Conceptualizing Information Need: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The study investigated, through a phenomenological study, the conceptualization of Information need. A convenient sampling technique was used, ten (10) respondents were used for the study, information was obtained with the interview guide and responses obtained were analyzed thematically. The result of the study revealed that information need is the totality of Human Information Seeking Behavior which commences from the un-programmed, un-conscious, un-systematic and un-planned encounters with various information systems and sources that leads to the discovering of information needs, and to the consciously planned and mechanized search to fill this need providing solution at the long run to the need discovered.

Mahkûmların Bilgi Gereksinimleri ve Bilgi Davranışları: Kuramsal Bir Değerlendirme

“…Bu kavramın eksik ya da yanlış tanımlanması, kendisine göre, bilgi çalışmaları disiplinleri (information studies disciplines) üzerine çalışan bilimciler ve öğrencilerde zihin karışıklığı oluşturmaktadır. Omiunu (2014), fenomenolojik/olgubilimsel çalışmasında bilgi gereksiniminin keşfedilmesi sürecinin, bilinçli ya da bilinçsiz, planlı ya da planlanmamış, sistematik ya da sistematik olmayan, bilimsel ya da bilimsel olmayan bir biçimde gerçekleşebildiğinden söz etmektedir. Dolayısıyla, bilgi gereksinimi, pek çok etmenin (erişilebilen/mevcut bilgi kaynakları; bilginin kullanım alanı, kullanıcının arka planı, motivasyonu, mesleki yönelimi ve diğer bireysel özellikleri, kullanıcıyı çevreleyen sosyal, politik, ekonomik, yasal ve düzenleyici sistemler ve bilgi kullanımının sonuçları vb.)…”

Status of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) in Academic Libraries in Zimbabwe

“…ThedevelopmentofETDshasfurtherstimulatedotherdevelopments,forexample,OpenAccess. TheOpenAccessInitiative(OAI)wasnecessitatedbythefactthatsubscriptionstoscholarlyjournals especiallyinscienceandmedicinecontinuedtoriseastronomicallyandfurthermorelibrarybudgets have dwindledto amillimetriclevel thusrenderinglibraries incapable ofsatisfying thegrowing informationdemandsofusersinacademiclibraries.Suber(2012,pp.1-5)describedopenaccess,as "thenameoftherevolutionarykindofaccesstheseauthors,unencumberedbyamotiveoffinancial gain,arefreetoprovidetotheirreaders....Openaccess(OA)literatureisdigital,online,freeof charge,andfreeofmostcopyrightandlicensingrestrictions.Wecouldcallit'barrier-free'access, butthatwouldemphasizethenegativeratherthanthepositive" Gideon(2008)statesthattheOpen Accessinitiativeemergedinresponsetotherestrictiveaccesstoknowledgeinscholarlyandscientific journalsimposedbyprofitdrivencommercialpublishinghousesorthepaywallviasubscriptionfees, licensefeesorpay-per-viewfees. Chisita and Chiparausha (2019) argued that the developed and the developing world differ concerningtheirpositionintheknowledgeeconomy.Accordingtotheauthors,theformerhasarich networked information/knowledge economy with a robust digital Infrastructure, high volumes of knowledgegeneration,networkinganduse,whilethelatterhasanemaciatedinformationeconomy consistingofahighnumberofconsumersordownloadersrelyingonthecoretofulfilthedynamic information needs (Benkler, 2006).…”