International Journal of Information Science and Management (IJISM)

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Peer Review Process

Journal Metrics

Open Access Policy

Language editing services

The Effects of Cultural, Geographical and Religious Factors on Information Seeking: A Contextual Study

Document Type : Articles

Author

College of Information, PhD. , University of North Texas, Denton, USA

Abstract

This study investigates how contextual factors such as culture, geographical location and religious status may either encourage, determine or prevent information seeking behavior. The study applied both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection as a mixed-method. Fifteen Catholic clergymen from Northern Nigeria were interviewed and 109 participated in a survey. Findings show that geographical location, culture, and religious status may influence these clergy’s information seeking behavior. This paper contributes to research on information seeking in context. It may help in understanding the effects of some contextual factors, especially religious status, on information seeking behavior and, consequently, aid in the planning of library and information systems that meet the needs of the African clergy and theological institutions. 

References
  1. Anderson, C. J., Glassman, M., McAfee, R. B., & Pinelli, T. (2001). An investigation of factors affecting how engineers and scientists seek information. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 18(2), 131-155. doi:10.1016/S0923-4748(01)00032-7
  2. Borgatti, S. P., & Cross, R. (2003). A relational view of information seeking and learning in social networks. Management science, 49(4), 432-445. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1287 /mnsc.49.4.432.14428
  3. Byström, K. (1999). Information seekers in context: an analysis of the 'doer' in INSU studies. Paper presented at the Exploring the contexts of information behaviour, Sheffield, UK. Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/isic/ISIC1998/98_Bystrom.pdf
  4. Case, D. O., Andrews, J. E., Johnson, J. D., & Allard, S. L. (2005). Avoiding versus seeking: the relationship of information seeking to avoidance, blunting, coping, dissonance, and related concepts. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 93(3), 353-362. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1175801/pdf/i0025-7338-093-03-0353.pdf
  5. Chang, S. L., & Lee, Y. (2001). Conceptualizing context and its relationship to the information behaviour in dissertation research process. Journal of Library and Information Science, 26(2), 4-18. Retrieved from http://jlis.glis.ntnu.edu.tw/ojs../index.php/jlis/article/viewFile/369/369
  6. Chatman, E. A. (1996). The impoverished life-world of outsiders. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 47(3), 193-206. Retrieved from https://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~tefko/Courses/612/Articles/ChatmanOutsiders.pdf
  7. Chatman, E. A. (1999). A theory of life in the round. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 50(3), 207-217. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.83.4478&rep=rep1&type=pdf
  8. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). London: Sage.
  9. Cross, R., Rice, R. E., & Parker, A. (2001). Information seeking in social context: structural influences and receipt of information benefits. Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part C: Applications and Reviews, IEEE Transactions on, 31(4), 438-448. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.313.6259&rep=rep1&type=pdf
  10. Curran, C. C., & Burns, K. (2011). Methodology for studying the information seeking of Catholic clergy. Advances in the Study of Information and Religion, 1(5), 92-108. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.kent.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=asir
  11. Dankasa, J. (2015). Information use environment of religious professionals: A case study of the everyday life information seeking behavior of Catholic clergy in Northern Nigeria. (Doctoral dissertation), University of North Texas, Denton.
  12. Dervin, B. (1980). Communication gaps and inequities: Moving toward a reconceptualization. Progress in communication sciences, 2, 73-112.
  13. Dervin, B. (1997). Given a context by any other name: Methodological tools for taming the unruly beast. Paper presented at the Information seeking in context, Tampere, Finland.
  14. Kari, J., & Savolainen, R. (2007). Relationships between information seeking and context: A qualitative study of internet searching and the goals of personal development. Library & Information Science Research, 29(1), 47-69. Retrieved from http://ithreads.pbworks.com /f/informationSeekingAndContext.pdf
  15. Kazmer, M. M., Glueckauf, R. L., Ma, J., & Burnett, K. (2013). Information use environments of African-American dementia caregivers over the course of cognitive–behavioral therapy for depression. Library & Information Science Research, 35(3), 191-199. doi:doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2013.02.003
  16. Kuhlthau, C. C. (1991). Inside the search process: Information seeking from the user's perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42(5), 361-371. Retrieved from http://ptarpp2.uitm.edu.my/silibus/insidesearch2.pdf
  17. Lambert, J. D. (2010). The information-seeking habits of Baptist ministers. Journal of Religious & Theological Information, 9(1-2), 1-19.
  18. Lee, J.-S., & Cho, H. (2011). Factors affecting information seeking and evaluation in a distributed learning environment. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 14(2), 213-223. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/14_2/ets_14_2.pdf#page=218
  19. Matthews, A. K., Sellergren, S. A., Manfredi, C., & Williams, M. (2002). Factors influencing medical information seeking among African American cancer patients. Journal of health communication, 7(3), 205-219. doi:10.1080/10810730290088094
