Online Information Behavior Research Articles

The online information behaviour of first-year PhD students: addressing SDG 4

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to sustainable development in higher education by exploring the online information behaviour (OIB) of first-year full-time PhD students. In the case of first year PhD students, there is a high demand for information to complete their tasks and to finalise their studies. The quality of the education these postgraduate students acquire is dependent on their ability to access quality information devoid of barriers. In other words, there seems to be a lack of research on the online information behaviour of postgraduates in their first year of doctoral studies. Design/methodology – The study examined this phenomenon through the case study method, using the interpretivism paradigm and the quantitative approach. Using convenient and purposive sampling methods, 10 first-year PhD students were sampled from the University of Ghana's student population for 2023. A structured interview schedule was used as the instrument for data collection from the participants of the study. Findings – First-year PhD students are faced with online information-seeking barriers such as poor internet connectivity, limited access to online databases and resources, inability to access the needed paid online resources due to financial constraints, information overload, difficulty in acquiring requisite information and lack of information literacy skills and financial resources. These challenges tend to influence the quality of education they receive negatively given the inequalities in their information literacy skills against the literacy skills of second to final-year PhD students. Practical Implications and Conclusion – The study will contribute to literature on the information-seeking behaviour of first-year PhD students. The lack of information on the subject in Ghana is an issue this study seeks to address. The study has shown that postgraduate students at the University of Ghana do not understand their information needs, although they depend heavily on information for their work and survival.

How are you affected? The public’s online information behaviour patterns during the COVID-19 infodemic

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 infodemic on the public’s online information behaviour, offering insights critical for shaping effective informational responses in future public health emergencies.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a structured online survey with 27 targeted questions using a five-point Likert scale to measure eight variables. Data analysis is conducted through structural equation modelling on 307 valid responses to rigorously test the research hypotheses.FindingsThis paper indicates that information quality significantly impacts the public’s capacity to select, share and use online information. Additionally, the comprehensibility of information plays a crucial role in shaping the public’s behaviours in terms of online information exchange and usage. The credibility of information sources emerges as a key determinant influencing the public’s online information selection, exchange and utilization behaviour. Moreover, social influence exerts a substantial effect on the public’s online information selection, acquisition, exchange and utilization behaviour. These findings highlight the presence of universality and sociality, mediation and guidance, as well as the purposefulness and selectivity performed by the public’s online information behaviour during an infodemic.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a novel research model for assessing the influence and identifies the patterns of the public’s online information behaviour during the COVID-19 infodemic. The findings have significant implications for developing strategies to tackle information dissemination challenges in future major public health emergencies.

Online health information behaviour and its association with statin adherence in patients with high cardiovascular risk: A prospective cohort study.

Statins are effective for preventing cardiovascular disease. However, many patients decide not to take statins because of negative influences, such as online misinformation. Online health information may affect decisions on medication adherence, but measuring it is challenging. This study aimed to examine the associations between online health information behaviour and statin adherence in patients with high cardiovascular risk. A prospective cohort study involving 233 patients with high cardiovascular risk was conducted at a primary care clinic in Malaysia. Participants used a digital information diary tool to record online health information they encountered for 2 months and completed a questionnaire about statin necessity, concerns and adherence at the end of the observation period. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results showed that 55.8% (130 of 233 patients) encountered online health information. Patients who actively sought online health information (91 of 233 patients) had higher concerns about statin use (β = 0.323, p = 0.023). Participants with higher concern about statin use were also more likely to be non-adherent (β = -0.337, p < 0.001). Patients who actively sought online health information were more likely to have lower statin adherence, mediated by higher concerns about statin use (indirect effect, β = -0.109, p = 0.048). Our results suggest that patients with higher levels of concern about statins may be actively seeking online information about statins, and their concerns might influence how they search, what they find, and the potential to encounter misinformation. Our study highlights the importance of addressing patients' concerns about medications to improve adherence.

Online Health Information Wants of Caregivers for Persons With Dementia in Social Media

This study aimed to examine the online information behavior of informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWDs). We examined caregivers’ posts ( N = 401) in two subgroups on the social media platform Reddit. Content analysis and correlational analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Over half of caregivers (57%) posted health information for the purposes of both sharing and seeking information, whereas the remaining caregivers posted information for the purpose of sharing only. The three most commonly exchanged types of health information were information about psychosocial issues, daily care for a patient at home, and characteristics of dementia. The more types of health information that a post contained, the greater number of peers who participated in discussions. These findings show that caregivers use social media as a tool for health information support—to seek health information from other caregivers rather than rely on health care professionals or support groups.

Online enquiries and health concerns – a survey of German general practitioners regarding experiences and strategies in patient care

AimIncreasingly at GP practices, patients appear who are extremely worried as a result of health information researched online and consequently affected by doubts and concerns. The study highlights GP attitudes and experiences with regard to this patient group. Moreover, it identifies strategies adopted by GPs to respond appropriately to worried or scared patients.Subject and methodsIn the German federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, 2532 GPs were surveyed between June and August 2022. Owing to the explorative nature of the study, a descriptive analysis was conducted.ResultsOf the total respondents, 77% deemed the current problem of internet-related health concerns to be a major challenge in everyday practice. The implications affect patients’ mental stability and expectations towards the doctor (esp. demand for further instrumental diagnosis, 83%). One doctor in five (20%) has experienced the termination of patient contact because the relationship with the patient was no longer possible due to the patient’s uncontrolled online information behaviour. To respond to worried or scared patients, the respondents generally ask certain patient groups about online research (39%) and take this into account in the doctor–patient discussion (23%). Furthermore, the respondents use a detailed explanation of the diagnosis and/or treatment (65%) and recommend websites that they consider reputable (66%). Some of the doctors prefer a joint examination of the information researched by the patient (55%) as well as to explain the benefits and risks of online research (43%).ConclusionMany GPs demonstrate a high level of awareness and sensitivity with regard to extensive online research and potentially worried patients. It seems advisable to actively address the online search for information in the patient consultation to prevent possible negative effects on the doctor–patient relationship and to actively involve the patient. In this respect, it would also be worth considering expanding the medical history to include the dimension of online searching.

Do (Not!) Track Me: Relationship Between Willingness to Participate and Sample Composition in Online Information Behavior Tracking Research

This paper offers a critical look at the promises and drawbacks of a popular, novel data collection technique—online tracking—from the point of view of sample composition. Using data from two large-scale studies about political attitudes and information consumption behavior carried out in Germany and Switzerland, we find that the likelihood of participation in a tracking study at several critical dropout points is systematically related to the gender, age, and education of participants, with men, young, and more educated participants being less likely to dropout of the studies. Our findings also show that these patterns are incremental, as changes in sample composition accumulate over successive study stages. Political interest and ideology were also significantly related to the likelihood of participation in tracking research. The study explores some of the most common concerns associated with tracking research leading to non-participation, finding that they also differ across demographic groups. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Development of a scale for measuring individual propensity for serendipitous information encounters in an online environment

This article reports the development of a scale designed to measure an individual’s tendency to engage in serendipitous information encountering behaviour online. We relied on the simplified process model of information encountering to derive an initial item pool. In Study 1, a total of 3037 participants completed a preliminary 24-item scale. Using a split-half principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to determine the underlying factor structure, we reduced the scale to 12 items. In Study 2 ( N = 66), we demonstrated the revised scale’s test–retest reliability and showed that it distinguishes between information encountering and other conceptually related constructs. In Study 3, behavioural data from 304 participants showed that the information encountering scale is associated with various indicators of online information-seeking, such as page visits and visit duration. Collectively, these studies yield a valid and easily implemented scale to better understand online information encountering. We describe the development of this scale and discuss its implications for both the measurement and study of serendipity in online information behaviour.

