Information-seeking Behavior Research Articles

Assessing Maternal Satisfaction: Patient-Centered Care, Hospital Environment, and Information-Seeking in Chanika Hospital in Tanzania.

This study examined the impact of patient-centered care, satisfaction with the hospital environment, and maternal information-seeking on maternal healthcare satisfaction in Tanzania. A total of 707 mothers who delivered at Chanika Hospital in Tanzania were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify factors related to maternal satisfaction. Only 9.9% of the participants reported that they "usually" or "always" felt involved in treatment decisions. High levels of satisfaction were found for hospital cleanliness (93.6%) and safety (94.9%). However, there was a significant gap in satisfaction regarding the adequacy of water quality for medical services, with only 8.1% expressing satisfaction. Limited use of digital platforms was observed in terms of information-seeking behavior for fetal development, with only 19.5% of the participants using the internet and 14.3% using mobile apps. Patient-centered experiences with healthcare providers, especially midwives, had a significant positive impact on maternal satisfaction (β = 0.11, p = 0.021). Other significant variables were satisfaction with the hospital environment (β = 0.25, p < 0.001) and satisfaction with hospital water (β = 0.13, p < 0.001). It is recommended that healthcare improvements focus on patient-centered experiences and water quality for drinking and medical services to improve patient satisfaction.

Influence of Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior on Graduate School Students' Literacy Skills

Influence of Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior on Graduate School Students' Literacy Skills

The association between COVID-19 vaccination uptake and information-seeking behaviors using the Internet: A nationwide cross-sectional study. (Preprint)

The association between COVID-19 vaccination uptake and information-seeking behaviors using the Internet: A nationwide cross-sectional study. (Preprint)

A Conceptual Thematic Framework of Psychological Adjustment in Caregivers of Children with Craniofacial Microsomia.

Children with craniofacial microsomia (CFM) have complex healthcare needs, resulting in evaluations and interventions from infancy onward. Yet, little is understood about families' treatment experiences or the impact of CFM on caregivers' well-being. To address this gap, the NIH-funded 'Craniofacial microsomia: Accelerating Research and Education (CARE)' program sought to develop a conceptual thematic framework of caregiver adjustment to CFM. Caregivers reported on their child's medical and surgical history. Narrative interviews were conducted with US caregivers (n = 62) of children aged 3-17 years with CFM. Transcripts were inductively coded and final themes and subthemes were identified. Components of the framework included: 1) Diagnostic Experiences, including pregnancy and birth, initial emotional responses, communication about the diagnosis by healthcare providers, and information-seeking behaviors; 2) Child Health and Healthcare Experiences, including feeding, the child's physical health, burden of care, medical decision-making, surgical experiences, and the perceived quality of care; 3) Child Development, including cognition and behavior, educational provision, social experiences, and emotional well-being; and 4) Family Functioning, including parental well-being, relationships, coping strategies, and personal growth. Participants also identified a series of "high" and "low" points throughout their journey and shared their priorities for future research. Narrative interviews provided rich insight into caregivers' experiences of having a child with CFM and enabled the development of a conceptual thematic framework to guide clinical care and future research. Information gathered from this study demonstrates the need to incorporate evidence-based psychological support for families into the CFM pathway from birth onward.

Breaking Agenda Setting Boundaries: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Understanding Salience of Gun Control in the Polarized Public Sphere

ABSTRACT We reexamine agenda setting by analyzing the salience of gun control within diverse U.S. audience groups. Utilizing data spanning from 2015 to 2022, we investigate the impact of traditional media, partisan media coverage, discourse on Twitter (now X), real-world gun-related events, and Google Trends search behavior on the perceived importance of gun control. Our findings indicate that while traditional media and Twitter discourse do not significantly sway the salience of gun control, partisan media coverage and specific information-seeking search behaviors do. Notably, media opposing an audience’s political ideology and searches for gun-related information are influential. The effect of real-world shooting events on issue salience is complex, with shootings influencing liberals, but with conservatives showing an initial decrease in perceived importance. Our approach explains issue salience for all ideological groups quite well and offers the most comprehensive understanding of the interplay between personal experiences, search behaviors, and a polarized media environment in shaping public salience on gun control to date.

