College of Arts and Social Sciences
[Name of Department]
Course Portfolio
INFO3030
User Studies
Period: [Fall -2014]
[2015]
Course File
I. COURSE FILE SUMMARY
1. COURSE INFORMATION
College/Institute/Centre
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Department
Department of Information Studies
Program Title
Information Studies
Semester\Year
Fall 2014
Program Code
English
Course Title
User Studies
INFO3030
Course Code
Arabic
‫دراسات المستفيدين‬
Course Type
Pre Requisites
None
Teaching Language
Arabic
Credit Hours
Teaching Hours
Teaching Weeks
3
Lecture
---3-- (Weekly)
Practical/Fieldwork ----- (Weekly)
--14---
Total
--3---
Number of students
Lecture
Practical/Fieldwork
Number of Student dropped
23
0
1
2. COURSE DESCRIPTION
ENGLISH COURSE DESCRIPTION
ARABIC COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course examines the individual and
social aspects related to human information
needs, information-seeking behavior, and
uses. It puts emphasis on the main related
elements of the human seeking behavior such
as the nature of information, types and
characteristics of seekers, models, paradigms,
and
theories
of
information
behavior,
methods for studying information behavior.
The course will also touch on the searching
strategies
and
techniques,
informal
sources
of
formal
and
information
and
electronic resources utilized by users, and
barriers affecting users’ information-seeking
behavior.
3. COURSE AIM
The main objective of the course is to provide students with a comprehensive
understanding of user studies and related areas.
4. COURSE OBJECTIVES
 Examines the individual and social aspects related to human information needs,
information-seeking behavior, and uses.
 Puts emphasis on the major related elements of the human-seeking behavior such
as the nature of information, types and characteristics of seekers, models,
paradigms, and theories of information behavior, methods for studying
information behavior.
 Touches on the searching strategies and techniques, formal and informal sources
of information and electronic resources utilized by users, and barriers affecting
users’ information-seeking behavior.
2
5. COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identify the major concepts related to information needs, uses, and informationseeking behavior.
Identify models, paradigms, and theories used in user studies.
Provide examples of different methods for studying information seeking behavior
and strategies and techniques used by various groups of users.
Provide more detailed information on information-seeking practices in developing
societies in the non-English speaking world, and
Identify the perceived and actual barriers to users’ effective information-seeking
behavior.
Design a framework for practical studies investigating information-seeking
behavior in physical or electronic environments.
6. LECTURES SCHEDULE
WEEK
TOPIC
Course Overview and Introduction: content, schedule, assignments, and
1
grading.
2
The Nature and Value of Information
 The Concept of Information

3&4
Social Role of Libraries and Information Institutions
Concepts Related to Information Behavior
 Information Needs

5
6, 7 & 8
Role of Information in Society
Information Seeking
Information Use
Overview of Research Literature in Information Behavior
Theories and Models of Information Behavior
 Wilson Model
 Information Grounds Theory

Kuhlthau Model

Ellis Model
 Krikelas’ Model of Information Seeking
 Al-Suqri Model
Mid-term Examination
9
10 & 11
Methods for Studying Information Needs, Seeking, and Use
Context of Seeking and Characteristics of Seekers
3
12
13
14
15
Online Information Seeking Behavior
Information Seeking Behavior in Everyday Life
Information Seeking Processes and Barriers
 Future Trend in Human Information Behavior Studies

Revising and Clearing out
7. TEACHING STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION
Teaching Method

Lectures,

Experiential exercises, and
Teaching Media


Videos
Power-point Presentations
8. GRADING AND ASSESSMENT
 Participation 15%


Assignment I: Grant Proposal: Applying for a Research Fund 10%
Assignment II: Information Seeking Event or Experience 10%

