ERIC Number: EJ1138638
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Mar
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1368-1613
EISSN: N/A
Indigenous Australians' Information Behaviour and Internet Use in Everyday Life: An Exploratory Study
Du, Jia Tina; Haines, Jelina
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, v22 n1 Mar 2017
Introduction: This paper reports the first stage of an ongoing information behaviour research project undertaken with a rural Indigenous community in South Australia. Method: Twenty-one Ngarrindjeri volunteers participated in the field study. Permission was granted and extensive community consultations were conducted. Analysis: Questionnaires and interview transcriptions were analysed using the open coding method. Results: Ngarrindjeri people's everyday information needs included the gathering of information on weather, jobs, entertainment, culture, education, and health services. The Internet (37.6%) was the most frequently used source of information where participants obtained information from social media, specialised Websites and search engines. However, non-Internet resources accounted for 62.4% of overall information sources and these included local sources such as families and relatives, Elders, and local TV channels. Ngarrindjeri participants were distressed by a lack of computer literacy, costs of maintaining a network, and inadequate facilities in the rural area. Despite this, their attitudes towards the Internet were still positive: they recognised the value of technologies and would like to distribute their culture online, with caution and in an appropriate manner. Conclusion: The study provides insights into indigenous Australians' information behaviour and Internet use in their daily lives. Future research directions are also discussed.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Indigenous Populations, Behavior, Internet, Computer Use, Questionnaires, Information Needs, Information Sources, Computer Literacy, Semi Structured Interviews
Thomas D. Wilson. 9 Broomfield Road, Broomhill, Sheffield, S10 2SE, UK. Web site: http://informationr.net/ir
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A