Smartphone use by students for information seeking
| Date | 02 July 2018 |
| Pages | 194-208 |
| Published date | 02 July 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2018-0008 |
| Author | Sultan Muhaya Al-Daihani |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information in society,Information literacy,Library & information services |
Smartphone use by students
for information seeking
Sultan Muhaya Al-Daihani
Department of Information Studies, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to investigate the use of smartphones by undergraduate students for
information seeking. Aspects include frequency of use, purposes, types of activities, impediments and
characteristicdifferences by grade point average (GPA),major or collegiate level.
Design/methodology/approach –A questionnaire is administeredto social sciences students, and 240
responsesare analyzed.
Findings –Students reported using smartphones most often for social networking or entertainment;
accessingacademic information ranked fifth among seven purpose categories.A lack of knowledge regarding
smartphone use for academic information was commonly reported as an impediment encountered. The
hypothesis that statisticallysignificant differences in smartphone information-seekingbehavior exist among
studentsbased on their GPA, major or collegiate level was partially supported.
Research limitations/implications –Future researchwill consider the use of a more diverse sampleof
students comprising different disciplines and statistical modeling methods, which would indicate the
magnitudeand direction of effect for various academicvariables.
Practical implications –The results indicate a need for studentawareness programs and an adaptation
of libraryresources and services to accommodate smartphonetechnology.
Originality/value –The results of this study contribute to the state of knowledge regarding the use of
smartphones for information seeking. This knowledge will assist libraries and information-related
institutionsworldwide in accommodating and exploitingthis technology and related behaviors.
Keywords Academic libraries, Students, Information seeking, Smartphone, Social science,
Mobile device
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, are essential for students in their
academic life. These devices also dominate their daily life (Hossain and Ahmed, 2016)by
providing relevant (Dukic et al.,2015), timely (Morris and Maynard, 2010) and accessible
(Burford and Park, 2014) information.Information can be retrieved from a mobile device via
applications (apps), search engines, news portal, social media sites and/or electronic
resources, such as e-books and e-journals. Mobile devices are used to engage in online
recreational and socialnetworking activities (Lo et al., 2016) and to connect with information
resources (Haque et al., 2016).
Developments in electronic information resources have introduced new information-
seeking challenges for students (Abbas et al.,2017). Mobile devices offer online learning
resources that provide information anytime and anywhere (Al-Emran et al., 2016, p. 96).
This level of accessibility affectsthe information-seeking behavior of students (Ebiye, 2015).
The convenient access to informationand the instant satisfaction of information needs were
found to be important factorsin mobile device popularity among students (Lo et al., 2016).
The adoption of mobile devices among students is expectedto increase. In 2016, Kuwait
ranked second globally for mobile device ownership. According to the Global Information
GKMC
67,4/5
194
Received25 January 2018
Revised13 March 2018
Accepted12 April 2018
GlobalKnowledge, Memory and
Communication
Vol.67 No. 4/5, 2018
pp. 194-208
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9342
DOI 10.1108/GKMC-01-2018-0008
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