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Introduction. There is a substantial amount of research on refugees and integration. Also in library and information science there are studies focusing on refugees. However, this research knowledge doesn’t easily transfer between disciplines. This paper is a scoping literature review on main perspectives studied within integration research. The aim is to explore how the information perspective is represented and if there is a need for bringing the information perspective more actively into the integration research discourse. Method.Review articles were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection indexes using Boolean search strings. Analysis. (1) The retrieved review articles were categorised into the research areas with content description through keywords. (2) Thematic analysis of the review articles with information related perspectives was conducted. Results. The analysis showed that most integration related research is done within public environmental and occupational health. In library and information science there is relevant theory development and important research on information literacy and other information related phenomena. Conclusion. It is important to bring information literacy to the common integration frameworks as a (meta)facilitator of integration. Better communication is needed across the disciplines to guarantee the contribution of research results to successful integration.

PurposeThis study focuses on specifically women refugees' experiences of accessing information and how sociocultural barriers impact these experiences aiming to broaden the LIS literature of women refugees' information problems from sociocultural aspects. The socioculturally formed roles of a woman can impact the information practices of women refugees or cause certain information problems during the integration process. Hence, the research questions that drive this study are: What kind of information problems might women refugees face in a new host country? What kind of sociocultural barriers influence their information problems? How do they react toward these information problems?Design/methodology/approachThe study is designed based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with eighteen refugee women living in Sweden. The study is a part of a larger study in which authors intend to explore the information practices and integration challenges of almost 20 or more refugee women living in Sweden.FindingsWomen refugees face information overload, difficulties in understanding new communication culture and lack of appropriate sources and networks in a new country. These information problems are influenced by sociocultural barriers such as the role of women, national culture of “collectivism”, small-world and lack of information literacy. Women react in certain ways such as, stressing, panicking, quitting the tasks, wasting time and making wrong decisions which negatively impact the integration process.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has its limitations as it is conducted with a small group of women refugees, belong to specific Middle Eastern culture and cannot be generalized. Another limitation is that the interviews are conducted in English language (with sufficient language skill). However, conducting interviews in their mother language would have been an advantage.Practical implicationsPractically, the study provides awareness for official and private organizations, volunteers and policymakers dealing with refugees. The stakeholders involved in the societal integration process of refugees, must consider that women refugees are more prone to information problems due to certain sociocultural influences (i.e. “being a woman” and national culture) and need a separate plan than the male refugees. For instance, by increasing and offering intercultural opportunities at workplaces or schools can encourage the wider social networking for women refugees. The programs aiming to reduce the sociocultural differences among women refugees and the Swedes are needed to be included in the integration policy.Social implicationsThe study intends to help the refugees society and the Swedish society overall by improving the integration plan.Originality/valueThe findings related to the information experiences of women refugees have potential implications for research where the value of information in the integration process is explored. The study meets the gap in previous literature by presenting the gender specific views on information problems from sociocultural aspects. The study also provides future directions to understand how women refugees deal with potential sociocultural barriers to information in a new country.

Introduction. This research in progress explores women refugees’ information and integration challenges from the cultural perspective and proposes the concept of ‘cultural landscape’ as facilitator to refugees’ information and integration practices in Sweden. Method. A qualitative research method of participatory observation, semi-structured interviews and unofficial discussions as a complement is been used in this study. Analysis. The thematic analysis approach is used to analyse the observation and interviews data. Results. Participants describe how two different forms of cultural landscapes – ‘reading and learning circles’ and ‘doing and learning circles’ have helped them in reconstructing fractured information landscapes by building bridges into new communities, maintaining links with co-cultural community network and achieving a sense of belonging and identity by psychological and spiritual support. Conclusions. The research will identify the importance of cultural landscape in meeting refugees’ information and integration challenges in a new country.

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