Everyday Life Information Research Articles

Assessment of communication environment and health literacy of patients on chronic hemodialysis: a multicenter observational study (SMEL-HD study).

The ability to access health and medical information have implications for prognosis and quality of life. This study investigated the current communication environment and health literacy in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients and their associations with patients' physical condition and clinical findings. This was a cross-sectional, single-arm, multicenter exploratory study. Data were collected from 211 patients (64 males) undergoing chronic HD at five facilities. This included a survey of communication environments, health literacy, dialysis management information, and clinical findings. Among the participants, 145 (68.7%) reported using the Internet. They primarily collected health-related as well as everyday life information through the Internet. Health literacy fell within the problematic range. In terms of e-Health literacy, "understanding" and "easy" showed a positive trend, while "accessing," "appraising," and "applying" were perceived as "difficult." Three groups were identified based on Internet usage: good communication environment (CE) group (134 participants), poor-CE group (56 participants), and a group that did not respond (21 participants). Grip strength, serum albumin level, and "information acquisition" were significantly lower in the poor-CE group. Health literacy increases as the duration of dialysis extends, and decreases with advancing age. Patients who used the Internet gained a wide range of information, including health-related information, for their daily lives. The use of ICT is lower among patients with decreased physical activity, and further investigation is desired into how actively encouraging these patients to collect health information via the Internet can enhance their health literacy.

Everyday life information seeking: A systematic review with bibliometric analysis

This study presents the first comprehensive systematic review and bibliometric analysis of the Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) research domain, spanning nearly three decades of academic contributions. Initiated by Savolainen’s groundbreaking study in 1995, ELIS research has significantly progressed; however, to date, no researchers have undertaken a thorough overview of this field. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines systematic review techniques with bibliometric analysis, aiming to bridge this gap. The methodology includes rigorous data filtration from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, amassing a total of 345 articles published between 1995 and 2023. Findings indicate a marked increase in ELIS publications and citations, particularly after 2008, underscoring a growing interest in everyday life information seeking. Analysis identified significant contributions from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Australia. Thematic analysis unveiled three main research directions: the influence of digital technology on ELIS, information seeking in health scenarios, and diverse information needs and sources among specific user groups. Furthermore this study also proposes an integrative framework, emphasizing the importance of understanding information-seeking behaviors within the complex and diverse context of everyday life. It recognizes the necessity of incorporating various sociocultural perspectives and adapting to the continuously evolving digital environment. This framework serves as a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners dedicated to improving information services and interventions in daily life. The limitations of this study include language and database restrictions, as well as the exclusion of gray literature. Additionally, given the significant potential of integrating information seeking with technology to improve daily life, future research should focus on the foundational theoretical issue of how artificial intelligence technology is reshaping users’ ELIS behaviors.

Understanding complex casual leisure information needs: an analysis of search requests for books, games, movies and music

PurposeIn this paper, we introduce the CRISPS (CRoss-domaIn relevance aSPects Scheme) coding scheme for complex information needs in the four leisure domains of books, games, movies and music. It categorizes the relevance aspects people consider when searching for these resources. The coding scheme and findings help search engines to better support complex information needs, both by prioritizing which aspects are easier to classify automatically and by determining which information sources should be considered.Design/methodology/approachA cross-domain classification scheme for relevance aspects and information needs in casual leisure domains (CRISPS) is developed and applied. The paper provides the documentation of the scheme development and annotation process as well as a detailed, large-scale analysis of 2000 requests (500 per domain) and relevance aspects for four domains as expressed in complex search requests in everyday life information seeking posted to online forums.FindingsWe identify and discuss relevance aspect frequencies, information need types and the described search process of the requests. Furthermore, the coding scheme development and the annotation process are documented and reflected on.Originality/valueThis is the first categorization and analysis of complex information needs in these four leisure domains combined. The coding scheme and findings can be used to develop new types of search interfaces that incorporate the kinds of relevance aspects identified in the scheme, allowing to express complex needs in the form of structured queries.

