were as follows: the home of rlatives and friends (55.5%), workplace (47.8%) and church (47.5%). The results also showed that the Armenians had a positive attitude towards information and its role in everyday life. Most Armenians used Persian websites and Persian-language satellite networks abroad; but they seldom used National Media's Persian-language programs. Armemians obtained most information from various media including books, magazines and satellite networks. They preferred to communicate with other Armenians throught social networks; and believed that public libraries do not consider Armenian culture, and thus, they can not find information about the history and culture of Armenians in public libraries.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that Armenians in Tehran like many other Iranian minorities are deprived of services by public libraries and national media. It is essential for the government to reconsider the issue.
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