rgu Research into information providing and using A selective overview Dorothy Williams

rgu Real-world information flow information provision information literacy information access information impact need

rgu Provision – some challenges Process as well as problem - Learning and decision-making Different levels of information for different needs: awareness raising or action-centred; active or passive information searchers Information design – too difficult for those with literacy problems? too simplistic if lacking evidence?

rgu Access Internet is increasingly used to provide and access information in areas such as health People worry about quality of information on the internet - but quality issues affect all media (e.g.Eysenbach, 2002) Recent research with patient support groups in NE Scotland indicated they a) used a wide variety of sources; b) used internet but were cautious/distrustful of it; c) did not know about quality kite marking schemes; d) lacked confidence to make judgments about the quality; e) develop their own strategies(Marshall, 2003)

rgu Having access does not guarantee information is used Barriers to seeking information – personal characteristics, social/interpersonal, environment/situation, source credibility (eg Wilson, 1997) –process as well as nature of the problem People may or may not choose to use information in decision making: they are influenced by their situation, environment, the nature of the task, their own values and experiences; in certain situations the decision maker may not be receptive to new information Information use goes beyond finding information – the role of an intermediary Information providers need to think about process as well as problem.

rgu Information literacy the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand. US National Forum on Information Literacy, 2004 Skills, knowledge, attitudes Its about being able to ask questions; knowing where to look and how to search; being able to judge the quality; being able to make sense of the information and use it in developing knowledge Not just about IT – though benefits from IT will depend on information literacy

rgu Information literacy in context Lack of ability to deal effectively with large quantities of information can itself lead to health problems (e.g. Reuters study of managers, 1996; Hall and Walton, 2004 – information overload in health care) Information seeking process has emotional consequences...frustration, demotivation....motivation, self-esteem (Kuhlthaus study of young learners, 1994) Lack of information literacy or poor information experience can directly affect achievement, motivation, interaction in learning (formal and informal) (Williams et al, 2001; Limberg, 1999) Information literacy in the workplace....health professionals also need help to develop skills and knowledge of new sources (Burnett, Williams & Webster, 2004); helping people to develop an awareness of their own strategies in finding and using information is important.... (Cheuk, 2000) Carers?

rgu Information impact Evaluation of information strategies/services ideally goes beyond measuring outputs/performance Impact evaluation asks – what difference does it make? Impact indicators should be developed with knowledge of the Information Use Environment (Menou, 1993) Understanding the user/information relationship is important in designing effective information strategies

rgu Information impact Information can save time, increase quality of clinicians decision-making, decrease the length of stay in hospital.....(Marshalls studies in USA and Canada, 1992,1993); Positive impact on decision-making in banking, insurance, government departments, pharmaceutical industry, physiotherapists in UK (Grieves, 1998) The information experience can have far-reaching impact on informal learning as well as formal (Williams et al, 2001) How would we assess impact of information/strategy on carers? Impact indicators?

rgu Summing up: Providers need to think in terms of information process as well as problem Information provision is about skills as well as content - training and mediation have a role Needs assessment is about more than asking someone what do you need Look beyond performance measure – ask what difference does it make? Carers – indicators of impact?