This connection partly prompted this study of the online information-seeking behavior of students and staff at the University of Zululand and the Durban University of Technology. The selected institutions are said to be at different stages of development due to the (apartheid) history of the country; the former institution is rural based and the latter is urban based and this was thought to influence the adoption of ICT. The objectives of the study were: i) To identify the online information needs of students and staff; ii) to determine how, when and where online information is searched; iii) establish channels used in searching for information on the Internet; iv) Identify the challenges you face when searching for information online; and v) recommend the best ways to improve the search and use of online information at both institutions.
Information seeking/ information seeking behaviour
Web information seeking in higher education
Recent studies show that there is no dispute about the enormous role of digital media in the information seeking process. It is increasingly clear why the digitization of information has brought significant changes in the information habits and expectations of users.
Institutional background
The International Education Society of South Africa (2007:n.p) describes Durban University of Technology as a vibrant multi-campus university at the forefront of technology training and research. The main campus of the University of Zululand is located in KwaDlangezwa, approximately 150 kilometers north of Durban – KwaZulu-Natal's main city and port – and 45 kilometers southwest of one of South Africa's major industrial hubs, Richards Bay.
Motivation and problem statement
This study questions how students and staff have adapted to the new environment for information seeking on the web, what their information needs are, and why and how they seek information online. From this 'snapshot' we would be better able to understand the nature of their information seeking goals, the ways in which they try to achieve them, the influence of their needs on the design of services and the type of knowledge structures. users should possess to effectively and successfully use and find online information.
Aim of the study
Objectives
Research questions
4 What challenges do students and staff face when searching for information online? 5 How and to what extent has the Internet influenced the behavior/habits of students and employees in higher education institutions when searching for information.
Significance of the study
The survey maps the information and computer skills level of students and staff and proposes ways to respond to this. Different units within these two institutions, such as libraries, information centers, policy makers, etc., can obtain valuable information about the web information search behavior of students and staff, which they can then use in their decision-making processes.
Scope and limitations
Finally, the study could help design library services with tailored approaches to information literacy and fostering information seeking skills. It provides an assessment of the infrastructural situation in both institutions, bearing in mind that effective search for online information depends on the existence or availability of optimal ICT infrastructure.
Dissemination of findings
Definition of terms
Summary and structure of thesis
In the third chapter, the procedural design of the study is explained (ie, the approaches followed, the methods and instruments used for data collection, etc.). The findings are analyzed in the fourth chapter, which is divided into two separate sections (4.1 questionnaires and 4.2 interviews) and discussed in the fifth chapter.
Introduction
Rationale for the study
Considering the continuous development in the provision of newer electronic systems, Siatri (1998:n.p) notes that a lack of understanding of information seeking behavior is a barrier to explaining the way in which electronic information services are provided. Nicholas (2008:n.p) suggests that with: "The mass departure of the information user from the physical space to the virtual […] requires us all to consider what this really means in terms of information seeking."
Conceptual framework (information seeking terminology)
Information seeking
In the simplest terms, information seeking involves finding, finding, recognizing, and using meaningful content. The two scholars note that information seeking is a cybernetic process in which the state of knowledge changes with inputs, dedicated outputs, and feedback.
Information seeking behaviour
A similar definition is given by Järvelin and Ingwersen (2004:1), who state that information seeking behavior is manifested in the act of obtaining information from knowledge sources. According to Wilson, information seeking behavior is the intentional seeking of information [sic] as a consequence of a need to accomplish some goal.
Web information seeking behaviour
According to Choo et al. in Shongwe, 2005:4), Internet search behavior is the active process of obtaining data from the Internet. It informed and was thus used in this study to establish the parameters of what web information search entails.
Growth and related studies on web information seeking
Studies on online information-seeking behavior appeared later, but many date back to the mid-1990s as a precise starting point. The concept of information-seeking behavior is therefore broad and spans a range of other disciplines.
