Abstract:
This study investigates information needs and information-seeking behaviors of social
science scholars at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman, as an example
of a developing country in the Middle East. Its ultimate objective was to produce a
model that is applicable to social science scholars in developing countries in general
and Oman in particular. The study addresses the questions o f (a) how social science
scholars at this university locate and use relevant information, particularly electronic
resources and other emerging technologies, for their specific research and teaching
needs; and (b) whether these patterns vary in relation to gender, age, academic rank,
academic department or college, or preferred search language. Formal and informal
sources of information and electronic resources utilized by social science scholars, as
well as barriers to information seeking, are discussed. Additionally, barriers affecting
scholars’ information-seeking behavior are identified.
The study is conducted within a conceptual framework based on a synthesis of
existing models of information-seeking behavior of Wilson (1996), Ellis (1989), and
Kuhlthau (1991), along with additional elements representing the information
environment, specifically the location and format of information resources. The model
describes a pattern o f social scientists’ information-seeking behavior that includes
eight generic stages: Initiation, Exploration, Monitoring, Categorization, Sifting,
Selecting Resources, Collecting, and Ending. The data collected through mixedmethod
approach consisting o f both quantitative and qualitative methods. The
quantitative method consisted of a structured survey questionnaire sent to all social
science scholars based at the university during the 2006-2007 academic year, and the
qualitative approach consisted of 21 e-mail interviews, 16 face-to-face interviews, and
four focus groups with social science scholars selected purposively.