  20. Miller, V. D., & Jablin, F. M. (1991). Information seeking during organizational entry: Influences, tactics, and a model of the process. Academy of Management Review, 16(1), 92-120. doi:10.5465/AMR.1991.4278997
  21. Nandy, V. (2015). Impact of Organizational Context Factors on Individuals' Self-Reported Knowledge Sharing Behaviors. (Doctoral Doctoral Dissertation), Virginia Tech. Retrieved from https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/51997/ Nandy_V_D_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
  22. Narayan, B., Case, D. O., & Edwards, S. L. (2011). The role of information avoidance in everyday‐life information behaviors. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 48(1), 1-9. Retrieved from http://citeseerx. ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.468.591&rep=rep1&type=pdf
  23. Olatokun, W. M., & Ajagbe, E. (2010). Analyzing traditional medical practitioners’ information-seeking behaviour using Taylor’s information-use environment model. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 42(2), 122-135. doi: 10.1177/ 0961000610361556
  24. Pineda, R. C., Lerner, L. D., Miller, M. C., & Phillips, S. J. (1998). An investigation of factors affecting the information-search activities of small business managers. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(1), 60.
  25. Sabelli, M. (2012). Information behaviour among young women in vulnerable contexts and social inclusion: the role of social mediators. Information Research, 17(4). Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/ir/17-4/paper545.html#.VpwXHurSnSE
  26. Saldaña, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.
  27. Saleh, A. G., & Bakar, A. (2013). Information-seeking behavior of the Ulama in relation to preaching and counseling roles in Nigeria. Theological Librarianship, 6(1), 29-46.
  28. Saleh, A. G., & Sadiq, H. (2013). Information needs and seeking behavior of Muslim clerics in relation to preaching in Nigeria. International Journal of Library and Information Science, 5(3), 55-67.
  29. Savolainen, R. (1995). Everyday life information seeking: Approaching information seeking in the context of 'way of life'. Library & Information Science Research, 17(3), 259-294. doi:10.1016/0740-8188(95)90048-9
  30. Savolainen, R. (2006). Time as a context of information seeking. Library & Information Science Research, 28(1), 110-127. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2005.11.001
  31. Shoham, S., & Strauss, S. K. (2008). Immigrants' information needs: their role in the absorption process. Information Research, 13(4). Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/ir/13-4/paper359.html
  32. Sin, S. J. (2011). Towards Agency–Structure integration: A person-in-environment (PIE) framework for modelling individual-level information behaviours and outcomes. In A. Spink & J. Heinström (Eds.), New Directions in Information Behaviour (Vol. 1, pp. 181-209).
  33. Sonnenwald, D. H. (2005). Challenges in sharing information effectively: examples from command and control. Information Research, 11(4), 10. Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/ir/11-4/paper270.html
  34. Sweeny, K., Melnyk, D., Miller, W., & Shepperd, J. A. (2010). Information avoidance: Who, what, when, and why. Review of general psychology, 14(4), 340-353. doi: 10.1037/a0021288
  35. Talja, S. (1997). Constituting “information” and “user” as research objects: a theory of knowledge formations as an alternative to the information man-theory. Paper presented at the Information seeking in context, Tampere, Finland. Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/isic/ISIC1996/96_Talja.pdf
  36. Talja, S., Keso, H., & Pietiläinen, T. (1999). The production of ‘context’in information seeking research: a metatheoretical view. Information Processing & Management, 35(6), 751-763. doi:10.1016/S0306-4573(99)00024-2
  37. Taylor, R. S. (1986). Value-added processes in information systems. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
  38. Taylor, R. S. (1991). Information use environments. In B. D. M. J. Voigt (Ed.), Progress in communication sciences (Vol. 10, pp. 217-254). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
  39. Unertl, K. M., Johnson, K. B., & Lorenzi, N. M. (2012). Health information exchange technology on the front lines of healthcare: workflow factors and patterns of use. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 19(3), 392-400. doi:10.1136/amiajnl-2011-000432
  40. Vakkari, P. (1997). Information seeking in context: A challenging metatheory. In P. Vakkari, R. Savolainen, & B. Dervin (Eds.), Information seeking in context (pp. 451-464). London: Taylor Graham.
  41. Veinot, T. C. (2010). "We have a lot of information to share with each other": Understanding the value of peer-based health information exchange. Information Research, 15(4), 10. Retrieved from http://www.informationr.net/ir/15-4/paper452.html
  42. Wicks, D. A. (1999). The information-seeking behavior of pastoral clergy: A study of the interaction of their work worlds and work roles. Library & Information Science Research, 21(2), 205-226.
  43. Wilson, T. D. (1981). On user studies and information needs. Journal of documentation, 37(1), 3-15.
  44. Wilson, T. D. (1997). Information behaviour: An interdisciplinary perspective. Information Processing & Management, 33(4), 551-572. Retrieved from http://ptarpp2.uitm.edu.my/ ptarpprack/silibus/is772/infoBehavior.pdf
  45. Wilson, T. D., & Walsh, C. (1996). Information behaviour: An inter-disciplinary perspective: A review of the literature: British Library Research and Innovation Centre London.
International Journal of Information Science and Management (IJISM)
Volume 15, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
December 2017
Files
History
  • Receive Date: 28 December 2016
  • Revise Date: 29 September 2023
  • Accept Date: 03 December 2022
Share
How to cite
Statistics