The World Wide Web and information seeking
To understand the World Wide Web, one must first understand the nature of the Internet. According to Quercia The simplest definition of the Internet is that it is the largest computer network in the world." O'Neill (in Kari and Savolainen, 2002:6) claims that the World Wide Web is the most conspicuous part of the Internet.
The developing world and web information seeking
With regard to students and staff in higher education institutions, Mugwisi and Ocholla suggest, “The use of the Internet provides a rapid and relatively inexpensive form of communication widely accessible from any location and a variety of new services for both the academic researcher and the for the student. .” Lee et al. 1999:n.p) are of the opinion that the WWW represents a new concept in technology - the library on the desk, the dictionary at your fingertips, the sound in your ear - and that in the future there is nothing we hear or see that will not be available through it. This means that there are still significant inequalities in SA in terms of internet and web access.
Higher education and web information seeking
Nature, range and types of information sought from the web
What an information system user will search for on the Internet is directly related to the nature of his/her needs. With regard to the supply and types of information on the Internet, several authors have indicated that countless types of information are available in a wide variety of containers and in many different locations all in one place.
How, when and where is information sought from the web
Some believe that the use of electronic information services in general has led users to adopt very different forms of information seeking. Even a cursory observation of the researcher points to the fact that the infrastructure for online information search in educational institutions is mainly located in libraries, computer laboratories and offices, and the use of personal computers is also increasing.
Channels for web information seeking
As valuable and rich as the Internet is, there are currently few ways to search and locate information on the Internet: one can use (i) the existing search engines to reach a select group of ranked sites, (ii) metasearch engines that in turn, use multiple search engines and collect and rank search results, (iii) question-answer systems (e.g., AskJeeves - www.ask.com) that allow users to ask questions and return their answers; or one can (iv) follow links and browse web pages. Other information channels/spaces on the Internet include library catalogs, full-text journal services, document delivery services, current awareness services and intranets.
Challenges faced when searching the web for information
The range of resources and their inherent complexity continues to expand significantly, especially on the Web today. Another challenge of the Internet is that, like any ICT, its use and diffusion is highly dependent on the development of the relevant infrastructure.
Models and theories of information seeking
Unfortunately, many of the existing models do not exhaustively treat how information searching takes place on the web or in electronic environments. Fourie (2004:77) states that until recently very few models of web information seeking behavior have been proposed.
Suggestions and recommendations for optimal web information seeking and use
These models, many of which predate the World Wide Web, are inefficient when it comes to the way information is searched in electronic environments. In addition, support for students and staff in searching for information should be increased.
Implications of the reviewed literature to this study
Today, the dominant scenario is that even during their tenure at higher education institutions, the web has acted as a key source of information for them and for the academic staff. Owston (in Achacoso, 2003:15) believes that the web can be integrated into education because it appeals to students' way of learning.
Summary
Therefore, understanding information-seeking processes and developing systems and strategies to support them is also a priority. From the literature, it can be deduced that web information searching is an activity that has been received with great joy in the higher education sector.
Introduction
Research
Research paradigm
Research methods and methodology
Qualitative research
Sarantakos (1997:6) reiterates that qualitative research uses methods of data collection and analysis that are non-quantitative. A study by Flick (2006:11) confirms the view that qualitative research is of specific relevance for the study of social relationships.
Quantitative research
- Survey
Qualitative data collection techniques include general and participant observation (fieldwork), interviews and questionnaires, documents and texts, and descriptions of the researcher's impressions and reactions [recorded or noted]. The unbiased impressions of the researcher in searching for information on the web were considered very valuable in this case.
Data Collection tools / techniques
A limited number of respondents were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews during the research. It is often assumed that respondents are more likely to express their views openly in a semi-structured interview (Flick, 2006:149).
