Knowledge management and academic information behaviour: A preliminary study of metaliteracy among junior faculty staff in the digital environment
Aslib Journal of Information Management
ISSN: 2050-3806
Article publication date: 31 May 2019
Issue publication date: 8 July 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of metaliteracy on collaborative and individual information behaviour (IB) among academic staff. The goal is to observe the impact of these competencies on knowledge management (KM) and IB in research tasks connected with the humanities and social sciences.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an implementation of two combined frameworks into a study on the IB of academics: metacompetencies described by Mackey and Jacobson in the metaliteracy model and Burke’s triple-A model. By using the Dervin’s micro-moment time-line interview framework, authors try to observe the state of development of information literacy and other supportive competencies among younger lecturers and researchers.
Findings
Scientists develop patterns of collaborative behaviour based on seven metaliteracy areas in KM.
Research limitations/implications
The study did not include students and other groups related to the academic environment. Their involvement in information processes is a very wide issue and should be the subject of a separate article.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to research development in the area of information literacy as a KM efficiency factor. IB in this paper is a broad concept, in which the development of metaliteracy is an important aspect of lecturers’ and researchers’ KM and collaboration skills.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Professor Ian Ruthven for his great support and help on proofreading and the anonymous referees for their useful comments on the original text. Finally, many thanks to all junior faculty staff members and PhD students who patiently described their work to the authors.
Citation
Deja, M. and Rak, D. (2019), "Knowledge management and academic information behaviour: A preliminary study of metaliteracy among junior faculty staff in the digital environment", Aslib Journal of Information Management, Vol. 71 No. 4, pp. 480-499. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-09-2018-0219
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited