Document Type : Articles

Authors

1 Library and Information Science ShahidBeheshti University, Tehran

2 Computer Science and Information ‎Technology,University of Malaya, ‎ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3 Computer Science and Information Technology,‎ University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract

This study aims to introduce the information seeking anxiety construct as a phenomenon among postgraduate students. It also presents the Information Seeking Anxiety Scale (ISAS) as a valid and reliable instrument. Further, the current study investigates the prevalence of information seeking anxiety among postgraduate students at a research-intensive university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Results of the study revealed that while information seeking anxiety is present among the studied students, the overall level is not high. Additionally, Different levels (low, mild, moderate and severe levels) of the information seeking anxiety construct were reported to have experienced by 96.5% of the postgraduate students at the sampled university.

  1. Anwar, M. A., Al-Kandari, N. M., & Al-Qallaf, C. L. (2004). Use of Bostick’s Library ‎Anxiety Scale on undergraduate Biological Sciences students of Kuwait ‎University.Library & Information Science Research, 26(2), 266-283. ‎
  2. Bailey, P., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Daley, C. E. (1998). Anxiety about foreign language: ‎Comparison of French, Spanish and German classes. Psychological Reports, 82, 1007-‎‎1010.‎
  3. Ben Omran, A. I. (2001). Library anxiety and internet anxiety among graduate students of a ‎major research university(PhD dissertation).University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburg, ‎Pennsylvania.‎
  4. Bilal, D. (2005).Children’s information seeking and the design of digital interfaces in the ‎affective paradigm.Library Trends, 54(2), 197-208. ‎
  5. Bostick, S. L. (1992). The development and validation of the Library Anxiety Scale.(PhD ‎dissertation). Wayne State University, Michigan.‎
  6. Branch, J. L. (2001). Information seeking process of junior high school students: A case study ‎of CD-ROM encyclopedia use. School Libraries Worldwide, 7(1), 11-27.‎
  7. Carlile, H. (2007). The implications of library anxiety for academic reference services: A ‎review of the literature. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 38(2), 129-147.‎
  8. Dalrymple, P. W. & Zweizig, D. L. (1992). Users’ experience of information retrieval systems: ‎An exploration of the relationship between search experience and affective measures. ‎Library & Information Science Research, 14(2), 167-181.‎
  9. Erfanmanesh, M. (2011).Use of Multidimensional Library Anxiety Scale on education and ‎psychology students in Iran.Library Philosophy & Practice,9, 1-10. Retrieved from ‎www.unllib.unl.edu/lpp/erfanmanesh.pdf
  10. Erfanmanesh, M. (2012).Investigating information seeking anxiety among postgraduate ‎students: Development and validation of a multidimensional scale (PhD ‎dissertation).University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.‎
  11. Hill, K. T., &Wigfield, A. (1984). Test anxiety: A major educational problem and what can be ‎done about it. The Elementary School Journal, 85(1), 105-126.‎
  12. Jerabek, J. A., Meyer, L. S., & Kordinak, S. T. (2001). Library anxiety and computer anxiety: ‎Measures, validity, and research implications. Library & Information Science Research, ‎‎23, 277-289.‎
  13. Jiao, Q. C., &Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (1997).Antecedents of library anxiety.Library Quarterly, ‎‎67(4), 372-389.‎
  14. Jiao, Q. C., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., &Waytowich, V. L. (2008). The relationship between citation ‎errors and library anxiety: An empirical study of doctoral students in education. ‎Information Processing & Management, 44(2), 948-956.‎
  15. Kohrman, R. A. (2002). When you aren’t in Kansas any more: Computer, research and library ‎anxieties of graduate education students(Master thesis).Grand Valley State University, ‎Allendale, Michigan.‎
  16. Kracker, J. (2002). Research anxiety and students’ perceptions of research: An experiment. ‎Part I. Effect of teaching Kuhlthau’s ISP model.Journal of the American Society for ‎Information Science & Technology, 53(4), 282-294.‎
  17. Kuhlthau, C. C. (1993). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information ‎services.Norwood, NJ: Ablex.‎
  18. Mellon, C. A. (1986). Library anxiety: A grounded theory and its development. College & ‎Research Libraries, 47(2), 160-165.‎
  19. Noor, H. A. K., & Ansari, N. (2011).Examining the effects of gender, nationality and ‎bibliographic instruction on library anxiety. Malaysian Journal of Library & Information ‎Science, 16(2), 141-154.‎
  20. Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (1997). Writing a research proposal: The role of library anxiety, statistics ‎anxiety and composition anxiety.Library & Information Science Research, 19(1), 5-33.‎
  21. Onwuegbuzie, A. J. & Wilson, V. A. (2003). Statistics anxiety: Nature, etiology, antecedents, ‎effects, and treatments: A comprehensive review of the literature. Teaching in Higher ‎Education, 8(2), 195-209. ‎
  22. Onwuegbuzie, A. J. & Jiao, Q. C. (2004). Information search performance and research ‎achievement: An empirical test of the anxiety-expectation mediation (AEM) model of ‎library anxiety. Journal of American Society for Information Science & Technology, 55 (1), ‎‎41-54.‎
  23. Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Jiao, Q. C. &Bostick, S. L. (2004).Library anxiety: Theory, research, and ‎applications. Lanham, Md., Oxford: Scarecrow Press.‎
  24. Shoham, S., &Mizrachi, D. (2001). Library anxiety among undergraduates: A study of Israeli ‎B. Ed. Students. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(4), 305-319.‎
  25. Turkzadeh, G. R., & Angulo, I. E. (1992).The concept and correlates of computer ‎anxiety.Behavior & Information Technology, 11(2), 99-108.‎
  26. Van Kampen, D. J. (2003). Library anxiety, the information search process and doctoral use of ‎the library(PhD dissertation). University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida.‎