Secret Information Needs & Practices of LGBTQ+ Young Adults

ABSTRACTYoung adults have been shown to prefer online sources when searching for information about sensitive topics, such as sexual health (Baker et al., 2020; Buhi et al., 2009). This is especially true for LGBTQ+ young adults, who may want to keep potentially sensitive information needs about their sexuality or gender identity a secret as they explore their identity, or because they may need to for safety reasons (Delmonaco & Haimson, 2022; Kitzie, 2019). This pilot survey study aimed to explore what types of information needs LGBTQ+ young adults may keep secret from the people in their lives, at what age they had their first secret information need, what skills helped them to fulfill their secret information needs, and which skills/resources they would have liked to have when trying to address their secret information needs. Preliminary results suggest that topics relating to health and participants' LGBTQ+ identities were more likely to be kept secret than other everyday life information needs.

Bengali-Sign: A Machine Learning-Based Bengali Sign Language Interpretation for Deaf and Non-Verbal People.

Sign language is undoubtedly a common way of communication among deaf and non-verbal people. But it is not common among hearing people to use sign language to express feelings or share information in everyday life. Therefore, a significant communication gap exists between deaf and hearing individuals, despite both groups experiencing similar emotions and sentiments. In this paper, we developed a convolutional neural network-squeeze excitation network to predict the sign language signs and developed a smartphone application to provide access to the ML model to use it. The SE block provides attention to the channel of the image, thus improving the performance of the model. On the other hand, the smartphone application brings the ML model close to people so that everyone can benefit from it. In addition, we used the Shapley additive explanation to interpret the black box nature of the ML model and understand the models working from within. Using our ML model, we achieved an accuracy of 99.86% on the KU-BdSL dataset. The SHAP analysis shows that the model primarily relies on hand-related visual cues to predict sign language signs, aligning with human communication patterns.

Evidence-based scientific thinking and decision-making in everyday life.

In today's knowledge economy, it is critical to make decisions based on high-quality evidence. Science-related decision-making is thought to rely on a complex interplay of reasoning skills, cognitive styles, attitudes, and motivations toward information. By investigating the relationship between individual differences and behaviors related to evidence-based decision-making, our aim was to better understand how adults engage with scientific information in everyday life. First, we used a data-driven exploratory approach to identify four latent factors in a large set of measures related to cognitive skills and epistemic attitudes. The resulting structure suggests that key factors include curiosity and positive attitudes toward science, prosociality, cognitive skills, and openmindedness to new information. Second, we investigated whether these factors predicted behavior in a naturalistic decision-making task. In the task, participants were introduced to a real science-related petition and were asked to read six online articles related to the petition, which varied in scientific quality, while deciding how to vote. We demonstrate that curiosity and positive science attitudes, cognitive flexibility, prosociality and emotional states, were related to engaging with information and discernment of evidence reliability. We further found that that social authority is a powerful cue for source credibility, even above the actual quality and relevance of the sources. Our results highlight that individual motivating factors toward information engagement, like curiosity, and social factors such as social authority are important drivers of how adults judge the credibility of everyday sources of scientific information.

Isolated, individualised, and immobilised: information behaviour in the context of academic casualisation

Introduction. Universities rely increasingly on contract academic staff for teaching and research activities; yet, working in precarious conditions, these staff face significant challenges in finding relevant workplace information, in engaging with colleagues, and in building their careers. This study examines contract academic staff perceptions of precarity and workplace marginalisation, focusing on the implications of situational and environmental influences on their information practices. Method. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 34 contract academic staff, working in various disciplines across Canadian universities, were conducted to examine their information practices. Analysis. Interview data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, drawing on everyday life information seeking and information marginalisation theories. Results. Results of the study show that 1) contract academic staff conduct their work within isolated information environments; 2) this isolation leads these staff to develop highly individualised information practices; and 3) the information activities of contract academic staff are often immobilised, due to the precarious contexts that shape their work and personal lives. Conclusion. Precarious employment and information marginalisation are deeply entwined for contract academic staff. This results in frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty with their work and personal circumstances. Institutional challenges can seem intractable, particularly where task-related information provision (when available) cannot address systemic concerns.

