Skip to content
1981
Transient Migrant and Information Behaviours
  • ISSN: 2397-7140
  • E-ISSN: 2397-7159

Abstract

This article serves as the introduction to our Special Issue ‘Transient Migrant and Information Behaviours’. How people source, consume and act on information have become of significant interest to researchers, industry professionals, policy-makers, NGOs and community groups alike. This is because we live in an information-saturated world that offers unlimited information to meet our needs both online and offline, thus making communicating with individuals and groups challenging. These challenges become even more heightened when people are in countries other than their own and subject to information channels, platforms, cultures and languages foreign to what they know.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/tjtm_00085_2
2025-12-17
2026-04-20

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/tjtm/9/2/tjtm.9.2.153_Chang.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1386/tjtm_00085_2&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Agosto, D. E. and Hughes-Hassell, S. (2005), ‘People, places, and questions: An investigation of the everyday life information-seeking behaviors of urban young adults’, Library & Information Science Research, 27:2, pp. 14163, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2005.01.002.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Alzougool, B., Chang, S. and Gray, K. (2008), ‘Towards a comprehensive understanding of health information needs’, Electronic Journal of Health Informatics, 3:2, p. 15.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Basch, C. H., Hillyer, G. C. and Jaime, C. (2022), ‘COVID-19 on TikTok: Harnessing an emerging social media platform to convey important public health messages’, International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 34:5, pp. 36769, https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2020-0111.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Bawden, D., Holtham, C. and Courtney, N. (1999), ‘Perspectives on information overload’, ASLIB Proceedings, 51:8, pp. 24955, https://doi.org/10.1108/eum0000000006984.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Berry, J. W. (1997), ‘Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation’, Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46:1, pp. 534, https://doi.org/10.1080/026999497378467.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Binsahl, H., Chang, S. and Bosua, R. (2020), ‘Cross-cultural digital information-seeking experiences: The case of Saudi Arabian female international students’, Journal of International Students, 10:4, pp. 87291, https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v10i3.1573.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Caidi, N., Allard, D. and Quirke, L. (2010), ‘Information practices of immigrants’, Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 44:1, pp. 491531, https://doi.org/10.1002/aris.2010.1440440118.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Chang, S. and Gomes, C. (2017), ‘Digital journeys: A perspective on understanding the digital experiences of international students’, Journal of International Students, 7:2, pp. 347466, https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v7i2.385.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Chang, S. and Gomes, C. (2020), Digital Experiences of International Students: Challenging Assumptions and Rethinking Engagement, New York: Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Chang, S., Gomes, C., Platt, M., Trumpour, S., McKay, D. and Alzougool, B. (2022), ‘Mapping the contours of digital journeys: A study of international students’ social networks in Australian higher education’, Higher Education Research & Development, 41:6, pp. 182137, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1962812.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Duncker, E. (2002), ‘Cross-cultural usability of the library metaphor’, Proceedings of the 2nd ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Portland, Oregon, USA, 14–18 July, New York: ACM, pp. 22330.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Ellis, D. (1989), ‘A behavioural approach to information retrieval system design’, Journal of Documentation, 45:3, pp. 171212, https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026843.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Given, L. M., Case, D. O. and Willson, R. (2023), ‘Information behavior: An introduction’, in Looking for Information, vol. 15, London: Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 121.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Gomes, C. (2017), Transient Mobility and Middle Class Identity: Media and Migration in Australia and Singapore, Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Gomes, C. (2018), Siloed Diversity: Transnational Migration, Digital Media and Social Networks, Singapore: Palgrave Pivot.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Huvila, I. and Gorichanaz, T. (2025), ‘Trends in information behavior research, 2016–2022: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper’, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 76:1, pp. 21637, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24943.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Jia, R. M., Du, J. T. and Zhao, Y. C. (2021), ‘Characteristics of the health information seeking behavior of LGBTQ+ individuals: A systematic review on information types, information sources and influencing factors’, Journal of Documentation, 78:2, pp. 36188, https://doi.org/10.1108/jd-03-2021-0069.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Kuhlthau, C. C. (1991), ‘Inside the search process: Information seeking from the user’s perspective’, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42:5, pp. 36171, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(199106)42:5%3C361::AID-ASI6%3E3.0.CO;2-%23.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Kutor, S. K., Arku, G. and Bandauko, E. (2023), ‘Instead of “writing against” and discarding “immigrants” integration, why not reconceptualize integration as a wicked concept?’, Comparative Migration Studies, 11:1, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-023-00334-3.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Lingel, J. and boyd, d. (2013), ‘“Keep it secret, keep it safe”: Information poverty, information norms, and stigma’, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 64:5, pp. 98191, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22800.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Makri, S. (2020), ‘Information informing design: Information science research with implications for the design of digital information environments’, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 71:11, pp. 140212, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24418.