What motivates information (non-)seeking behaviors about a healthy diet?

Previous research on health information seeking has primarily focused on individuals'intentions to seek or avoid information. However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding the actual behavioral patterns of information-seeking and non-seeking. To address this, we conducted a survey experiment manipulating cognitive load with mostly Belgian participants (N = 359). By integrating self-report and behavioral data, we investigated motivations and conditions associated with information (non)-seeking behaviors on a healthy diet. Guided by the risk information seeking and processing (RISP) model, we examined the roles of informational subjective norms and information insufficiency, as well as the moderating role of cognitive capacity. Neither informational subjective norms nor information insufficiency significantly correlated with information-seeking behaviors. However, a significant interaction between the predictors and cognitive capacity in predicting non-seeking behaviors was observed. These findings underscore the intricate nature of individuals' behavioral patterns in seeking or not seeking information about healthy eating.

Tracking Chinese Online Activity and Interest in Osteoporosis Using the Baidu Index.

Introduction China's most widely used online search engine, Baidu (Baidu, Inc., Beijing, China), has developed a data collection and analysis tool called the Baidu Index for tracking Internet search trends. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the Baidu Index in tracking online osteoporosis information-seeking behavior and comprehending the traits and concerns of the Chinese population. Methods We used the search term "osteoporosis" for the Baidu Index for the years 2018-2022.The geographic and demographic distributions, search volumes, and demand maps were recorded. Results The popularity of the search term "osteoporosis" has increased over time. The search was mostly conducted among women aged 20-39 in northern China. The demand map revealed that the most significant concerns are related to the diagnosis, treatment, and etiology of osteoporosis. Conclusion The Baidu Index is a valuable tool for tracking online health information-seeking behavior among Chinese netizens. Online search trend data appears to reflect the geographic and demographic aspects of osteoporosis to a certain extent.

Does accident awareness affect people's risk perception of hydrogen infrastructure and information-seeking behaviour?

With increasing concerns about recent hydrogen-related accidents in leading countries applying hydrogen energy, maintaining public trust in hydrogen infrastructure is crucial for advancing energy transitions. This study investigates how individuals aware and unaware of hydrogen-related accidents perceive the risk of hydrogen refuelling facilities in Japan. The comparative analysis reveals that accident awareness significantly increases public apprehension by amplifying perceived accident probabilities and consequences. Specifically, accident-aware individuals value their subjective understanding of hydrogen knowledge more than objective knowledge when it comes to trusting hydrogen technologies. The direct impact of positive affect on alleviating risk perceptions is found to be counteracted by accident awareness. In terms of behavioural outcomes, this study confirms individuals' inclination to seek information based on their perceived risk. People are more eager to acquire risk preparedness information when they perceive the potential consequences of undesired events as significant. In contrast, the perceived likelihood of risk accidents does not exhibit such a significant relationship. The findings offer valuable insights for recognising circumstances in which the communication of risk preparedness initiatives becomes crucial in the aftermath of accidents.

The Utilization of Social Media by Generation Z in Information Seeking: A Systematic Review

The aim of this study is to identify the use of social media by Generation Z (Gen Z) in information seeking. This study employs a systematic review method with planning, implementation, and reporting phases. The databases utilized in this research are Google Scholar and Portal Garuda, with a publication timeframe of the last 10 years (2013-2023). The search yielded a total of 85 articles. After the elimination process, there were a total of 10 articles analyzed in this study. The research results indicate that Gen Z uses social media to seek information related to health, education, entertainment, and religion. Some Gen Z validates the information they obtain on social media, while others do not. The Ellis and Kuhlthau, information-seeking behavior (ISB) model is used to elucidate the information-seeking patterns of Gen Z. This systematic review is expected to serve as a consideration for educators and policymakers that social media can be used as a tool in the integration of formal and non-formal education.&#x0D; Keywords: generation Z, information seeking, social media

Exploring Transformation in an Entrepreneurial Academic Library

abstract: Academic libraries are experiencing drastic changes due to unprecedented advancements in technology. This advancement has caused changes in users’ information-seeking behavior, increased information competitors, and easy access and availability to free information on the internet. It is unfortunate that all this is happening amidst the dwindling financial support libraries receive from their parent organization. These variations, such as the digital shift and remote access, changing user expectations, open access movement, the need for data management and preservation models are causing havoc and disruption to academic libraries; therefore, academic libraries need to justify their position and relevancy. This paper discusses the conundrum academic libraries face and suggests why and how they should adopt entrepreneurial practices.