Correction to: Pervasiveness of health information in everyday life in Germany: insights from a photo-elicitation diary study on implicit health knowledge using the documentary method

Correction to: Pervasiveness of health information in everyday life in Germany: insights from a photo-elicitation diary study on implicit health knowledge using the documentary method

Food safety and personal hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Jordanian mothers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

Background and Aim: Foodborne illnesses have shaken mothers' defense worldwide because poor knowledge and unsafe food handling practices can jeopardize their children. In Jordan, there are no reliable data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of mothers regarding food safety when the COVID-19 pandemic occurs. Therefore, this study evaluated Jordanian mothers' understanding, beliefs, and behaviors by examining their KAPs during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on food safety KAPs of mothers living in Jordan following the COVID-19 pandemic. A reliable and accurate survey with 55 questions was distributed among mothers through social media. A total of 376 mothers completed the questionnaire. Results: The results showed a remarkable awareness among the participants of how to keep food safe. However, there is still a significant gap in the implementation of this information in everyday life. This research emphasizes the need for focused interventions in the context of COVID-19 to bridge the gap between Jordanian mothers' KAPs on food safety and personal cleanliness. Conclusion: Efforts should be made, such as public health campaigns and educational programs, to empower mothers, guaranteeing a consistent and comprehensive approach to food safety and personal hygiene in families. These results provide important insights for policymakers and health professionals who want to improve public health initiatives and community resilience during public health crises. Keywords: food safety, foodborne illness, Jordan, knowledge, attitudes and practices, personal hygiene.

Pervasiveness of health information in everyday life in Germany: insights from a photo-elicitation diary study on implicit health knowledge using the documentary method

Abstract Aim In an information society, the complexity of health discourses and media–technological developments touch upon processes of finding, understanding, appraising, and using information. Encounters with health information in everyday life are omnipresent. Hence, applying perceived health information to lifeworlds becomes challenging. We were therefore particularly interested in understanding appraisals and practices regarding random encounters with health information. Subject and methods A photo-elicitation diary study was designed and conducted to collect data from encounters with health information in everyday life. Drawing on a sociology of knowledge approach and using the documentary method, appraisal patterns of health information were reconstructed. Results Four appraisal patterns were reconstructed: control, optimization, responsibility, and confidence. Conclusion The findings contribute to a critical reflection on the pervasiveness of health information in lifeworlds, also referred to as infodemic. The identified appraisal patterns and orientation frames offer insights into the impact of random encounters with health information in everyday life; they also provide a foundation for critically discussing quality criteria for health information in a diverse society, and can inform initiatives for strengthening individual and collective health literacy.

Offline Recognition System for Arabic Handwritten Words Using Artificial Neural Networks

Arabic handwritten recognition is playing an important role in communicating and documenting information in everyday life. Handwriting has functional importance considering its ubiquity in human activities, as in reading handwritten notes in a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), in postal addresses on envelopes, in amounts in bank accounts, etc. In this work, an offline recognition system for Arabic handwritten names is proposed using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). As part of the feature extraction, region props were used, it extracts array with fields: Area, Centroid and Bounding Box. A feed-forward neural network with three different topologies was trained using backpropagation algorithm. The number of nodes in the hidden layer was varied; the lower the number of hidden layers, the higher the recognition rate. Moreover, we found that the first topology (with two hidden layers) produced a higher recognition rate 92% from the trained data compared to the second and third topologies that produced a smaller recognition rate.

Information behavior and HIV/AIDS/STI awareness among Bangladeshi female sex workers: Do informational programs help?

Using de Certeau's concepts of “tactics” and “strategies,” this study explores the everyday information seeking behavior of female sex workers (FSWs) in Bangladesh. This study also examined the effectiveness of informational programs on HIV/AIDS and STI in empowering FSWs to negotiate condom use during sex. A mixed method research design was employed in this study, which included face-to-face surveys with 116 female sex workers (FSWs) and four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 23 street based FSWs. The study finds that Bangladeshi female sex workers use “tactics” in meeting their information needs. They reported rarely using formal information sources such as government agencies and indicated sometimes being harassed by law enforcement agencies because of their professional status, creating a distance between formal information agencies and their everyday life information seeking. Furthermore, FSWs reported having significant unmet information needs. The findings regarding the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS and STI informational programs indicated that simply providing ‘information’ may not be sufficient to empower FSWs to negotiate safer sexual practices with their clients.

