Most existing research on user health information search is based on the rationality assumption. This study makes a groundbreaking challenge to the traditional rationality assumption in the health information search field. By deconstructing the initiation and cessation decision-making of health information search from a cost-benefit perspective, it offers crucial theoretical support for understanding the underlying logic of users' boundedly rational decision-making. By employing the critical incident technique, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 Chinese health information searchers who varied by gender, age, and occupation. Three types of incidents were elicited: (a) completed searches, (b) contemplated but abandoned searches, and (c) searches terminated before meeting expectations. Through the application of procedural grounded theory, the transcripts were coded and theoretical saturation was achieved, resulting in three core categories: search cost, search benefit, and uncertainty. These constructs collectively elucidate the two initiation patterns (Initiation/Non-initiation and Re-initiation) and three cessation patterns (suspension, satisficing, and termination) observed in real-world health information search scenarios.
User demand serves as both the yardstick for calibrating academic library services and the engine driving their high-quality development. This study employs a Dynamic Topic Model to analyze 16 years of reference transactions from a university library in China, capturing the evolution of user needs. The analysis identifies four persistent core thematic clusters while uncovering substantial temporal variations in thematic prevalence and sentiment polarity. These results elucidate the dynamic patterns of user demand, offering an empirical foundation for libraries to enhance service improvement and strategic planning.
Outcomes are a consequential yet understudied component in information behavior research. It remains unclear how vulnerable populations experience and prioritize different outcome types. Focusing on sexual and gender minorities, an exploratory mixed methods design was adopted to investigate LGBTQ university students’ information seeking and sharing outcomes. Data were collected through participant diaries, interviews, and an online survey. In total, 97 LGBTQ university students from 45 institutions in the United States participated in one or both study phases. Qualitative analysis identified five major outcome types across individual, interpersonal, and communal levels: affective, cognitive, practical, relational, and communal outcomes. Survey results showed that participants prioritized communal and practical outcomes over affective and relational outcomes. Moreover, participants prioritized outcomes based on their lived contexts and considerations of immediate personal utility versus longer-term collective impact. Practical implications are discussed for supporting balanced personal, relational, and communal outcomes in community-based information environments.
Integrating gender perspectives into higher education curricula is widely recognized as essential for inclusive and socially responsive teaching, yet implementation remains uneven across disciplines and institutional contexts. This study examines how gender perspectives are incorporated into Library and Information Science (LIS) teaching across six European countries. A cross-sectional survey of 115 academic staff collected sociodemographic and professional information, perceptions of institutional support and barriers, and qualitative reflections. Quantitative analysis identified a three-factor institutional support model—formal commitment, policy implementation and expertise, and student and faculty engagement—with no significant differences by gender or country. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed four themes: the educational value of gender perspectives, curricular integration, institutional enablers (training, resources, workload recognition), and resistance or controversy. Findings suggest that formal commitments alone are insufficient and must be supported by concrete institutional mechanisms. The study provides comparative evidence and practical recommendations for embedding gender perspectives sustainably in LIS curricula.