Assignment III: Literature Review Project 15%

Assignment IV: Diary of Actions and Thoughts 10%

Midterm Exam 10%

Final Exam 30%
9. COURSE RULES
Attendance
Attendance at class is mandatory. Course Instructors should keep attendance records. An
"absentee warning notice" will be issued if a student is absent for:
• More than 10% in courses with less than 75 total contact hours.
• More than 5% in courses with 75 or more total contact hours.
An "absentee withdrawal notice" will be issued and the student will be deemed to have
withdrawn from the course with an 'FW' grade if a student is absent for:
• More than 20% in courses with less than 75 total contact hours.
• More than 15% in courses with 75 to 150 total contact hours.
• More than 10% of total contact hours for courses with more than 150 total
contact hours.
10. INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Books
1. Case, D. (2002). Looking for information: A survey of research on
information seeking, needs, and behavior. New York: Academic Press.
4
2. Al-Suqri, M. N., Lillard, L. L., & Al-Saleem, N. E. (2013). Information Access
and Library Users Needs in Developing Countries. New York: IGI Global.
Articles
1. Abouserie, H. E. M. R. (2003). Information-seeking and communicating
behavior of social science faculty in an academic environment with special
reference to the use of electronic journals: A field study. Unpublished doctoral
dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.
2. Akomolafe-Fatuyi, E. & Al-Suqri, M. N. (2012). International Graduate
Students in Academic Libraries: A User Survey Usage of Online Catalog at
Emporia State University. International Research: Journal of Library &
Information Science, 2(2), 143-158.
3.
Al-Suqri, M. N. (2014). Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease-of-Use and
Faculty Acceptance of Electronic Books: An Empirical Investigation of Sultan
Qaboos University, Oman. Library Review, 63(4/5), 276-294.
doi.org/10.1108/LR-05-2013-0062
4. Al-Suqri, M. N. (2013). The Changing Nature of Information Behavior and the
Information Environment: Challenges for LIS in the Arab Gulf States. In M.
N. Al-Suqri, L. L. Lillard, & N. E. Al-Saleem (Eds), Information Access and
Library Users Needs in Developing Countries (pp. 1-14). New York, IGI
Global.
5. Al-Suqri, M. N. (2013). Contextual Factors Influencing Information Seeking
Behavior of Social Scientists: A Review of the Literature. In M. N. Al-Suqri,
L. L. Lillard, & N. E. Al-Saleem (Eds), Information Access and Library Users
Needs in Developing Countries (pp. 190-210). New York, IGI Global.
6. Al-Suqri, M. N., & Lillard, L. (2011). Barriers to Effective Information
Seeking of Social Scientists in Developing Countries: The Case of Sultan
Qaboos University in Oman. International Research: Journal of Library &
Information Science, 1(2), 86-100.
7. Al-Suqri, M. N. (2011). Information Seeking Behavior of Social Science
Scholars in Developing Countries: A Proposed Model. The International
Information and Library Review, 43, 1-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.iilr.2011.01.001
8. Al-Suqri, M. N. (2010). Socio-Demographic Differences in Information
Seeking Behavior of Social Science Scholars in Developing Countries: The
Case of Sultan Qaboos University. Information Studies, 9, 51-68.
9. Bass, A., Fairlee, J., Fox, K., & Sullivan, J. (2005). The information behavior
of scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Retrieved December 2, 2005,
5
from http://ischool.washington.edu/harryb/courses/LIS510/Assign_2/Team_2_
Scholar.pdf
10. Bouazza, A. (1986). Use of information sources by physical scientists, social
scientists, humanities scholars at Carnegie-Mellon University. Unpublished
doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.
11. Brittain, J. M. (1970). Information and its users: A review with special
reference to the social science. New York: Wiley Inter-science.
12. Brittain, J. M. (1984). Internationality of the Social Sciences: Implications for
information transfer. Journal of the American Society for Information Science,
35(1), 11-18.
13. Brittain, J. M. (1986). Cultural boundaries of the social science in the 1990s;
new polices for documentation, information and knowledge creation.
International Social Science Journal, 41, 105-114.
14. Broadbent, E. (1986). A study of humanities faculty library informationseeking behaviour. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 6, 23-37.
15. Broadus, R. N. (1971). The literature of the social sciences: A survey of
citation studies. International Social Sciences Journal, 23, 236-243.
16. Brown, C. M. (1999). Information seeking behavior of scientists in the
electronic information age: Astronomers, chemists, mathematicians, and
physicists. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 50(10),
929-943.
17. Bu-Merafi, B. M. (2001). Use of Internet by the teaching staff at the university
