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'I Can Google It' Information Seeking Behaviour of the Academic

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'I Can Google It' Information Seeking Behaviour of the Academic School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts An investigation into the ‘I can Google it’ information seeking behaviour of the academic communities in the Maldives and Australia Aminath Riyaz This thesis is presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Curtin University November 2017 Declaration To the best of my knowledge and belief this thesis contains no material previously published by any other person except where due acknowledgment has been made. This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. Signature: Date: 3/11/2017 ii Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to: (a) understand the characteristics of the I can Google it information seeking behaviour of university students and academics; (b) investigate if, and how, this phenomenon impacts the provision of academic library services; and (c) examine the extent of the googling phenomenon across diverse economies. The theoretical framework adopted for this study is a combination of Wilson’s (1999) and Knight and Spink’s (2008) information behaviour models. The research uses phenomenology as its underlying methodological approach, using mixed methods for data collection from two purposefully selected diverse countries; the Maldives as a developing country and Australia as a developed country. A tertiary education institution from Australia and two institutions from the Maldives were selected as the sample population for inquiry using a purposive sampling approach. In-depth interviews with 15 participants from the academic community of the Maldives gathered a detailed understanding on their perception of Google versus traditional library sources for information seeking, from a developing country perspective. The findings from these interviews, and existing literature guided the design of a survey questionnaire that was completed by 267 participants from the three institutions. The findings offer empirical evidence to support the anecdotal high reliance on Google as an academic information source and the meaning associated to terms such as googling and googled. It is significant that at least 50% of the survey participants, both from the Maldives as well as Australia, interprets googling to mean the specific use of Google search engine, while the rest of the participants use the term interchangeably to mean any online searching including the use of online libraries. The main difference across the two countries is that Australian academic community places a high reliance on their institutional library catalogue (or discovery tool) while the Maldivian academic community does not. Consequently, Google makes libraries more relevant for resource-rich countries through the “find it” link resolvers that link Google to library databases, and therefore Google is seen as a supplement to the library. In contrast, Google makes libraries less relevant and potentially redundant in resource-poor countries, therefore Google is seen as an alternative to the library. iii The overarching characteristics of academic information seeking in the googling phenomenon can be categorised as: blurred online search boundaries; Google/Google Scholar as a ‘start’ search strategy; task-based simple keywords search queries; dominance of least effort and immediate gratification; an “I can figure it out” mindset that bypasses reference librarians; and, a perception that if it is not online it does not exist. The impacts of the googling phenomenon on academic library provisions are that: academic libraries no longer enjoy the monopoly as the academic information source; users nonetheless expect libraries to fulfil gaps in online full-text access; there is a greater need for innovative information literacy training; user expectations for Google-like library search interfaces is high; increased demands on the physical library as a communal hub with anytime-access; and, demand for eBooks and/or digitisation of reading material. iv Acknowledgements Bismillah. I begin in the name of Allah. What a journey this has been, life-changing, challenging, and rewarding! All of it, of course, is not directly attributed to the journey of the words and thoughts between the two covers of this thesis. Nonetheless, the hat of the research student was the one that put me in the place and space that shaped this journey. The student in me persevered and Alhamdhulillah I am writing this acknowledgement. Dr Pauline Joseph, my main research supervisor, has been an inspiration to always aim high and to never give up. Apart from my children, Pauline is the one person who saw me the most throughout the four years, always with encouraging words. Thanks, Pauline! Special thanks also to Dr Paul Genoni for his contribution to the research supervision. Furthermore, I cannot thank Curtin University and the Australian support system enough, for the professional support that was extended in my time of need. Sessions with Paul Pryztula and Jason made a huge difference in keeping me grounded. Jason’s tales of mind, memories, imagined self, hegemony, ‘of