Study population
Kawulich, 2005:n.p) define observation as "the systematic description of events, behaviors and objects in the social environment chosen for study". They provide researchers with ways to check for nonverbal expression of feelings, to determine who is interacting with whom, to understand how participants communicate with each other, and to control how much time is spent on different activities.
Sampling
- Sampling methods
- Sample size
- Sample frame
- Responses
Thus, there were more students and staff selected from DUT than from the University of Zululand, and more undergraduate than postgraduate students in the population in line with the population distribution of the two institutions. Responses to questionnaires and interviews at the University of Zululand and Durban University of Technology are summarized in the table below.
Reliability and validity of instruments
The pilot study also helped familiarize the researcher with what to expect in the field. Overall, the researcher was able to restructure the questionnaire and design a better way to reach the target population.
Data collection procedure
As Bechhofer and Patterson (2000:9) would say, “a good research design is one that gives the researcher confidence in the strength of the conclusions drawn from the data. This allowed the researcher to control the data collection process and increased the overall response rate.
Data analysis
This data collection strategy partially minimized the chances of producing erroneous or unreliable data, especially since the researcher took time to explain everything to the respondents (who were grouped together) before proceeding with the questionnaire. With this approach, the researcher was able to identify main themes/threads in the responses.
Challenges and limitations
The procedure itself was as follows: the material was paraphrased, which meant that less relevant passages and paraphrases were skipped; similar paraphrases were collected and summarized; and thematic analyzes of text were used.
Summary
QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
Introduction
Demographic characteristics
- Distribution by campus affiliation at DUT
- Distribution by faculty affiliation
Unizul consists of two campuses - the KwaDlangezwa campus and the Richards Bay campus. The largest number of DUT employees were from the Faculty of Engineering, Natural Sciences and the Built Environment (6; 43%), followed by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Accounting and Informatics with 4 (29%) respondents each.
Medium of information
- Academics’ preferred medium of information
- Reasons for choosing an information source
As can be seen in Table 4.2, the faculties with the highest representation of employees at Unizul were the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Commerce, with 3 (33%) respondents in each. In this question, students and employees had to give reasons for choosing a source of information.
Internet connectivity and access
- Access to the Internet
- Internet connection types
- Availability of time and access to the web for students
- Availability of time and access to the web for academics
- Students and academics’ reasons for lack of access
In both institutions, all respondents (both students and staff) had physical access to the Internet. Most staff members stated that they connected to the Internet using cable modem connections (3; 27%, Unizul and 6; 38%, DUT).
Web information needs
- Reasons for searching for information on the web
Overall, it seems that internet connectivity limitations, especially on the part of students, are issues that both institutions continue to grapple with. Nevertheless, there is reason to believe that the information seeker in academia is gradually embracing the Internet for purposes beyond the core activities of learning, teaching and research.
Web information channels
- Students’ reliance on web information channels
- Academics’ reliance on web information channels
This is generally indicative of the increasing use of Internet services in the university environment. Electronic document delivery services were found to be one of the least used channels on the web.
Web skills
- Students’ possession of web-related skills
- Staff’s possession of web-related skills
- Formal web training
- Usefulness of the training received
- If received, would such training have been useful?
- Suggestions on how to equip more people with web skills
None of the respondents indicated that they had never used e-mail, which is a measure of its popularity among academics. Most academics appeared to be convinced that formal education would have influenced their information seeking activities.
How users search the web or the steps they take
- Statements defining how users search for information on the web
- How often users perform information seeking steps
Numerous studies of different groups of users' information-seeking behavior have noted that there is a tendency to rely on friends and colleagues as mediators. Information search steps are thought to indicate the strategy users formulate for searching the web.
Relevance of the World Wide Web to study and research
- Web search success among students
- Web search success among members of staff
- Relevance of the World Wide Web to work/studies
- Amount of time spent on the web searching for information
The results in Figure 4.18 show students' perceptions of the relevance of the Internet to their information search practice. Of the 76 Unizul respondents, 65 (83%) stated that the Internet was relevant or very relevant to their work or study.