Digital technology and senior citizens in the city of Osijek: a quantitative study

Purpose. The world population is continuously ageing, and a significant amount of world efforts has already been dedicated to increasing the quality of life of the population in the age-group of 65+. A way to achieve this goal is to introduce older generations to the benefits of digital technology. This paper presents the findings of a study on digital technology adoption and the online information needs of senior citizens in the city of Osijek, Croatia. Methodology. The study was conducted on a sample of 188 participants from September to December 2021. The data was collected by the means of a paper survey distributed to respondents in several locations: a local senior care home, the farmers market, and a non-profit organization. Findings. The respondents in our sample prefer smartphones (49.5%) and personal computers or laptops (27.7%) over tablet computers and smartwatches. The internet is used by almost 70% of the respondents, mostly for purposeful searches for information or communication. E-learning, e-shopping, or e-government applications are used rarely. The study detected significant differences in digital technology use concerning gender, age, life satisfaction and living with a partner. Social implications. In order to support and promote the active ageing of senior citizens in Osijek, a more systematic approach at the level of city administration is needed in order to ensure a better understanding and use of digital technology by this vulnerable demographic group. Originality. The paper presents a valuable contribution to further understanding the ICT adoption, skills and online information behaviour of senior citizens in Osijek, Croatia.

A bibliometrics study of library and information science doctoral dissertations in China from 2011 to 2020

By reading the titles, abstracts, and keywords of LIS doctoral dissertations in China from 2011–2020 and conducting cluster analysis and network analysis of keywords, this study aims to understand the intelligence structure of LIS doctoral dissertations in China, as well as the disciplines and topics intersecting with LIS. The results indicated that Wuhan University had the highest number of doctoral dissertations among all the selected universities offering LIS doctoral education. Research fields mainly focus on online information behavior and information services. The findings could be because of the development of computer science and information technology in the past decade, which indicates that the research direction of LIS in China follows the trend of time development.

Lurking or active? The influence of user participation behavior in online mental health communities on the choice and evaluation of doctors

Background: Web-based psychological counseling sites have become an important source of health information and expert assistance. Although many studies have suggested the feasibility and effectiveness of online consultation, there is an insufficient understanding of the influence of the distinction of users' participation behaviors online on health behavior decision-making.Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether and how the differences in the online participation behaviors of users affect their doctor selection and evaluation characteristics.Methods: First, we collected information from 7,781 paid consultation clients from a professional mental health service platform in China. Effective indicators and variables were formed through data cleaning and classification. Next, we used a mixed methods research approach that included qualitative text analysis (topic and sentiment) and quantitative statistical analysis (ANOVA).Results: The ANOVA results show that differences in online participation behaviors (diving, searching and socializing) have a significant impact on doctor selection based on consultation price (F7,780=6.05; P = 0.00), online service volume (F7,780=4.76; P = 0.00), online reputation (F7,780=4.30; P = 0.01) and online answers (F7,780=5.76; P = 0.00). When evaluating doctors, the frequency of reviews (F7,780=69.62; P = 0.00) and the average length of the text (F7,780=15.33; P = 0.00) were significantly different among users. Two of the three topics, namely, service attitude (F7,780=28.63; P = 0.00) and self-expression (F7,780=40.83; P = 0.00), had significant effects. In addition, our results show that differences in participating behaviors have a significant impact on both the positive (F7,780=7.30; P = 0.00) and negative (F7,780=9.44; P = 0.00) emotions involved in evaluating doctors.Conclusions: Our findings provide preliminary insights for establishing the relationship between users' online information behavior and health decision-making. Further research should be conducted to verify the validity of the results and help apply them to the design of personalized customized services for the users in an online health community.

