Toward a new understanding of immigrant information behavior

Abstract

PurposeImmigration dominates much of the current US sociopolitical discourse. The research on US-based immigrant information behavior, however, remains scant. To understand the role of information in immigration, this study explores information overload among Black immigrants in the US.Design/methodology/approachThe researcher developed a literature-derived information overload scale to investigate participants' information access along with experiences and response to information overload.FindingsResults suggest that participants experience information overload due to behavioral (e.g. the demands of needing, seeking, or using information), quantitative (i.e. volume or length), and qualitative (e.g. authority, diversity, or urgency) indicators. Most participants mitigate information overload by turning to intermediaries and filtering resources.Research limitations/implicationsThe information overload scale can advance knowledge of the role of information in immigrant acculturative stress.Social implicationsLIS researchers and practitioners can utilize findings to foster social inclusion and well-being among immigrants.Originality/valueScholarship on immigrant information behavior must reflect the centrality of information in migration and how it shapes integration and acculturation.

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