Use of the Web Information Seeking: A Look at the Role of Perceived Characteristics of the Web and Information-specific properties Waseem Afzal Presenter: Waseem Afzal is a Lecturer with the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University. Waseem’s research focuses on Human Information Behaviour, Web Studies, and Economics of Information. He is interested in the relationship between properties of information and human behavior—with a special reference to this behavior in connection with online buying and selling, choice valuation, and privacy and security. He is also concerned with the notion of information needs: its conceptual foundations and its relationship with other human needs. Seminar: Information seeking represents the activities that are carried out during the search for information. The process of information seeking is important as it enables the individuals to collect information that can address a need. Depending on the nature of the need and the contemporary trends, the sources of information vary. In the pre-Web era, the dependence on information sources having physical structures was great. However, the emergence of the Web has changed markedly the nature of information seeking. Present-day information seekers use the Web with greater flexibility and ease to seek information pertaining to different needs. Various qualities of the Web play a central role in its adoption for information seeking. This study seeks to examine the role of (a) perceived characteristics of the Web and (b) information-specific properties in the use of the Web for information seeking. Roger’s Diffusion of Innovations and Davis’s Technology Acceptance Model were used as theoretical foundations whereas Moore and Benbasats’s work has provided the methodological foundation for this study. A model was proposed including six independent constructs (perceived characteristics of the Web) and one dependent construct (intention to use the Web for information seeking). A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from a student population. In this seminar I will be presenting the findings of pilot test. These findings will highlight analysis pertaining to (a) computer and Web usage, (b) information- specific properties, and (c) issues for which information is sought on the Web. Furthermore, results concerning the reliability and validity analyses of the constructs used in the proposed model will also be presented. Additional information about Dr. Afzal is available at: http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/sis/staff/profiles/Info- Studies/waseem-afzal EVENT DETAILS 12:30-1:30pm Wednesday 14 August 2013 School of Information Studies Seminar Room Building 05, Charles Sturt University Wagga Campus Bridgit SIS Seminar Password <no password required> For additional information please contact Dr. Paul Scifleet Phone 02 6933 2744 Email [email protected]

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Page 1: Use of the Web Information Seeking: A Look at the Role of

Use of the Web Information Seeking: A Look at the Role of Perceived Characteristics of the Web and Information-specific properties Waseem Afzal

Presenter: Waseem Afzal is a Lecturer with the School of Information Studies at Charles Sturt University. Waseem’s research focuses on Human Information Behaviour, Web Studies, and Economics of Information. He is interested in the relationship between properties of information and human behavior—with a special reference to this behavior in connection with online buying and selling, choice valuation, and privacy and security. He is also concerned with the notion of information needs: its conceptual foundations and its relationship with other human needs.

Seminar: Information seeking represents the activities that are carried out during the search for information. The process of information seeking is important as it enables the individuals to collect information that can address a need. Depending on the nature of the need and the contemporary trends, the sources of information vary. In the pre-Web era, the dependence on information sources having physical structures was great. However, the emergence of the Web has changed markedly the nature of information seeking. Present-day information seekers use the Web with greater flexibility and ease to seek information pertaining to different needs. Various qualities of the Web play a central role in its adoption for information seeking. This study seeks to examine the role of (a) perceived characteristics of the Web and (b) information-specific properties in the use of the Web for information seeking. Roger’s Diffusion

of Innovations and Davis’s Technology Acceptance Model were used as theoretical foundations whereas Moore and Benbasats’s work has provided the methodological foundation for this study. A model was proposed including six independent constructs (perceived characteristics of the Web) and one dependent construct (intention to use the Web for information seeking). A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from a student population. In this seminar I will be presenting the findings of pilot test. These findings will highlight analysis pertaining to (a) computer and Web usage, (b) information-specific properties, and (c) issues for which information is sought on the Web. Furthermore, results concerning the reliability and validity analyses of the constructs used in the proposed model will also be presented.

Additional information about Dr. Afzal is available at: http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/sis/staff/profiles/Info-Studies/waseem-afzal

EVENT DETAILS 12:30-1:30pm Wednesday 14 August 2013

School of Information Studies Seminar Room Building 05, Charles Sturt University Wagga Campus Bridgit SIS Seminar Password <no password required>

For additional information please contact Dr. Paul Scifleet Phone 02 6933 2744 Email [email protected]