culture’ and ‘of place’, etc. are yarns I shall treasure for life. A wholehearted gratitude also to Fazee and Elijah for the much needed moral support. I am equally grateful to Iku, Wadda, and Aisha, three of them on different latitudes and longitudes, and yet being present for me. Special thanks also to Athiyya, Shiham, Kudha, and Hannan for their extraordinary support. Heartfelt thanks to Asrath, Lee, Maryam, and their families–my Maldivian community away from home. Thanks also to Nisha and Shary for their kindness during the first year of transition. I note Petra Dumbell, Julia Gross, and Rahee with special fondness. My family back home, and those with me in Perth were my reason to persevere. Mamma is the epitome of ingenuity and endurance. My studies are for her, to honour her restless days and sleepless nights over her sewing machine that earned the money to put her children through school. My sons, Maai and Idhoo, and also daughter-like Mizu, have been the reason for me to get up and face the day, every day–to provide for them, to be their guardian. Sincere thanks also to Dhona and family, especially for minding Idhoo during the year-end school holidays. What more is needed to complete a thesis? A mentor to guide you without losing interest in your topic and you as a person, allies to hold you up in times of losing morale, and a reason to continue without giving up. The rest falls into place… Conducting research requires a degree of imagination and cognisance in identifying the gap in the literature and devising ways to fill that gap. These skills were acquired through prior education and work experiences. I thank every single person on that journey. I reached the place I am today through generous support from my former workplaces; namely, Allied v Health Services Training Centre, and the interim institutions that eventuated in the formation of the Maldives National University. Through this transformative process, I was found worthy of prestigious scholarships including the Australian Development Scholarship and the Australian Leadership Award for my earlier university studies that took me to Sydney and Perth. Most importantly, I am grateful to Curtin University for considering me worthy of the Curtin Strategic International Research Scholarship that brought me back to Australia, and Perth to write this thesis. In short, I am indebted to Australia and its people for financing my higher education. The ability to articulate my ideas and thoughts into a coherent structure comes from the research workshops and other support offered through the Research Office, the Learning Centre, and Curtin University Library. Special thanks also to Dr John Fielder for his generosity in copy editing my candidacy proposal. I also acknowledge Dr Joy Denise Scott for the professional service rendered in copy editing this thesis. Special thanks also to my fellow PhD candidates, Beata Dawson and Peta Ifould, for their constructive feedback. I am also indebted to the research participants: fifteen Maldivians (who I cannot name to uphold their privacy) gave their valuable time to provide their insight. Sincere thanks also to staff and students from the Maldives National University, Villa College, and Curtin University, who took time to participate in my online survey. My heartfelt gratitude to Fazee, Rahee, Arushad, Shahla, Shamala, Aditya, and Shaba along with everyone else who assisted in encouraging staff and students to participate. A special word of appreciation for Absy for his continued support. Also, special thanks to Fazee, Nash, Shimla, Fazee Ibrahim, Rahee, Pauline and Marcia for piloting the research instrument. And, special thanks to Nash for always being there for me when I needed quick information to fill the knowledge gaps. Last but not least, I am indebted to Curtin University for the work opportunities in the last three years. I would like to thank Barbara, Heather, Sandra, and everyone else in the Curtin Library team for giving me the opportunity to serve as a Library Student Assistant. Likewise, I cannot thank the Curtin Records and Information Management (RIM) team enough, especially Sue Aldenton, Di Jeffery, and Irene Chymyn for the rewarding work opportunities presented to me. I am also truly humbled by the entire RIM team for making me feel at home so quickly. Additionally, working as a Research Assistant for Dr Pauline Joseph’s research using iSquares, as well as Dr Joseph Fernandez’s research on journalism shield law, in addition to the monetary benefit, were rewarding learning journeys. Similarly, thanks to Lisa Billingham and Dien Soliman for entrusting me with an awesome weekend job at Edith Cowan University Library for the last three years. Without this additional financial backing, I do not know how I could have survived on this path to interlace this yarn. A very sincere thanks to everyone named and unnamed. Salaam. vi Table of Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements v List of Appendices xi List of Tables xii List of Figures xiv Explanatory Notes and Abbreviations xvii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Background to the research problem ...........................................................
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