GENDER-SPECIFIC INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR

Transcription

1 GENDER-SPECIFIC INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR Paramita Pathak Research Scholar, Department of Library & Information Science,JadavpurUniversity, Kolkata, India Goutam Maity Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India Abstract Makes an attempt to examine the validity of the construct regarding gendered information behavior. A survey was made for the purpose on a sample of eighty people covering both male and female in equal proportion from four distinct groups, namely Teacher, Student, and from both urban and rural areas. Data were collected from the selected audience, using a combination of both questionnaire and interview, on a set of fixed queries. Results have revealed that the information needs as well as the information seeking behaviour, in general, among the male and female do not show any uniform and consistent pattern. The findings also have revealed that there are variations of needs and behavior for seeking information among an individual man and woman, an individual man and man, as well as an individual woman and woman. But the differences in this regard have been found as quantitative and not qualitative. The findings do not show any evidence of gendered information need as well as information seeking behavior exclusive to the male or female. Keywords: Information Need, Information Seeking, Information Seeking Behavior, Information Behaviour of Male and Female, Gendered Information Needs, Gendered Information Seeking Behavior, Gender-Specific Information Needs, Individual Differences in Information Behaviour 1 INTRODUCTION Information seeking is a basic activity of all people and which is manifested through a particular way of behaviour. Gender has been identified as a variable shaping information seeking behaviour. Some studies reveal multiple physical, mental and social differences in seeking information between men and women. However, study of gender as a factor influencing human behavior may be helpful to have a better understanding about the cognitive and social bases of human information processing, and which may also have significant implications for designing information services and systems (Halder, Ray & Chakrabarty, 0). However, the validity of the construct related to gender exclusivity of information behavior had been questioned. The specific research question, to this end IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 47

2 that warranted to be resolved in course of the study might have been stated as Are there gender-specific differences in behaviour when people seek information? OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The present study made an attempt to determine whether there are gender-specific differences in information seeking behaviour. METHODOLOGY In regard to population of this study, the entirety of male and female of the world should come into consideration. But it was not possible to cover such a large population and therefore a sample population was drawn systematically for the purpose of this study. However, due to heterogeneity of the population targeted, stratified random sampling technique was adopted to draw a representative sample. The sample thus selected was consisting of a total of 80 people covering both male and female in equal proportion from four distinct groups of people, viz. Teacher, Student, and from both urban and rural areas. A sample of a total of 80 people consisting of 40 males and 40 females were covered. The details of the sample selected in the above manner may be presented in the following table: The Selected Sample Urban Rural Male Female Total Male Female Total No.() No. () No. () No. () No. () No. () Teacher 5(5) 5(5) (5) 5(5) 5(5) (5) Student 5(5) 5(5) (5) 5(5) 5(5) (5) 5(5) 5(5) (5) 5(5) 5(5) (5) 5(5) 5(5) (5) 5(5) 5(5) (5) Total 0(0) 0(0) 40(0) 0(0) 0(0) 40(0) A survey was conducted for collection of data from the sample selected in the above manner. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed for the purpose. Respondents were met personally and data were collected from them using a combination of both interview and questionnaire. Six specific questions were put before the respondents. They were: (i) types of information needed; (ii) preferred way of seeking information; (iii) time spent in seeking information in a week;(iv) views on the accuracy of information; (v) sources of information used; and (vi) preferred documentary sources. The collected data were classified, tabulated, analyzed, compared and interpreted duly keeping in view the objective of the investigation. 4 REVIEW OF LITERATURE Information-seeking behaviour is a broad term encompassing the ways individuals articulate their information needs, seek, evaluate, select, and use information. According to Wilson (006) information-seeking behaviour is a purposive seeking for information as IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 48

3 a consequence of a need to satisfy some goal. In the course of seeking, the individual may interact with people, manual information systems, or with computer-based information systems. Information use is a behaviour that leads an individual to the use of information in order to meet his or her information needs. Information use is an indicator of information needs, but they are not identical. As Line(1971) points out, individuals do not use all information they need (partly because they are not always able to obtain what they need, partly because the materials may not be relevant when they obtain them, and partly because individuals sometimes do not know what they need). In addition, sometimes, individuals do not need all they use. Wilson(006) argues that personal needs are at the root of motivation to seek information, and these arise out of the role an individual fills in social life. Heinström(000)has explored the relationship between personality and information seeking. She has found that information-seeking behavior was closely related to the unique combination of personality traits that distinguish each individual. Weiler(005) has also suggested that information seeking is a highly subjective process. Moreover, Bystrom & Jarvelin(1995) indicate systematic and logical relationships between task complexity, information types, information channels, and sources. Vakkari(1999) argues that task complexity and the related structure of the problem are connected to the types of information people were looking for and using, to the patterning of search strategies, and to the choice of relevance criteria in tasks. Bettman(1986) finds that seekers are involved in successive searches trying to refine the focus of their information problem and developing a clearer understanding of what is relevant and what is not relevant in relation to their information problem. Other interesting findings in the literature are that the Internet has been used as the primary source of information by many users and that issue of accessibility and convenience of access, as well as issues of time and constraints or level of difficulty are of concern to students. In other words, individuals are not totally free of technical and mechanical barriers which govern their actions. People may seek information when they realize that there are gaps in their knowledge which prevent them from making sense of the situation. Normally, people do not recognize that gaps exist in their personal store of knowledge until a particular situation arises, prompting them to recall what they know about a subject. When the retrieved information is not adequate for handling the new situation, a gap is identified and the person finds some way of increasing her/his knowledge in order to bridge the gap. According to Dervin(199) information may be defined as anything a person finds informing, that is, it is the person s interpretation that determines whether something is informing or not. 5 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS The collected data for the purpose were analyzed and compared to comprehend the difference, if any, between male and female in information seeking behaviour using fixed parameters, and the results of which have been presented below: IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 49

