A Survey of Information Seeking Behavior of Graduate Students of Islamic Azad University: Najaf Abad Branch

Subject Areas : Journal of Information Systems and Services

Asefeh Asemi ¹ (Associate Professor of Knowledge and Information Science, University of Isfahan)
Saeed Rajaeepour ² (Assistant Professor of Educationional Management, University of Isfahan)
Narges Oraee ³ (M.A. of Knowledge and Information Science)
Ali Akbar Mirzaee ⁴ (M.A. of Knowledge and Information Science)

Received: 2012-12-17 Accepted : 2013-04-04 Published : 2013-09-21

Keywords: : Information seeking behavior, Information needs, Graduate students, Islamic Azad University of Naj,

Abstract :

Purpose: The aim of this research is toinvestigate the information seeking behavior of Islamic Azad University of Najafabad Master students.  Methodology: A descriptive-survey method was used and the statistical population of this research was the students of the first semester of 2010-2011 academic year. The research tool was a researcher-developed questionnaire.  Findings: The findings showed that the main source of information for student was a knowledgeable person in the subject. The main purpose was writing thesis, and the most important instrument was library software. About the university library: most of the information resources were textbooks, the primary purpose of information seeking in the library was doing homeworks,  and the most used tools, was library software and the most information resource services used in library was  library reference services. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that academic libraries and librarians failed to meet the information needs and conduct information seeking behavior of graduate students, which is due to the weaknesses of the planning and investment.

References:

خسروی، مریم (1388). بررسی و مقایسه رفتار اطلاع‌یابی مراجعان به کتابخانه پژوهشگاه اطلاعات و مدارک علمی ایران. فصلنامه کتاب، 20(1)، 174-159.

سرمد، زهره و بازرگان، عباس (1383). روشهای تحقیق در علوم رفتاری. تهران: انتشارات آگه، چاپ نهم.

شوق­پور، داوود، غلامی، زهرا، و  سلیمانی، محمد­رضا (1389). بررسی رفتار اطلاع­یابی هیئت علمی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی منطقه (دو). فراسوی مدیریت، (12)، 183-206.

مختارپور، رضا (1386). بررسی و مقایسه رفتار اطلاع‌یابی دانشجویان کارشناسی ارشد و دکتری در دانشکده علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی دانشگاه شهید چمران اهواز. نما (مجله الکترونیکی پژوهشگاه اطلاعات ومدارک علمی ایران)، 7 (2).

نادری، عزت الله و سیف نراقی، مریم  (1374). روش‌های تحقیق و چگونگی ارزشیابی آن در علوم انسانی با تأکید بر علوم تربیتی. چاپ چهارم، تهران: دفترتحقیقات و انتشارات بدر.

نوروزی، یعقوب، تلخایی، زهرا، و حافظی، مهدی(1389). بررسی رفتار اعضای هیئت علمی دانشگاه اراک در استفاده از اینترنت.
دانش شناسی، (10)، 81-93.

Abdoulaye, K. (2002). Information – seeking behavior of African students in Malaysia: Aresearchstudy. Information Development, 18(3), 191-195.

Catalano, M. (2013). Patterns of graduate students’ information seeking behavior: a meta-synthesis of the literature. Journal of Documentation,69(2), 243-27.

Francis, Hannah (2005). The information-seeking behavior of social science faculty at the University of the WestIndies, St. Augustine campus. The Journal of Academic  Librarianship, 31(1), 67-72.

Halder, Santoshi., Ray, A., & Chakrabarty, P. K. (2010). Gender differences in information                                                                                                                                           seeking behavior in three universities in West  Bengal, India. The International Information     & Library Review, 42(4), 242-251.

Makri, S. (2008). Investigating the information-seeking behavior of academic lawyers: from Ellismodel to design. Information Processing and Management,  44, 613-634.

Marouf , L. and  Anwar ,M.A.(2010). Information-seeking behavior of the social sciences  faculty at Kuwait University. Library Review, 59 (7), 532-547.

Niu, X., B. Hemminger, M., Lown, C., Adams, S, Brown, C., Level, A. (2010). National study of information seeking behavior of academic researchers in the United States. Journalof the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 61(5), 869-890.

Sheeja, N.K.(2010). Science vs social science :A study of information-seeking behavior and user perceptions of academic researchers. Library Review, 59 (7), 522-531.

Wickramanayake, L. (2010). Information-seeking behavior of management and commerce .Library Review, 59 (8), 624-636.