Information needs and information seeking behaviour of rural dwellers in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the information needs and information seeking behaviour of the rural dwellers in Sarawak focusing on identifying their information needs; examining their use of information sources; assessing their perception of quality and accessibility of the information sources; and determining the barriers to information seeking. An interviewer-administered questionnaire survey is adopted for data collection, from the rural dwellers, covering broadly the northern, central, and southern regions of Sarawak. This study covers a broader range of information needs (12 types) and use of information sources (20 sources) of the rural dwellers in Sarawak. Using a quota sampling technique based on geographical region, data are collected from 130 respondents in each region, a total of 390 respondents. This paper reports the research findings using descriptive statistical analysis. The rural dwellers have the highest needs in the area of religion, health and medical, as well as entertainment, leisure, and sports. They have the lowest needs for information about social welfare, politics, and general/state election. The popularity of digital sources such as the Internet, social media, and mobile applications have become the main source of information seeking of the rural dwellers, with the traditional sources such as television, radio, and newspapers are still being widely used. When the perception of information source quality and accessibility is high, the frequency of using the source for information seeking is also high. Poor infrastructure and limited financial ability are cited as the main barriers to information seeking among the rural dwellers.

Perilaku Komunikasi Dosen dan Mahasiswa UB dan UUM dalam Mencari Informasi Sebelum dan Selama Pandemi Covid-19

“…Objek penelitian yang dipilih adalah para dosen dan mahasiswa Universitas Utara Malaysia (UUM) dan Universitas Brawijaya (UB) Indonesia. Perilaku pencarian informasi secara umum adalah perilaku manusia, baik pasif maupun aktif, berusaha mencari informasi dan menggunakan informasi yang berkaitan dengan sumber dan saluran informasi sebagai reaksi untuk memenuhi kebutuhan informasi (Yap et al, 2020). Penelitian tentang perilaku pencarian informasi di kalangan akademisi telah dilakukan beberapa kali, seperti yang dilakukan oleh Sookhtanlo, Mohammadi, dan Rezvanfar (2009), Thani dan Hashim (2011), serta Mehra dan Bilal (2007).…”

“…Kuesioner berisi indikator mengukur perilaku pencarian informasi meliputi pernyataan tentang pilihan sumber informasi, kepuasan, dan interaksi berbagi informasi (Esew et al, 2014;Kwanya & Nyariki, 2019;Lekic et al, 2020;Ikoja-Odongo & Mostert, 2006 ;Yap et al, 2020), yang terdiri dari:…”

“…Berikut tabel hasil penelitian dimensi perilaku pencarian informasi pada indikator ketiga yaitu kepuasan, kepuasan terhadap website perpustakaan dalam mencari informasi ilmiah mahasiswa Universitas Utara Malaysia (UUM) dan mahasiswa Universitas Brawijaya (UB) yang dilihat dari hasil mean score atau nilai rata-rata responden: (Yap et al, 2020). Perilaku pencarian informasi adalah proses untuk merumuskan dan menerapkan strategi untuk memenuhi kebutuhan informasi individu (Lekic et al, 2020;Ruthven, 2010).…”

“…Perilaku pencarian informasi meliputi pemilihan sumber informasi, kepuasan dan interaksi berbagi informasi (Kwanya & Nyariki, 2019;Lekic et al, 2020;Ikoja-Odongo & Mostert, 2006;Yap et al, 2020). Website perpustaakaan universitas menjadi satu-satunya informasi ketika terjadi pembelajaran online.…”

Communication on the university library websites and students’ scientific information-seeking during the Covid-19 outbreak: A comparison of four Asian countries

“…It is not one-way in nature, but dynamics, since it facilitates interactions between thoughts, feelings, and actions to address a need (Kwanya and Nyariki, 2019). Information-seeking relates to sources and channels of information, information-seeking, and information use (Yap et al 2020). Further, informationseeking behaviour includes the choice of information sources, satisfaction, and informationsharing interactions.…”