Health sciences faculty publication patterns and related information-seeking behavior.

This study aims to explore how health science faculty publication patterns at a large public research university have changed over time and examine how productivity relates to their information-seeking behavior and perception of the academic library. Two datasets were utilized: one consisted of publication records of health sciences faculty spanning a 15-year period, while the other was from a faculty survey exploring faculty's perception of and satisfaction with library resources and services related to their research. Health sciences faculty publication patterns have changed over time, characterized by greater productivity, collaboration, and use of literature in their publications. Faculty's literature use correlates with productivity, as evidenced by both datasets. The survey revealed that faculty with more publications tend to rely more on online journals and Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Similarly, the publication data indicated that less productive faculty tended to use fewer references in their publications. The publication data and survey results offer valuable insights into the health sciences faculty's information-seeking behavior and productivity. Online access to information has been effective in facilitating use of information, as indicated by the greater incorporation of references in publications. The study highlights the changing publication patterns and productivity of health sciences faculty, as well as the role academic libraries play in supporting their research and publishing activities. Although multiple variables influence faculty access to and use of information, faculty attitudes towards the library and use of the library are related to faculty research and productivity.

'Only to reconcile with it'. The coping experience amongst middle-aged and older cancer survivors: A qualitative study.

Cancer threat is relevant to age, and the threat of a foreshortened life coupled with a lengthy treatment process negatively affects middle-aged and older adults. Understanding the coping throughout the cancer experience in middle-aged and older cancer survivors will help develop supportive care to promote their physiological and psychological coping effects. To explore the cancer coping experiences of middle-aged adults aged 40-59 and older adults over 60. A descriptive phenomenological study was employed. Face-to-face, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 oncology patients in a tertiary university hospital aged 40 or above from August to October 2023. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis procedures. Five themes and 13 subthemes were formed through analysis: acceptance of cancer (considering cancer as chronic, believing in fate andattributing cancer to karma); having different information needs (desired to be truthfully informed, information-seeking behaviour, information avoidance behaviour); getting families involved (developing dependent behaviours, feeling emotional support, family members suffering worse); striving to maintain positive psychological state (positive thinking, seeking peer support) and negative experience (undesirable, low self-esteem). Our study reveals that cancer survivors' attitudes towards having cancer have changed from a death sentence to a more positive perception of a chronic disease. Supportive programmes for developing coping strategies should consider the cultural traditions and religious beliefs, different information needs, involvement of familyand promoting a positive psychological state while avoiding negative factors. Participants with experience of coping with cancer were involved in the semistructured interview.

Footed in the information deep: Research frameworks for (re)claiming and (re)storing heritage-based knowledge competencies in information professionals

A vital aspect of the library and information science (LIS) professional's identity involves an ongoing reflective, inquiry-based research praxis that can be considered “the information deep,” where the LIS skillset is enacted as a means of sociocultural restorative justice. In the American context, with the LIS profession's demographics comprised of over 80% white women, professional practices can be problematic when librarians lack an inquiry-based positionality while serving a diverse reading public. Footed is a methodology that advocates for reclaiming and restoring heritage-based knowledge to actualize a justice-based identity and praxis for LIS professionals. An autoethnographic case study from the authors' heritage-based research process is presented to examine how Footed's process informs information-seeking behavior for praxis. Librarians and information professionals can use the Footed method to guide their own heritage-based research to build self-knowledge as a foundation for exacting meaningful, culturally competent information services.