ASSOCIATION OF EVERYDAY LIFE INFORMATION ACQUISITION METHODS AND DEPRESSION AMONG US OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Everyday life information acquisition refers to the incidental ways people obtain information through daily activities such as reading, watching television, or communicating with friends rather than through intentional or purposive information seeking behaviors. It has been identified as a fundamental way to obtain informational resources and is a potential means to promote social connections and engagement among older adults. Research has shown that social engagement and connections are protective factors of depression for older adults. However, little research has explored how information seeking behaviors effect risks of depression among older adults. To fill this gap in the literature and provide insights into the mechanism of information access impacts the mental health of older adults, this study examines the relationships between different ways for obtaining daily information (reading, using computer, and watching television) and depression among older adults in United States. The data retrieved from 2018’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We multiple linear regression analyses on HRS data including adults age 50 years and older (n=3,179). After adjusting for age, gender, race, marital status, education, and chronic diseases, all three different ways to obtaining daily information (reading, using computer, and watching television) were negatively associated with depression (β=-0.19, p< 0.001; β=-0.15, p=0.002; β=-0.15, p< 0.001, respectively). Findings suggest that the association between everyday life information acquisition and depression among older adults varies depending on the specific information acquisition methods used. These findings highlight the importance of implementing targeted interventions to promote effective information access and enhance social inclusion among older adults.

Building a Bigger Table: Food Research, Methods, Policy, and Action in Library and Information Science

ABSTRACTGrowing global concerns over food safety, food price inflation, and climate change demand urgent attention in scientific fields. Food information behavior and practice have been a vibrant and growing research area in library and information science, following the user‐centered paradigm shift and everyday life information needs, seeking, and use research since the 1970s. Research has shown that people engage with informal and embodied information to guide food practices (e.g., shopping, cooking, eating, and sustainability transitions). Food and health research challenge research methods and approaches in everyday information behavior and inform everyday practices, technological services, policies, and actions. In this panel, following a brief introduction, each panelist will share their research approaches and/or findings about food, health, and information research. We aim to invite and foster an open discussion with audiences to explore research opportunities, challenges, and approaches to studying food in library and information science.

Space invaders: First-time users feel like intruders in the makerspace

Makerspaces have proven to be mainstays within library ecosystems. However, alongside the continued popularization of library makerspaces, there remains a seemingly immovable issue endemic to these environments; makerspaces continue to attract a narrow demographic of patrons. The threshold of the makerspace serves as a critical site for inquiry, specifically, for insight around students' everyday life information seeking (ELIS) behaviors. This study responds to the research question, “Why do students from underrepresented communities turn away at the threshold of a makerspace?” The research design is methodologically informed by participatory action research (PAR) and grounded theory and uses a virtual reality (VR) makerspace to provide a consistent “threshold” experience to capture students' fleeting first impressions. The research findings offer novel insight into the information seeking behaviors of students by capturing and analyzing critical data that haven't been collected before: the real-time thoughts and feelings of students from underrepresented communities entering a makerspace for the first time.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS HIDUP LANSIA MELALUI PENERAPAN POLA HIDUP SEHAT DI PERUM OMA INDAH DESA GODOG KARANGPAWITAN GARUT

Introduction: Old age (elderly) is a period that people will experience eventually. Many people can enjoy old age, but a few also experience illness and die without being able to enjoy old age happily. Objective: to provide information about healthy behavior in living life in old age so that it is always healthy and quality. Methods: This community service uses extension techniques with several stages of activities, namely the planning stage of activities to be carried out by identifying needs, identifying existing potentials and weaknesses, determining solutions and activities to be carried out, and organizing activities and the implementation stage of service activities in the form of solutions that have been approved by the local RW head. Results: This service activity results in improving the quality of elderly health by maintaining diet, sleep patterns and exercising so that the health of the elderly is maintained. Conclusion: The implementation of this community service activity received a good response from the community, especially the Perum Oma Indah community in Godog Village, Karangpawitan Garut. From these community service activities, the knowledge of the elderly has increased and the quality of life of the elderly with clean and healthy patterns or behavior both in the environment or healthy behavior for each individual is provided with a pocket book that can be a guide for the elderly as information or knowledge in everyday life.