of Al-Sharqa. Risalat Al-Maktaba, 36(1/2), 74-90.
18. Busha, C. H., & Harter, S. P. (1980). Research Methods in Librarianship:
Techniques and interpretations. New York: Academic Press.
19. Buttlar, L. & Wynar, L. R. (1992). Cultural pluralism and ethnic diversity:
Authors as information users in the field of ethnic studies. Collection
Management, 16(3), 13-33.
6
20. Case, D. O. (2002). Looking for information: A survey of research on
information seeking, needs, and behavior. New York: Academic Press.
21. Choo, C. W., Detlor, B., & Turnbull, D. (2000a). Information-seeking on the
Web: An integrated model of browsing and searching. First Monday, 5(2).
Retrieved
June
7,
2006,
from
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_2/choo/index.html.
22. Choo, C. W., Detlor, B., & Turnbull, D. (2000b). Working the Web: An
empirical model of Web use. Retrieved June 7, 2006, from
http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~donturn/papers/hicss2000/hicss2000.html.
23. Kuhlthau, C. C. (1991). Inside the search process: Information seeking from
the user’s perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information
Science 42(5), 361-371.
24. Kuhlthau, C. C. (1993). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and
information services. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation.
25. Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and
information services. Westport, CT: Libraries Limited.
26. Kuhlthau, C. C. (2005). Kuhlthau's information search process. In K. E.
Fisher; S. Erdelez; & L. E. F. Mckechnie (Eds.). Theories of information
behavior (pp. 30- 234). Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.
27. Meho, L. I. (2001). The information-seeking behavior of social science faculty
studying stateless nations. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
28. Meho, L. I., & Haas, S. W. (2001). Information-seeking behavior and use of
social science faculty studying stateless nations: A case study. Library &
Information Science Research, 23(1), 5-25.
29. Meho, L., & Tibbo, H. (2003). Modeling the information-seeking behavior of
social scientists: Ellis’s study revisited. Journal of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology, 54(6), 570-587.
30. Talja, S., & Maula, H. (2003). Reasons for the use and nonuse of electronic
journals and databases: A domain analytic study in four scholarly disciplines.
Journal of Documentation, 59(5), 673-691.
7
31. Tenopir, C. (2003). Use and users of electronic library resources: An overview
and analysis of recent research studies. Washington, D.C.: Council on Library
and Information Resources. Retrieved May 12, 2005, from
http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub120abst.html.
32. Tenopir, C. & King, D. (2001). Electronic journals: How user behaviour is
changing in online information. Oxford, London: Learned Information Europe
Ltd.
33. Tomney, H. & Burton, P. F. (1998). Electronic journals: A study of usage and
attitudes among academics. Journal of Information Science, 24(6), 419-429.
34. Talja, S., & Maula, H. (2003). Reasons for the use and nonuse of electronic
journals and databases: A domain analytic study in four scholarly disciplines.
Journal of Documentation, 59(5), 673-691.
35. Tenopir, C. (2003). Use and users of electronic library resources: An overview
and analysis of recent research studies. Washington, D.C.: Council on Library
and Information Resources. Retrieved May 12, 2005, from
http://www.clir.org/pubs/abstract/pub120abst.html.
36. Tenopir, C. & King, D. (2001). Electronic journals: How user behaviour is
changing in online information. Oxford, London: Learned Information Europe
Ltd.
37. Tomney, H. & Burton, P. F. (1998). Electronic journals: A study of usage and
attitudes among academics. Journal of Information Science, 24(6), 419-429.
38. Wilson, T. D. (1999). Models of information behaviour research. Journal of
Documentation, 55(3), 249-270.
39. Wilson, T.D. (2000). Human information behavior. Informing Sciences, 3(2),
49-55.
40. Wilson, T. D., & Streatfield, D. R. (1981). Action research and users' needs.
Retrieved
November
2,
2005,
from
http://informationr.net/tdw/publ/papers/action81.html.
41. Yitzhake, M. & Hammershlag, G. (2004). Accessibility and use of information
sources among computer scientists and software engineers in Israel: Academy
versus industry. Journal of the American Society for Information Science,
55(9), 832-842.
42. Younis, A. R. M. (2002). The perception and administrative effect of Internet
usage in Jordanian university libraries. Online Information Review, 26(3), 193208.
8
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
LECTURES
LECTURE NOTES/HAND-OUTS
EXAMS SAMPLE
A SAMPLE OF STUDENTS’ ANSWERS
A SAMPLE OF EXERCISES AND STUDENTS’ ANSWERS
A SAMPLE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES
RESULTS AND GRADES
9