Challenges faced when searching for information online and suggestions on
Academics at DUT, for example, mentioned that they are allocated time to prepare course material, which translates into some of the valuable time spent online. Challenges when searching for information online and suggestions on how to tackle these challenges.
The web and other information sources
- Effect of electronic sources on gathering information
- Effect of the Internet & World Wide Web on the use of or visits to other
- Reasons for changes in searching behaviour
Effect of the Internet and World Wide Web on students' use of or visits to other information sources. Effect of the Internet and World Wide Web on the staff's use of or visits to other information sources.
Summary
This question assessed the impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web on the use of or visits to other information sources by academic staff. It turned out that the web has influenced academics' use of or visits to other sources of information.
INTERVIEW RESULTS
Introduction
Medium of Information
- Information Media Preferences
- Factors of medium preference
The results do not appear to contradict reports in the literature of rapid growth in the use of electronic resources. However, the interviews show that the use of print sources has run away a bit.
Internet connectivity and access
- Provision of appropriate ICT infrastructure
- Efficiency of Internet connection types/ access types
- Challenges relating to connection to the Internet/ World Wide Web
8 of the 10 students interviewed at Unizul believed that the speed of the internet was very poor. Other respondents suggested that the core of the problem does not necessarily stem from the unavailability of facilities, but rather from lack of access to or barriers to access to these facilities.
The web and information needs
- Information needs (reasons for searching the web for information)
- Factors influencing the choice of an information source
- Web information channels
- Reasons for not using or using less of the other channels
- Relevance of the information sought from the web
The web was considered highly relevant by students and staff of both institutions. Most students agreed that the Internet successfully met their information needs (7 out of 10, Unizul and all TU students).
Searching strategies and skills
- Independent or assisted web information seeking/searching
- Steps or strategies users follow when searching
- Web search success
- Skills necessary to use the Internet/World Wide Web
- Training
- Suggestions on equipping students and staff with web information seeking
- Changes in the access, retrieval and use of information as a result of the web
Employees of both institutions (5, Unizul and 4, TU Delft) all indicated that they are sufficiently skilled in using the internet and the web. Changes in access, retrieval and use of information as a result of the Internet.
Summary
Introduction
- What are the web information needs of students and staff in institutions of
- How, when and where is web information sought? Research question 2
- What are the challenges faced by students and staff when searching for
- How and to what extent has the web affected the information seeking
- Summary
Although governance of web use is encouraged, it needs to be redirected and viewed from a more objective perspective. This study aimed to determine the potential impact of the Internet on the use of and visits to other information sources, such as libraries.
Introduction
Summary based on the research objectives
- To identify the web information needs of students and staff in institutions of
- To determine how, when and where web information is sought
- To establish the channels used when searching the web for information
- To identify the challenges faced when searching the web for information
- To recommend optimal ways of web information seeking and use within
Search engines, especially Google, have therefore become the first step in searching for information sources on the web. The use of the web and its distribution is highly dependent on the development of related infrastructure.
Conclusion
Most respondents gained Internet access through wired computer labs and wired office terminals. In general there is a growing awareness of the advanced role that computers play in information seeking (perhaps as a result of push from jobs or studies).
Recommendations
- Recommendations for further research
1998).Information-seeking behavior of university students in a changing. http://www.shef.ac.uk/~is/publications/infres/isic/eeskola.html. Available at: http://www.delos.info/files/pdf/events/2004_Sett_6_10/Tibbo-Information-Seeking-Behaviors.pdf.
Table for research methodology
Questionnaire (students and staff)
Do you think you have the necessary skills to use the Internet/World Wide Web? What challenges, if any, do you face when searching for information on the World Wide Web at university?
Interview (students and staff)
Do you often search the Internet independently or with the help of friends or colleagues, etc. What challenges, if any, do you face in finding information on the World Wide Web at university?
Permission to conduct research at DUT
