What Is Known About the Impact of Impairments on Information Seeking and Searching?

A preliminary study into internet related addictions among adults with dyslexia

In recent decades, studies have investigated associations between learning disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the various types of internet addictions, ranging from general internet addiction (GIA) to specific internet addictions such as social media addiction (SMA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, to date, no study has investigated such internet addictions among persons with dyslexia. The present study aimed to investigate whether differences exist between adults with dyslexia and controls in terms of GIA, SMA and IGD. A total of 141 adults with dyslexia and 150 controls (all UK based) were recruited. Controlling for age, gender, marital status, employment, and income levels, it was found that adults with dyslexia had higher levels of GIA and IGD compared to controls. However, these participants did not show any significant difference in terms of SMA. The results indicate that internet addictions may have a larger ambit for learning disorders beyond just ASD and ADHD and could be a hidden problem for these individuals.

Supporting People with Acquired Brain Injury to Use a Reminding App; Narrow-deep vs. Broad-shallow User Interfaces

People with memory impairments following an acquired brain injury stand to benefit from smartphone apps as memory aids. Due, in part, to usability issues they use smartphone-based reminding less than the general population. Evidence suggests this group may benefit from user interface (UI) designs with more screens with less information per screen (narrow-deep UI) rather than fewer screens with more information per screen (broad-shallow UI). This study compared the difference in speed, accuracy, guidance needed, and task load for 32 people with acquired brain injury when setting reminders using narrow-deep and broad-shallow UI. They were also given cognitive assessments (measuring selective attention, executive functioning, and overall executive and memory ability) and interviewed about their UI preference. There was a significant difference in accuracy; participants were less accurate (they made two more errors on average for every three reminders set) using a broad-shallow compared to narrow-deep UI. The reason for this difference was that participants omitted more information when using broad-shallow UI. There were no differences in speed, guidance required, and overall task-load. Participants with better selective attention and more experience with smartphones benefited the most from narrow-deep UI compared to broad-shallow UI. Most participants preferred one UI over the other. Those who preferred narrow-deep found it easier to use, that they missed less information and liked having one piece of information at a time. Those who preferred broad-shallow found it easier to review the information and felt less likely to lose track. The findings can inform that implementation of UI choices to make apps more accessible for those with cognitive impairments.

Using a Mobile Application for Health Communication to Facilitate a Sense of Coherence: Experiences of Older Persons with Cognitive Impairment

The increasing use of technology by older persons and their preferences for living at home and being independent have created an avenue for self-care and care delivery using mobile technologies and health communication. This study aimed to explain how older persons with cognitive impairment experienced technology-based health communication through the use of a mobile application to facilitate a sense of coherence. Individual, semi-structured interviews with 16 participants in the SMART4MD project were conducted. The interviews were transcribed then coded deductively and thematically, creating themes that corresponded to the central components of the sense of coherence model: comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. The findings produced an overall theme: a challenging technology that can provide support, based on the three identified themes: making sense of mobile technologies, mastering mobile technologies, and the potential added value to use mobile technologies. The participants’ experiences were influenced by their previous use and expectations for the application. Personal support, cognitive and physical ability, and different sources for information impacted use. The participants experienced that using the application created an ambiguity to be challenging and have possible benefits. The study suggests that the sense of coherence model may be used as a method to understand the use of technology by older populations.

Information seeking for coping with cancer: a systematic review

Purpose

Information seeking can be used to make sense of a situation or solve a problem. Information seeking can be considered a coping strategy when facing illness, crisis or other life-changing events. Cancer is a globally occurring, life-threatening disease, and this review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on the active information seeking behaviour of cancer patients specifically focussing on how active information seeking serves as a coping strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adheres to current guidelines for conducting systematic reviews and consequently, thorough literature searches were conducted in four databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus which resulted in 7,179 publications. Following a careful screening process, this systematic review identifies 14 studies on the use of information seeking to cope with cancer.

Findings

The included studies consist of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to analysing the use of information seeking to cope with cancer. The included studies have focussed primarily on demographic factors, the impact of affect, information needs, sources and coping strategies.

Research limitations/implications

A number of research gaps within library and information science are identified. Bringing research in this field into information science could allow for a greater understanding of information literacy, the use of existing information and the process of information searching when using information seeking to cope with serious illness.