Modelling of physicians’ clinical information-seeking behaviour in Iran: a grounded theory study

ObjectivesExploring clinical information-seeking behaviour (CISB) and its associated factors contributes to its theoretical advancement and offers a valuable framework for addressing physicians’ information needs. This study delved into the dimensions,...

Influence of Social Media on Information Seeking and Sharing Behavior among Young Adults in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of social media on information seeking and sharing behavior among young adults in Kenya.&#x0D; Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.&#x0D; Findings: Social media heavily influences information seeking and sharing behavior among young adults in Kenya, facilitating quick access to diverse content despite concerns about reliability. To address misinformation and promote digital literacy, implementing educational programs and establishing guidelines for verifying information on social platforms are recommended.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Uses and gratifications theory, social cognitive theory &amp; diffusion of innovations theory may be used to anchor future studies on influence of social media on information seeking and sharing behavior among young adults in Kenya. Develop and implement digital literacy programs tailored to the needs of young adults in Kenya, with a focus on enhancing critical evaluation skills, media literacy, and information verification techniques. Advocate for the development of policies and guidelines to regulate the dissemination of misinformation, hate speech, and harmful content on social media platforms, while preserving freedom of expression and information sharing.

An assessment of information seeking behavior of agricultural agents to retrieve need-based information in Sidama regional state of Ethiopia

The objective of the current study was to assess the levels of access of agricultural agents in the Sidama Region to agriculture-specific information from researchers and the media and its effect on their confidence in communicating with farmers. The capacity of trained professionals through educational institutions is crucial to empowering rural communities. As a result, up-to-date knowledge is crucial to leverage the agricultural sector since there could be changes in innovations, science, and technologies. To understand such status quo, In the study circumstances, an exploratory sequential mixed design descriptive study was employed. Cluster random sampling was used, and two samples of districts from the region were identified. In-depth interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires were used to gather the data. Based on reoccurring themes, the transcribed qualitative material was documented, classified, and subjected to a thematic analysis. Besides, data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS. The finding indicates that the agents had poor information-seeking behavior. In addition, the agricultural agents had less access to various sources of information including low access to researchers, media and the Internet. Moreover, the agents were dissatisfied with the nature and regularity of the training provided. With the possible influence of lack of access to information and low interaction with researchers, agents' confidence in communicating farm topics to farmers was also found to be less than expected. A significant positive correlation was also found between agent confidence, research linkage, media access, and information-seeking behavior. Above all, development agents were not driven to speak with researchers, explore media sources for information on agriculture, or converse with colleagues about agricultural matters; this showed that most agents merely had basic college-level knowledge. Agents' confidence in speaking with farmers could be strengthened with improved research linkage, media access, and encouragement to seek information.

INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF COASTAL SOCIETY IN SOUTHEAST SULAWESI

The goal of this study was to discover the information-seeking behaviour of coastal communities in Southeast Sulawesi, which has the second highest marine catch (fish) income in Indonesia, despite the fact that the majority of its territory is made up of oceans, but the people's income is still low and less prosperous, as evidenced by the export value of marine catches still falling under East Java, Jakarta, and South Sulawesi. The data for this study were collected from 105 respondents who used a quantitative technique to fill out a list of information seeking behaviour, while 10 respondents used a qualitative approach, namely in-depth interviews about the hurdles experienced when seeking information. According to the findings of this study, the information seeking behaviour of coastal populations in Southeast Sulawesi is still manual, that is, they still use experiences and feelings by 45.8% of the time, and the barriers they confront in obtaining information are related to technology by 29.1% of the time. The outcomes of the study are directly related to the income obtained by the coastal villages of Southeast Sulawesi, which is still poor and less prosperous

The collaborative use of career information by young people and career advisers: A thematic content analysis of career counselling records

This study explores the career information-seeking behaviours of young people and career advisers. These are examined through the interrogation of a secondary data set held by Scotland's national skills agency, Skills Development Scotland. Descriptive and frequency analyses of engagement records from career conversations reveal three key characteristics of information seeking in career advisory settings: prompted information seeking; information seeking on young people's behalf and collaborative information seeking. The original contribution of this study lies in two novel research foci: (a) the identification of distinct patterns of career information-seeking behaviours and colloquial language which signifies that information seeking has taken place and (b) the consideration of young people and career advisers’ collaborative information seeking behaviours and their roles and functions within the career information-seeking process. These findings have implications for the improvement of career services and the development of career information, advice and guidance (CIAG) policies.