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Makri, S., Ravem, M. and McKay, D. (2017), ‘After serendipity strikes: Creating value from encountered information’, Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 54:1, pp. 27988, https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.2017.14505401031.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Marchionini, G. (1997), Information Seeking in Electronic Environments, vol. 9, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Marlow, J., Clough, P., Recuero, J. C. and Artiles, J. (2008), ‘Exploring the effects of language skills on multilingual web search’, in C. Macdonald, I. Ounis, V. Plachouras, I. Ruthven and R. W. White (eds), Advances in Information Retrieval: 30th European Conference on IR Research, Glasgow, 30 March–3 April, Berlin, Heidelberg and New York: Springer, pp. 12637.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Matthews, T., O’Leary, K., Turner, A., Sleeper, M., Woelfer, J. P., Shelton, M., Manthorne, C., Churchill, E. F. and Consolvo, S. (2017), ‘Stories from survivors: Privacy and security practices when coping with intimate partner abuse’, 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Denver, Colorado, USA, 6–11 May.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. McKay, D., Chang, S., Smith, W. and Buchanan, G. (2019), ‘The things we talk about when we talk about browsing: An empirical typology of library browsing behavior’, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 70:12, pp. 138394, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24200.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. McKay, D., Gomes, C., Naghi Zadeh Kakhki, E., Zhao, F., Yang, X., Aburghif, H., Arrad, D., Buchanan, G., Low, D. and Astall, E. (2022), ‘Vaccine information needs of the Chinese and Arabic communities in Australia: An investigation and partial solution’, report, Melbourne: RMIT University, https://doi.org/10.25439/rmt.27402135.v1.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. McKay, D., Makri, S., Gutierrez-Lopez, M., Porlezza, C., Macfarlane, A., Cooper, G. and Missaoui, S. (2024), ‘I’m the same, I’m the same, I’m trying to change: Investigating the role of human information behavior in view change’, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 75:7, pp. 84458, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24885.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. McKenzie, P. J. (2003), ‘A model of information practices in accounts of everyday-life information seeking’, Journal of Documentation, 59:1, pp. 1940, https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410310457993.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Mittelmeier, J. (2025), ‘Against “Integration” in research and practice with international students’, Journal of Studies in International Education, 29:4, pp. 60317, https://doi.org/10.1177/10283153241308744.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Nardi, B. A. and O’Day, V. (2000), Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart, Boston, MA: MIT Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Ndumu, A., Mabi, M. and Oduntan, O. (2022), ‘Preliminary findings from a scoping review of immigrant-related information poverty research in LIS’, Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 59:1, pp. 45863, https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.652.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Page, L., Brin, S., Motwani, R. and Winograd, T. (1999), ‘The PageRank citation ranking: Bringing order to the web’, Stanford InfoLab, 29 January, http://ilpubs.stanford.edu:8090/422/. Accessed 16 October 2025.
  34. Pang, N. (2014), ‘Crisis-based information seeking: Monitoring versus blunting in the information seeking behaviour of working students during the Southeast Asian Haze Crisis’, Information Research, Special Section: ‘Proceedings of ISIC: the information behaviour conference, Leeds, 2–5 September, 2014: Part 1’, 19:4, https://informationr.net/ir/19-4/isic/isic14.html. Accessed 2 December 2025.
  35. Pedrana, A., Hellard, M., Gold, J., Ata, N., Chang, S., Howard, S. and Stoove, M. (2013), ‘Queer as F**k: Reaching and engaging gay men in sexual health promotion through social networking sites’, Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15:2, p. e25, https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.2334.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Ruthven, I. (2022), ‘An information behavior theory of transitions’, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 73:4, pp. 57993, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24588.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Sadeh, T. (2007), ‘Time for a change: New approaches for a new generation of library users’, New Library World, 108:7–8, pp. 30716, https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800710763608.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Savolainen, R. (1995), ‘Everyday life information seeking: Approaching information seeking in the context of “way of life”’, Library & Information Science Research, 17:3, pp. 25994, https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-8188(95)90048-9.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Sharp, H., Preece, J. and Rogers, Y. (2019), Interaction Design-Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, 5th ed., Trenton, NJ: Wiley.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Wald, H. S., Dube, C. E. and Anthony, D. C. (2007), ‘Untangling the web: The impact of internet use on health care and the physician–patient relationship’, Patient Education and Counseling, 68:3, pp. 21824, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2007.05.016.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Willson, R. and Given, L. M. (2020), ‘“I’m in sheer survival mode”: Information behaviour and affective experiences of early career academics’, Library & Information Science Research, 42:2, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2020.101014.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Wilson, T. D. (1999), ‘Models in information behaviour research’, Journal of Documentation, 55:3, pp. 24970, https://doi.org/10.1108/eum0000000007145.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Zappia, C. and Makri, S. (2022), ‘“I try to find a balance”: Investigating strategies for self-regulating covid news consumption’, Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 59:1, pp. 36880, https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.760.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/tjtm_00085_2
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test