Do mobile social media undermine our romantic relationships? The influence of fear-of-missing-out on young people’s romantic relationships

The widespread use of social media has a transformative effect on people’s work and lives. With the increasing information explosion and more cases of social media addiction, users have been always worried that they have missed some information. FoMO (fear of missing out) of mobile users emerges. FoMO is an important theory that explicates the underlying cognitive, psychological, and social processes of dark or negative sides of online information behaviour (Shen, et al., 2021). This paper explores the impact of FoMO of post-90s generation mobile users on romantic relationship in the context of social media. The questionnaire survey was conducted in December 2017. The sample size was 274 Chinese post-90s (people born in the 1990’s) mobile social media users who were in love for at least one year and unmarried. The statistical methods such as regression analysis were adopted. The impacts of FoMO on romantic relationship were analyzed from the perspectives of three dimensions of FoMO: cognitive, emotional and behavioural manifestations. The quantitative analysis of survey data employed the statistical package SPSS 26.0. The behavioural manifestation of FoMO has a significant negative effect on romantic relationships, while emotional and cognitive manifestations of FoMO have no significant effects on romantic relationships. This indicates that driven by FoMO, the post-90s mobile users often check the information in device frequently and subconsciously, resulting in excessive information behaviour, which does harm to the development of romantic relationship. It also implies that the view of simply treating the anxiety disorder FoMO as a psychological symptom is debatable. FoMO has affected users’ interpersonal relationship and behaviour in the offline environment, especially for post-90s generation users. This paper enriches the research on the effects of psychology and information behaviour of mobile social media users on their interpersonal relationship.

Association Between eHealth Literacy in Online Health Communities and Patient Adherence: Cross-sectional Questionnaire Study.

BackgroundeHealth literacy is significantly associated with patients’ online information behavior, physician-patient relationship, patient adherence, and health outcomes. As an important product of the internet, online health communities (OHCs) can help redistribute idle medical resources, increase medical resource utilization, and improve patient adherence. However, studies on eHealth literacy in OHCs are limited. Therefore, this study examined patients’ eHealth literacy regarding health information–seeking behavior and physician-patient communication in OHCs.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the association between eHealth literacy in OHCs and patient adherence by employing social cognitive theory.MethodsThis was an empirical study, in which a research model consisting of 1 independent variable (patients’ eHealth literacy), 3 mediators (physician-patient communication in OHCs, patient health information–seeking behavior in OHCs, and patients’ perceived quality of health information in OHCs), 1 dependent variable (patient adherence), and 4 control variables (age, gender, living area, and education level) was established to examine the associations. Multi-item scales were used to measure variables. An anonymous online survey involving 560 participants was conducted through Chinese OHCs in July 2018 to collect data. Partial least squares and structural equation modeling were adopted to analyze data and test hypotheses.ResultsThe survey response rate was 79.6% (446/560). The reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were acceptable. Age, gender, living area, and education level were positively associated with patient adherence, and gender was positively associated with physician-patient communication and patients’ perceived quality of internet health information in OHCs. Patients’ eHealth literacy was positively associated with patient adherence through the mediations of physician-patient communication, internet health information–seeking behavior, and perceived quality of internet health information in OHCs.ConclusionsResults indicate that physician-patient communication, internet health information–seeking behavior, and the perceived quality of internet health information are significantly associated with improving patient adherence via a guiding of eHealth literacy in OHCs. These findings suggest that physicians can understand and guide their patients’ eHealth literacy to improve treatment efficiency; OHCs’ operators should this strengthen the management of information quality, develop user-friendly features, and minimize the gap between the actual and perceived information quality.