Capital as the outcome of information practices: a study of devotees and monks of a Theravada Buddhist Temple

PurposeThe outcomes of information behaviours have traditionally been conceptualised as use or effects. The adoption of a sociological stance, based on a practices approach, provides the opportunity to challenge these understandings. The non-Western setting further enhances the possibilities for conceptualising the outcomes of information practices as forms of capital.Design/methodology/approachThis ethnographic study uses a Bourdieusian approach to investigate the information practices of diasporic devotees and monks of a Theravada Buddhist Temple in Sydney, Australia. The insider position of one researcher brought strong insights into the data, while the theoretical approach shared with the other researchers reinforced an outsider perspective.FindingsThe Temple’s online sources and personal communication with other devotees provide a diverse range of sources that devotees use in information-based cultural practices and everyday life information practices. These practices lead to outcomes that can be identified as economic, social and cultural capital. Pin or merit emerges as an important outcome of practices which is not easily accommodated by the concept of outcome, nor by Bourdieu’s categories of capital.Originality/valueAdding to the small number of studies concerned with information practices in a spiritual context, this study shows the value of a Bourdieusian approach in identifying the outcomes of information practices as capital, but highlights the shortcomings of applying Western concepts in non-Western settings. It proposes the possibility of a new form of capital, which will need to be tested rigorously in studies in other spiritual settings.

Family needs and interaction patterns regarding the use of ICT in everyday life

ABSTRACT This study offers valuable insights into family needs and interaction patterns regarding the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in everyday life. Given that ICT has become an important part of everyday family life, it is essential to comprehensively explore family interactions related to experiences with digital technologies. Within the DigiGen project, 30 interviews involving 10 families were conducted with children aged 5 to 10 years and their family members in Estonia. The aim of the study was to identify the interaction patterns regarding ICT use that emerge between family members in daily life and the daily family needs that are accompanied by ICT use. Thematic analysis was carried out to identify the main themes in the data. Four primary themes of family needs and interaction patterns regarding the use of ICT in everyday life – satisfying needs in family life, the roles of family members, conflicts/disagreements in family life and family rules and negotiation – are discussed.

Everyday life information seeking behavior of transgender people in Pakistan

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the everyday life information seeking behavior of transgender people in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study, based on a survey design, was conducted to explore the everyday information needs of transgender people along with the types and frequency of using information sources. This study further explored the barriers to seeking everyday life information. Data were collected from 378 transgender people from Pakistan.FindingsMusic related information was the most important daily life information need and television appeared as one of the primary information sources frequently consulted by the transgender people. The respondents revealed a variety of challenges in accessing information including lack of education, lack of understanding about available information sources, biased treatment by the public and lack of technological skills. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found in everyday information needs and sources consulted on the basis of their age and education.Originality/valueThe findings provide a guideline to educate information providers, government agencies and other stakeholders about the information needs of this marginalized community in Pakistan. This study also suggests ways in which stakeholder may improve information systems and services to better assist transgender people.

Description framework of makerspaces: Examining the relationship between spatial arrangement and diverse user populations

AbstractAs makerspaces continue to proliferate in academic and public libraries, researchers and educators are increasingly concerned with ensuring these STEM‐rich learning environments are inclusive to historically marginalized student communities. This article offers a new framework, the Description Framework of Makerspaces, to outline the relationship between the spatial qualities of makerspaces and the user population it attracts. This study represents the first phase of a 5‐year research program dedicated to analyzing the everyday life information seeking practices that students (un)intentionally make when deciding to engage with a STEM­rich learning environment such as a makerspace. Using constructivist grounded framework to analyze interview data from 17 academic makerspace leaders, we theorize 2 propositions from the main findings: (a) the act of defining a makerspace is difficult and in tension with several imaginings of a makerspace: imagined, ideal, and experienced and (b) a makerspace is significantly composed of affective features that are often unarticulated and abstract. By conceptualizing makerspaces as environments that are configured by both physical and affective characteristics, we reveal insights regarding a baseline conceptualization of the features of a conventional academic makerspace and the design decisions that makerspace leaders make and are confronted with.