Information horizons mapping for information literacy development

Abstract

This paper develops a new insight into information literacy research using the methodology of phenomenography and information horizons. The study is part of a larger project on information behavior of doctoral students. The main research question concentrates on variations in experiences of information use as a result of the analysis of 17 information horizons. Results confirm more detailed granularity of categorization with humanities and social sciences and emphasis on electronic resources with technical sciences. Three patterns of information use are derived: the interactional, the sequential, and the evolutionary patterns. Systems and services for support of variations in information literacy are proposed, e.g. better navigation for the interactional pattern, stronger categorization for the sequential pattern, and support of terminology for the evolutionary pattern. Expansion of information literacy models to broader contexts of workplace and worldview has been proposed.