Resolving uncertainty on the fly: modeling adaptive driving behavior as active inference.

Understanding adaptive human driving behavior, in particular how drivers manage uncertainty, is of key importance for developing simulated human driver models that can be used in the evaluation and development of autonomous vehicles. However, existing traffic psychology models of adaptive driving behavior either lack computational rigor or only address specific scenarios and/or behavioral phenomena. While models developed in the fields of machine learning and robotics can effectively learn adaptive driving behavior from data, due to their black box nature, they offer little or no explanation of the mechanisms underlying the adaptive behavior. Thus, generalizable, interpretable, computational models of adaptive human driving behavior are still rare. This paper proposes such a model based on active inference, a behavioral modeling framework originating in computational neuroscience. The model offers a principled solution to how humans trade progress against caution through policy selection based on the single mandate to minimize expected free energy. This casts goal-seeking and information-seeking (uncertainty-resolving) behavior under a single objective function, allowing the model to seamlessly resolve uncertainty as a means to obtain its goals. We apply the model in two apparently disparate driving scenarios that require managing uncertainty, (1) driving past an occluding object and (2) visual time-sharing between driving and a secondary task, and show how human-like adaptive driving behavior emerges from the single principle of expected free energy minimization.

Parents' User Experience Accessing and Using a Web-Based Map of COVID-19 Recommendations for Health Decision-Making: Qualitative Descriptive Study.

The eCOVID19 Recommendations Map & Gateway to Contextualization (RecMap) website was developed to identify all COVID-19 guidelines, assess the credibility and trustworthiness of the guidelines, and make recommendations understandable to various stakeholder groups. To date, little has been done to understand and explore parents' experiences when accessing and using the RecMap website for COVID-19 health decision-making. To explore (1) where parents look for COVID-19 health information and why, (2) parents' user experience when accessing and using the RecMap website to make health decisions, and (3) what knowledge mobilization activities are needed to increase parents' awareness, use, and engagement with the RecMap website. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews and a think-aloud activity with parents of children aged 18 years or younger living in Canada. Participants were asked to provide feedback on the RecMap website and to "think aloud" as they navigated the website to find relevant COVID-19 health recommendations. Demographic information was collected using a web-based questionnaire. A hybrid deductive and inductive thematic approach guided analysis and data synthesis. A total of 21 participants (13/21, 62% mothers) were interviewed and participated in a think-aloud activity. The data were categorized into four sections, representative of key elements that deductively and inductively emerged from the data: (1) parent information seeking behaviors and preferences for COVID-19, (2) RecMap website usability, (3) perceived usefulness of the RecMap website, and (4) knowledge mobilization strategies to increase awareness, use, and engagement of the RecMap website. Parents primarily used the internet to find COVID-19 information and focused on sources that they determined to be credible, trustworthy, simple, and engaging. As the pandemic evolved, participants' information-seeking behaviors changed, specifically their topics of interest and search frequency. Most parents were not aware of the RecMap website before this study but found satisfaction with its concept and layout and expressed intentions to use and share it with others. Parents experienced some barriers to using the RecMap website and suggested key areas for improvement to facilitate its usability and perceived usefulness. Recommendations included a more user-friendly home page for lay audiences (separate public-facing user interface), improving the search and filter options, quicker navigation, clearer titles, more family-friendly graphics, and improving mobile-friendly access. Several strategies to disseminate the RecMap website were also expressed, including a mix of traditional and nontraditional methods (handouts and social media) in credible and high-traffic locations that parents frequent often. Overall, parents liked the concept of the RecMap website but had some suggestions to improve its usability (language, navigation, and website interface). These findings can be used to improve the RecMap website for parents and offer insight for the development and dissemination of effective web-based health information tools and resources for the general public.