Encountering misinformation online: antecedents of trust and distrust and their impact on the intensity of Facebook use

PurposeThis study focused on the impact of misinformation on social networking sites. Through theorizing and integrating literature from interdisciplinary fields such as information behavior, communication and relationship management, this study explored how misinformation on Facebook influences users' trust, distrust and intensity of Facebook use.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed quantitative survey research and collected panel data via an online professional survey platform. A total of 661 participants in the USA completed this study, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the theoretical model using Amos 20.FindingsBased on data from an online questionnaire (N = 661) in the USA, results showed that information trustworthiness and elaboration, users' self-efficacy of detecting misinformation and prescriptive expectancy of the social media platform significantly predicted both trust and distrust toward Facebook, which in turn jointly influenced users' intensity of using this information system.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the growing body of literature on information and relationship management and digital communication from several important aspects. First, this study disclosed the underlying cognitive psychological and social processing of online misinformation and addressed the strategies for future system design and behavioral intervention of misinformation. Second, this study systematically examined both trust and distrust as cognitive and affective dimensions of the human mindsets, encompassed the different components of the online information behavior and enriched one’s understanding of how misinformation affected publics' perceptions of the information system where it appeared. Last but not least, this study advanced the relationship management literature and demonstrated that a trustful attitude exerted a stronger influence on the intensity of Facebook use than distrust did.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-04-2020-0130

Social Media Rumor Refuter Feature Analysis and Crowd Identification Based on XGBoost and NLP

One prominent dark side of online information behavior is the spreading of rumors. The feature analysis and crowd identification of social media rumor refuters based on machine learning methods can shed light on the rumor refutation process. This paper analyzed the association between user features and rumor refuting behavior in five main rumor categories: economics, society, disaster, politics, and military. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques are applied to quantify the user’s sentiment tendency and recent interests. Then, those results were combined with other personalized features to train an XGBoost classification model, and potential refuters can be identified. Information from 58,807 Sina Weibo users (including their 646,877 microblogs) for the five anti-rumor microblog categories was collected for model training and feature analysis. The results revealed that there were significant differences between rumor stiflers and refuters, as well as between refuters for different categories. Refuters tended to be more active on social media and a large proportion of them gathered in more developed regions. Tweeting history was a vital reference as well, and refuters showed higher interest in topics related with the rumor refuting message. Meanwhile, features such as gender, age, user labels and sentiment tendency also varied between refuters considering categories.

Investigating the impact of IT-mediated information interruption on emotional exhaustion in the workplace

Information technology-mediated interruptions have become widespread and ubiquitous in the workplace. However, our understanding of how these interruptions and individuals’ interruption processing mechanism impact individuals’ performance, especially psychological performance, is still limited. Leveraging Conservation of Resources Theory, this study focused on two types of IT-mediated information interruptions (congruent and incongruent) and examined the moderating effects of different process mechanisms on the relationship between information interruptions and individuals’ interruption overload. A multi-methods research design was conducted in this study: a qualitative study with 20 interviews in Study 1 and a quantitative study with 345 surveys in Study 2. The results show a positive indirect effect of IT-mediated information interruption on emotional exhaustion through interruption overload. Results also review the moderation effects of different processing mechanisms. The findings of this study advance the current understanding of the “dark side” of online information behavior. Additionally, this study provides practical and theoretical implications for both employers and employees on how to process IT-mediated information interruptions in the workplace.

Religious Online Information Behaviour Among the Malays in the Digital Era

Seeking knowledge is among the most important virtuein Islam. The Internet era offers more sources and new ways in gaining and producing information including religious information. However, the perception that the religious information behaviour among the Malays is not yet being studied empirically. A framework has been developed based on theories, previous related studies and interviews with Internet users. Three main aspects of behaviour being studied: usage, information seeking and verification. Data is collected using printed and electronic questionnaires. There are 616 usable data successfully gathered and analyzed through SPSS. Related to usage, the result shows that the Malays have adapted well with the Internet medium for searching the religious information. The results also show that there are changes on the technical aspect of information acquisition and delivery via the new media. However from the procedural aspect, the information behaviour among Malays are still traditional in nature based on their seeking information methods. The results suggest that the religious offline behaviour continues online, demonstrating their conservative nature. Analyzing the beahviour against the users’ background suggests that there is a statically relationship between them. A high percentage of users claimed that the verify online religious information, even though they differ on this in practice. This paper ends with recommendations to improve the information behaviour among the masses.

