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An exploratory study of social aspects of task-based information seeking behavior

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TitleInfo
Title
An exploratory study of social aspects of task-based information seeking behavior
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Rha
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Eun Youp
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1986-
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Eun Youp Rha
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author
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Belkin
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Nicholas J
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Nicholas J Belkin
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Advisory Committee
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chair
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Radford
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Marie L
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Marie L Radford
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Advisory Committee
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internal member
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Shah
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Chirag
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Chirag Shah
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Advisory Committee
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internal member
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Byström
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Katriina
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Katriina Byström
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Advisory Committee
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outside member
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Rutgers University
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degree grantor
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School of Graduate Studies
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school
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Text
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theses
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2020
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2020-05
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2020
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English
Abstract (type = abstract)
This dissertation aims to explore social aspects of task-based information seeking behavior. It examines how individuals are influenced by their social context when they engage in a task and information seeking for the task. The main theoretical framework of the study is cognitive sociology that recognizes individuals’ mental acts as socially shaped. The study is designed as a qualitative case study using a cross-context comparative approach, which compares cognition and behavior of individuals in different social contexts. Data were collected from twelve individual scholars in two academic disciplines as the type of social contexts: natural sciences and humanities, using either one-on-one interviews or a diary study. A specific task type commonly performed in the two groups was chosen for the inquiry of their task-related cognition and behavior: writing a research proposal to gain external funding for one’s scholarship. The qualitative data were analyzed through the open coding process and compared between the two groups.

The findings reveal that the process of individuals’ task-based information seeking is influenced by their disciplines. Specifically, social norms and social practices of the disciplines affected how the individuals perceive a task, attend to information problems of the task, and seek and use information for the task. These findings suggest individuals’ socio-cognitive activities that occur in the process of task-based information seeking: socially constructed understanding of a task and relevance to a task. Based on the findings, a novel model of task-based information seeking behavior was developed, which highlights social factors (social norms, social practices) and socio-cognitive factors (social understanding, social relevance).

This exploratory study generates a new idea of cognitive sociological aspects of information seeking behavior by showing the existence of influences of the social context on individuals’ cognitive activities while interacting with a task and information. This new approach to information seeking behavior helps advance understanding of the relationships between information seeking behavior and social contexts. It further contributes to developing information systems for specific sociocultural communities with particular focus on their collective cognitive structures related to information seeking and use. 
Subject (authority = local)
Topic
Information seeking behavior
Subject (authority = LCSH)
Topic
Information behavior
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Communication, Information and Library Studies
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Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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ETD_10711
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application/pdf
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1 online resource (xiv, 214 pages)
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
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School of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore10001600001
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Identifier (type = doi)
doi:10.7282/t3-n6c3-n105
Genre (authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
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Name
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Rha
GivenName
Eun Youp
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Permission or license
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2020-04-09 10:14:55
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Eun Youp Rha
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Affiliation
Rutgers University. School of Graduate Studies
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Author Agreement License
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
Copyright
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Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
Reason
Permission or license
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2020-04-09T14:08:04
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