Although scholarship has addressed issues around serving international students in U.S. and Canadian libraries, reports on how Chinese graduate students use information in Chinese universities, especially for a particular discipline, are rare. In this study, the author interviewed 15 graduate students and researchers in a top-ranked chemistry…

Every year the U.S. Department of Education reports for each state in the country the grade levels, subject areas, and geographic areas that have experienced teacher shortages (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, 2015). A teacher shortage occurs when the number of teachers available in a specific grade, subject matter…

This study used think-aloud methodology to explore undergraduates' spontaneous attention to and use of source information while reading six documents that presented conflicting views on a controversial social scientific issue in a Google-like environment. Results showed that students explicitly and implicitly paid attention to sources of documents…

The question of how information is used by parents in selecting schools is a central issue in school choice debates, where advocates and opponents frequently intermingle theory (often economic), ideological beliefs, and empirical evidence in constructing arguments about the potential of this reform. We employ a nomination strategy to analyze…

Institutional research in higher education is seen as comprised of three levels of intelligence/information: (1) technical and analytical; (2) understanding of student, faculty, financial, and facilities issues; and (3) contextual intelligence concerning the culture of higher education and the particular institution. Knowledge and skills required…

Law schools should incorporate more training in scientific method, and social scientists could benefit from study of the subtleties of the law. (Editor)

Discusses methodological issues arising from the evaluation of the impact of IT-assisted information systems on information-seeking and research in academia. Learning and use of information technology by academics was observed over time by using diaries, interviews, discussion, and observation. Results indicate that academic research is a complex…

Reports on project investigating information sources utilized by Arabic speaking migrants in Sydney, Australia. Topics covered include sample (demographic characteristics, language ability, education levels); information needs categorized by respondents' sex and education level; frequency of use of information sources by sex; and use of media and…

Data from this empirical study support belief that managers of high users of information give more encouragement for information use. Most important forms of influence are encouragement of interpersonal contacts outside organization, and personal interest in specific pieces of information (as shown in routings, personal example, and assignments).…

Defines Web literacy, a subset of information literacy, as the ability to access, search, utilize, communicate, and create information on the World Wide Web. Offers 10 stages toward Web literacy, including using hyperlinks and bookmarks, an information resource for research, creating classroom lessons, guiding student use, and creating Web pages.…

Fifty women enrolled in an urban Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) program were interviewed about their use of the mass media and the public library for useful information, preferences in the use of mass media, and their attitudes about source credibility. A 23-item interview guide is appended. (25 references) (EJS)

Results of survey studying information gathering habits of forestry research scientists in Nigeria indicate that: most consult two or more information sources; organizational libraries and literature are major sources of scientific information; and accessibility, convenience, reliability, ease of use, and language are key factors in choosing…

One of a series of instructional booklets designed to introduce adult education program planners to the basic concepts integral to and alternative strategies for conducting needs assessments, this instructional booklet deals with determining how to interpret information. Described first is the relationship of the process of determining how to…

When she was asked to write an article on how she used quantitative research methods in her doctoral dissertation, the author eagerly jumped at the chance. Not because she is some sort of expert on the topic, but rather because she wishes someone had given her some insights into the journey she was about to embark on. Although the course work for…

A survey of institutions concerning their reporting of data on the Higher Education General Information Survey and specifically examining the differences in definitions and calculations among reporting institutions, confirmed suspected problems of comparability of information. The impact of these differences on data interpretation is discussed.…