PERSONAL INFORMATION ARCHIVING: BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSES TO THE PERCEPTION OF RISK

The paper investigates the factors that influence perceptions of online risk and the consequential behavioural responses to those perceptions. Using Bates’ theory of information behaviour, we focus on online protection strategies and digital archiving as a specific instantiation and manifestation of information behaviour and analyze how factors, such as perceptions of online risk and self-reported internet skills, have consequences for information behaviours.&#x0D; The study uses semi-structured interview data (n=101) collected from East York, Toronto. We asked about individuals’ perception of risk online, self-reported internet skills, protective measures when going online, and digital archiving practices. Our findings identify a nuanced relationship between perceptions and behaviours. The results offer an alternate perspective on online information behaviour that departs from traditional classifications that rely on _demographics_. We offer a refinement to the definitions of information behaviour by Bates (2010) and Fisher and Julien (2009) to include factors that modify behaviours, and develop a user typology relating specifically to perceptions of risk online.

Barriers to High School Learners’ Online Information Behaviour in Ghana

The Internet has provided many opportunities for learners to access online information to expand their knowledge at a fast pace. Ghana, as one among many other developing countries, has tried to create Internet access and usage among high school learners; however, a number of factors have hampered this process. The study therefore investigates the barriers to high school learners’ online information behaviour in Ghana. Through a survey design, the study employed a mixed-methods approach to look into this phenomenon. A total of 350 participants comprising Grade 12 learners, heads of ICT departments (HICTDs), ICT teachers and librarians from three high schools were included in the study. Learners were sampled through the use of simple random and stratified sampling techniques. All heads of ICT departments, ICT teachers, and librarians were included in the study due to their small number and hence there was no need for selection. A semi-structured interview schedule and questionnaire were used as data collection tools to solicit responses from the participants. The study revealed that a lack of adequate Internet infrastructure at schools is a major barrier to high school learners’ online information behaviour. The study recommends the need to improve the Internet infrastructure at schools.

Saving Tiger, Orangutan & Co: how subjective knowledge and text complexity influence online information seeking and behavior

ABSTRACTBesides others, subjective knowledge ‒ the feeling of being knowledgeable ‒ as well as the complexity of a communicated content have been shown to have an impact on different behavioral outcomes ‒ also in the field of consumer choices. However, it remains open how both factors influence subsequent outcomes such as information seeking, behavioral intentions, or actual choice behavior ‒ especially related to environmental issues. With a 2 (high/low subjective knowledge) × 2 (high/low complex information) between-subjects design (N = 87), we investigated the effects of subjective knowledge and complexity of an online news text about a specific environmental topic (i.e., palm oil) on behavioral intentions, online information seeking as well as on behavioral choices. Higher subjective knowledge raised the probability to volunteer for an NGO and the duration of time spent on a palm oil-related webpage. Environmental attitudes determined the general likelihood to engage in palm oil-related web search and the number of webpages visited. Text complexity did not influence the target variables.

Voters’ online information behaviour and response to campaign content during the Scottish referendum on independence

Research into the public’s motivations for, and barriers to, the use of referendum campaign sites was carried out in the final weeks before the 2014 vote on Scottish independence. As a qualitative study, drawing on 54 interactive, electronically-assisted interviews, where participants were observed and questioned as they searched for and used information on the websites and social media sites of the campaign groups, the results enable more precise causal inferences to be drawn about voters’ exposure to campaign sites. Results indicate participants value ‘facts’, what they perceive as authoritative voices, the capacity to compare campaign messages directly, infographics and concise, direct information. They are sceptical, particularly about celebrity contributions, preferring expert messages, and uncertain about their personal capacity to evaluate information they will use to make decisions. The authors set out a new model of levels of user engagement with political discourse during campaigns. Results have relevance for governments, as well as researchers in the fields of politics, communications and information management.