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Article
Publication date: 1 April 1999

Kirsty Williamson

Argues social issues should play an important role in debates surrounding telecommunications services, looking particular at Australia’s universals service. Concludes each country…

301

Abstract

Argues social issues should play an important role in debates surrounding telecommunications services, looking particular at Australia’s universals service. Concludes each country needs to look at the specific issues affecting it population to enable use of the most appropriate policies. Stresses debates about telecoms services should not take place, just in economic terms, as social policy is just as important.

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info, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

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Article
Publication date: 23 September 2021

Brady Lund and Jinxuan Ma

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the types and sources of information sought by older adults along with their motivations in the Midwestern United…

1424

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the types and sources of information sought by older adults along with their motivations in the Midwestern United States.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with 30 older adults residing in rural communities around the Midwestern United States during late-summer (July/August) 2020, using a protocol based on Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology. The resulting data was analyzed using standard content analysis procedures, guided by the theoretical frameworks based on Dervin's Sense-Making and Williamson's Ecological Model of Information Behavior. Implications of COVID-19 for the normative behaviors described in these models are discussed.

Findings

Findings show that older adults were concerned primarily with health and political information during this period, but that this information was not necessarily sought only to address an informational need, but also to satisfy the need to maintain social and emotional connections in coping with isolation and loneliness. Sources of information that allowed for social interaction with people were favored. Wider personal networks (community members) were strained by the social distancing measures and closures. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for considering the impact of social restrictions on information seeking behaviors of older adults in a time of crisis.

Originality/value

This study is the first, known to the authors, that applied the two adopted theoretical frameworks to explore information seeking behaviors of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 74 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

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Available. Content available
2110

Abstract

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Library Review, vol. 53 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

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Article
Publication date: 11 July 2016

Rebecca Lea French and Kirsty Williamson

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of information practices of welfare workers and how they fit into daily work of welfare work within a small community sector…

151

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of information practices of welfare workers and how they fit into daily work of welfare work within a small community sector organisation in Victoria, Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was constructivist (interpretivist) in its underpinning philosophy, drawing on both personal constructivist and social constructionist theories. The research methods used, with a sample of 14 welfare workers and two clients, were organisational ethnography and grounded theory. Data collection techniques were interview and participant observation, along with limited document analysis. Data analytic techniques, drawn from grounded theory method, provided a thorough way of coding and analysing data, and also allowed for the development of theory.

Findings

Key findings centre on the role of information in welfare work. Welfare workers mostly used resources to hand, “making do” with resources they already had rather than seeking new ones. They also recombined or re-purposed existing resources to make new resources or to suit new circumstances. Their information practices were found to be fluid, consultative and collaborative. The findings of the research have led to a deep exploration of bricolage as a way to describe both the use of resources and the processes inherent in welfare worker information practices.

Originality/value

The fact that there is a paucity of research focused on information practices of welfare workers in Australia makes the research significant. The bricolage theoretical framework is an original contribution which has implications for exploring other groups of workers and for the design of information systems and technology.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 72 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

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Article
Publication date: 22 November 2011

Oliver K. Burmeister, John Weckert and Kirsty Williamson

The purpose of this paper is to add one further value to the previously articulated “universal values” and to describe the constituent components of three universal values.

361

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to add one further value to the previously articulated “universal values” and to describe the constituent components of three universal values.

Design/methodology/approach

This interpretive/constructivist study of Australia's largest online community of seniors involved a 30‐month ethnographic investigation. After an initial period of 11 months of observing social interaction on the entire site, in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants, selected according to criterion sampling, a form of purposive sampling.

Findings

Four key moral values were identified: equality, freedom, respect and trust. All of them had been found in other studies, with equality and respect (as human dignity) identified as universal values. The findings from this study suggest that freedom is another universal value.

Originality/value

This study extends the understanding of universal values to include freedom. Further, it demonstrates the constituent components for freedom, and those of two other universal values previously identified in the literature, equality and human dignity, as well as revealing linkages between these three values.

Details

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-996X

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Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 May 1999

218

Abstract

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Internet Research, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 December 1998

75

Abstract

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Asian Libraries, vol. 7 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1017-6748

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Article
Publication date: 1 February 2001

R.A. Joseph

Looks at the shift in emphasis in Australia, from a historical perspective and examines the growing fears in the community that citizens may become disenfranchised as a result…

334

Abstract

Looks at the shift in emphasis in Australia, from a historical perspective and examines the growing fears in the community that citizens may become disenfranchised as a result. Argues that a slavish adherence to efficiency through technological advance risks undervaluing the complementarity of information in the community. Concludes that focusing on efficiency and quantification moves away from noting the constitutional and democratic scope of telecommunications.

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info, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

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Article
Publication date: 21 November 2008

Jennifer L. Holmes

The purpose of this paper is to determine the library usage, attitudes, and needs of an underserved population – persons with developmental disabilities – and to offer insights to…

1593

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the library usage, attitudes, and needs of an underserved population – persons with developmental disabilities – and to offer insights to librarians as to how to serve this population better.

Design/methodology/approach

After examining demographic information and national and state statistics, two surveys were conducted with adults with developmental disabilities as the sample population. These surveys included a variety of questions involving library usage and information needs.

Findings

Adults with developmental disabilities do go to public libraries and are entitled to the same quality services provided to all patrons. The surveys show that the primary materials sought by persons with developmental disabilities are books; 78 percent of the clients surveyed go for books compared with 55 percent of the general public. Thirty‐five percent of the clients did not know that libraries offer music and movies to check out, and 96 percent said they did not use the computers.

Research limitations/implications

These surveys were by nature limited by geographical scope and the intellectual capabilities of those surveyed. Similar surveys in other regions could expand the possibilities of future research.

Practical implications

Information gathered from this survey can aid librarians in assisting patrons with developmental disabilities. Suggestions for possible actions are given. These results can also help open a dialogue between librarians and professionals in social services who may not see the library as the valuable resource it is.

Originality/value

According to a literature review included in this article, there has been little research on serving this population. These surveys are the first of their scope, and can lead to better service through better understanding.

Details

New Library World, vol. 109 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

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Article
Publication date: 18 October 2023

Karen Goodall, Zara P. Brodie, Kirsty Deacon, Kimberly Collins and Karri Gillespie-Smith

Knowledge about the prevalence and impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is pivotal to trauma-informed approaches, yet the impact of ACEs training is rarely investigated…

501

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge about the prevalence and impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is pivotal to trauma-informed approaches, yet the impact of ACEs training is rarely investigated. This study reports a qualitative investigation of police perceptions of ACEs training in relation to conceptualisations of ACEs and trauma-informed working, practical applications of ACE knowledge and service-level support.

Design/methodology/approach

Four focus groups were conducted with 29 police officers, who had participated in an ACEs-awareness training. Based on the qualitative data, themes were generated using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019).

Findings

Analysis generated seven themes, conceptualised into three domains of conceptual understanding, police culture and operationalising ACEs.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is limited to Scottish police officers and is ethnically non-diverse. Further evaluation of higher quality interventions is warranted.

Practical implications

The study highlighted that a lack of conceptual framework, officer concerns and police culture may present barriers to officers incorporating ACEs knowledge into their day-to-day work. Future trainings should address these issues to achieve maximum benefits.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in-depth qualitative study of police officers' perceptions of ACEs training. Focus groups facilitated the expression of cultural norms. The results provide insight into tailoring trauma-informed interventions in police in future, as well as raising broader service-level issues.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 46 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

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