4 Types of Informat ion Needed Educatio nal Recreati onal Urban Rural Total Male Female Male Female Male Female No. No. No. No. No. No. Teacher Student Teacher Student Legal Teacher Student Financial Teacher Student Business Informat ion Teacher Student Teacher Student Political Total (80) IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 50

5 Figure 1: Types of Information Needed Table 1 and figure-1 revealed that the proportion of needs, in general, among the male and female, in gross measurement, for the scheduled categories of information did not show any consistent pattern. As for example, equal proportion of male and female expressed their interest for Educational (7.5), and Legal information (7.5). Whereas the ratio of needs among the male and female for Financial (17.5:1.5), Business (15:5), and Political (17.5: ) information came as a manifestation of male preference to such categories of information. On the other hand, female had preference to Recreational information (7.5) than the Male (15). The analysis also revealed that there were variations of needs for the scheduled categories of information among individual man and woman, individual man and man, as well as individual woman and woman. However, both male and female, in gross, expressed their need for all the scheduled categories of information. Thus, the results did not show any evidence of gender specific differences in information need for given categories of information. 5. Preferred Way of Seeking Information Table and figure, presented below, try to show the comparison of the male and female with regard to their preferred way of information seeking. Preferred Way of Seeking Information Reading a Book/Magazi ne Urban Rural Total Male Female Male Female Male Female No. No. No. No. No. No. Teacher Student IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 51

6 Watching Television Reading Newspaper Discussion with Others Using Telecommun ication /Internet Total (80) Teacher Student Teacher Student Teacher Student Teacher Student Figure : Preferred Way of Seeking Information Table and figure- revealed that the proportion of needs, in general, among the male and female, in gross measurement, with regard to the preferred way of seeking information using the scheduled media and means did not show any consistent pattern. As for example, the ratio of use of the media and means for seeking information among IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 5

7 the male and female, viz. Reading a Book/Magazine (.5:17.5), Reading Newspaper (0:7.5), and Using Telecommunication/Internet (1.5: ) came as a manifestation of male preference to such ways of seeking information, categories of information. On the other hand, the ratio of use of the media and means for seeking information among the male and female, viz. Watching Television (5: 7.5), and Discussion with Others (0: 7.5) was found as a manifestation of female preference to such ways of seeking information The study also revealed that there were variations of behavior with respect to the preferred way of information seeking among individual man and woman, individual man and man, as well as individual woman and woman. However, both male and female, in gross, expressed their interests to use all the scheduled ways of seeking information. Thus, the findings did not show any evidence of gender specific differences in choosing the ways of seeking information. 5. Time Spent for Information Seeking in a Week Table and figure, presented below, try to make a comparison among the male and female with respect to their time spent for seeking required information. Table : Time Spent for Information Seeking in a Week Time Spent in a week Urban Rural Total Male Female Male Female Male Female 0- Hours 4-6 Hours 7-9 Hours No. No. No. No. No. No. Teacher Student Teacher Student Teacher Student Total (80) IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 5

8 Figure : Time Spent for Information Seeking in a Week Table and figure revealed that the proportion of time spent for seeking information in a week, in general, among the male and female, in gross measurement, for the scheduled categories of time span did not show any consistent pattern. As for example, the ratio of time spent, in terms of scheduled span of hours, for seeking required information among the male and female being at 7.5:5 for 4-6 hours, and 7.5:1.5 for 7-9 hours came as a manifestation of employment of more energy and efforts by male than the female to this end. But a sharp contrast to this might be the fact that the female (6.5) spent more time and thus employed more energy and effort than the male (45) within the scheduled time span of 0- hours for the purpose. The analysis also revealed that there were variations in time spent for seeking information among individual man and woman, individual man and man, as well as individual woman and woman. However, both male and female, in gross, spent their time in seeking information. Thus, the results did not show any evidence of gender specific differences in spending time for seeking information. 5.4 Agreement regarding the Accuracy of Accessed Information Table 4 and figure 4, presented below, try to show a comparison among the male and female with respect to the view shown the issue of accuracy information accessed. Views on Accuracy of Accessed Information Agree Table 4: Views on the Accuracy of Accessed Information Urban Rural Total Male Female Male Female Male Female No. No. No. No. No. No. Teacher Student IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 54

9 Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Teacher Student Teacher Student Teacher Student Total (80) Figure 4 :Views on the Accuracy of Accessed Information Table 4 and figure 4revealed that the proportion of time spent, in general, by the male and female, in gross, for the scheduled options with respect to views on accuracy of accessed information did not show any uniform pattern. As for example, equal proportion of male and female Strongly Agreed (17.5), and Strongly Disagreed (0) on the issue of accuracy of accessed information. On the other hand, 0 of the male 40 of the female under the study agreed about the accuracy of accessed information. Whereas 7.5 of the IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 55

10 male and.5 of the female disagreed about it. The analysis also revealed that there were variations with respect to the views on accuracy of accessed information measured against scheduled parameters among individual man and woman, individual man and man, as well as individual woman and woman. However, both male and female, in gross, had their view shown all the scheduled options for assessing the accuracy of accessed information. Thus, the results did not show any evidence of gender specific differences with respect to the views on the accuracy of accessed information. 5.5 Sources of Information Used Table 5 and figure 5, presented below, try to show a comparison among male and female with respect to their use of the Sources of information. Table 5: Sources of Information Used Sources of information Urban Rural Total Documentary Institutional Human Total (80) Teacher Student Teacher Student Teacher Student Male Female Male Female Male Female N No. o. No. No. No. No IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 56

11 Figure 5: Sources of Information Used Table 5 and figure 5 revealed that 40 of males and 5 of the females under the study had their interests for using Documentary Sources. Whereas 5 of the males and 17.5 of the females had their interests for using Institutional Sources. Hence male had, in general, more preference to seek information from Documentary and Institutional Sources. However, female, in general, had more preference to Human Sources (57.5) than the male (5). The analysis also revealed that there were variations with respect to the use of scheduled information sources among individual man and woman, individual man and man, as well as individual woman and woman. However, both male and female, in gross, went on seeking information from all sources, viz. Documentary, Institutional, and Human Sources. Thus, the results did not show any evidence of gender specific differences with respect to the use of different sources of information. 5.6 Preference to Documentary Sources Table 6 and figure 6, presented below, try to show a comparison among male and female with regard to their preference to the documentary sources. Table 6: Preferred Documentary Sources Preferred Documentary Sources Urban Rural Total Male Female Male Female Male Female N No. No. No. No. No. o. Printed Teacher Student IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 57

12 Electronic Teacher Student Total (80) Figure 6 : Preferred Documentary Sources Table 6 and figure 6 revealed that 60 of males and 65 of the females under the study had their preference to electronic sources. Besides, the rest 40 of the males and 5 of the females put their preference to printed sources. Hence, both male and female in general put their preferences to both the electronic and printed sources. The study also revealed that there were variations with respect to the preference to the documentary sources (viz. electronic and printed) among individual man and woman, individual man and man, as well as individual woman and woman. However, both male and female in general put their preferences to both the electronic and printed sources.. Thus, the results did not show any evidence of gender exclusive preference to the use of any particular source of information. IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 58

13 6 CONCLUSIONS The study attempted to examine the validity of the construct related to gender exclusivity of information behavior. Data required for the purpose were duly collected, analyzed and compared to comprehend the difference, if any, between male and female in information seeking behaviour using fixed parameters. Results obtained have revealed that the information needs as well as the information seeking behaviour, in general, among the male and female, in gross measurement, did not show any uniform and consistent pattern. The findings also revealed that there were variations of needs and behavior for seeking information among an individual man and woman, an individual man and man, as well as an individual woman and woman. But the differences in this regard were found as quantitative and not qualitative. It became revealed that there was no instance of gendered information need as well as information seeking behavior exclusive to the male or female, in gross. The results did not show any evidence of gender specific information need, and information seeking behaviour. Therefore, we may conclude that the information seeking behaviour is not gender specific. References Bettman, J Consumer psychology. Annual review of psychology 7: Bystrom, K., & Jarvelin, K Task complexity affects information Seeking and use. Information processing & management 1(): Dervin, B From the mind s eye of the user: the sense making qualitativequantitative methodology. Qualitative research in information management: Halder, S., Ray, A., & Chakrabarty, P.K. 0. Gender differences in information seeking behaviour in three universities in West Bengal, India. The International Information & Library Review 4(4): Heinstrom, J The impact of personality and approaches to learning on information behaviour in context. Information Research 5(). Line, M.B The information uses and needs of social scientist: an overview of INFORSS. Aslib Proceedings : Vakkari, P Task complexity: problem structure and information actions integrating studies on information seeking and retrieval. Information processing and management 5(6) : Wilson, T.D On user studies and information needs. Journal of documentation 7(1): Martin, J. L "Travels with Gopher." Computer 5(6): Wheeler, J. L Progress and problems in education for librarianship. New York: Carnegie Corporation. IJODLS Geetanjali Research Publication 59