Originality/value

This systematic review focusses on how information seeking serves as a coping strategy for cancer patients and provides an overview of the recent literature.

Evaluating the effectiveness of Farsi-English query production using ontology: a case of scientometric ontology

Purpose

This paper aims to discover the effectiveness of Farsi-English query using ontology.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study is quasi-experimental. The sample consisted of 60 students and graduate and doctoral staff from Shiraz University and the Regional Center for Science and Technology. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to assess the level of English language proficiency of users, background knowledge and their level of satisfaction with search results before and after using ontology. Each user also evaluated the relevance of the top ten results on the Google search engine results page before and after using ontology.

Findings

The findings showed that the level of complexity of the task, the use of ontology, the interactive effect of the level of complexity of the task with the domain knowledge of the users, and the interactive effect of the level of complexity of the task with ontology, influence the effectiveness of retrieval results from the users' point of view. The results of the present study also showed that the level of complexity of the task, the use of ontology, and the interactive effect of the level of complexity of the task and the use of ontology, affect the level of user satisfaction.

Originality/value

The results of this research are significant in both theoretical and practical aspects. Theoretically, given the lack of research in which the interactive effect of the use of ontology has examined the level of complexity of tasks and domain knowledge of users, the present study can be considered as an attempt to improve information retrieval systems. From a practical point of view, the results of this research will help researchers and designers of information retrieval systems to understand that the use of ontologies can be used to retrieve information and improve the query and assess the needs of users and their satisfaction in this field, and ultimately, making the information retrieval process more effective.

Modelling the information seeking and searching behaviour of users with impairments: are existing models applicable?

Purpose

A substantial number of models have been developed over the years, with the purpose of describing the information seeking and searching of people in various user groups and contexts. Several models have been frequently applied in user studies, but are rarely included in research on participants with impairments. Models are purposeful when developing theories. Consequently, it might be valuable to apply models when studying this user group, as well. The purpose of this study was to explore whether existing models are applicable in describing the online information seeking and searching of users with impairments, with an overall aim to increase the use of models in studies involving impairments.

Design/methodology/approach

Six models were selected according to the following criteria: the model should address information seeking or searching, include the interaction between users and systems whilst incorporating assistive technology. Two user groups were selected from each of the categories: cognitive, sensory and motor impairments, namely dyslexia, autism, blindness, deafness, paralysation and Parkinson's. The models were then analysed based on known barriers reported for these cohorts.

Findings

All the selected models had potential to be applied in user studies involving impairments. While three of the models had the highest potential to be used in the current form, the other three models were applicable either through minor revisions or by combining models.

Originality/value

This study contributes with a new perspective on the use of models in information seeking and searching research on users with impairments.

Designing ApplTree: usable scheduling software for people with cognitive impairments

BACKGROUND

Smartphone reminding applications can help overcome memory difficulties experienced by people with acquired brain injury (ABI). Cognitive difficulties with memory and attention make entering reminders into a device, and remembering to set reminders, challenging for this group. ApplTree is a reminding app with features that aim to address challenges. One app feature was push notifications (asking "Do you need to set any reminders?") to support people to initiate use of the app to set reminders. Another app feature was a customisable user interface design to support attention and short term memory during reminder setting.

METHODS

In a mixed-methods user study, five people with self or other reported memory impairment following ABI used ApplTree for at least 4 months. They received push notifications for at least 2 months and no push notifications for at least 2 months. Monthly participant interviews provided insight into user interface preference, app use, and push notification acceptability.

RESULTS

Receiving four Push notifications per day doubled number of daily reminders set and four of the five participants found receiving them to be acceptable. This long-term field study uncovered issues relevant for clinicians and designers, including insights into the potential benefits of different user interface designs, the impact of family members on app use, and the importance of perceived need influencing use and acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS

Feedback provided insight into future considerations when designing reminding apps and using them in neuropsychological rehabilitation. This work highlights the benefit of user-led research into accessible design and use of assistive technologies.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION"Unsolicited" push prompts are an easy to implement feature of reminding technology that is useful and acceptable for people with ABI in community rehabilitation.Observations provide insights about how people with ABI make use of reminding apps over time. This can inform those designing apps or providing reminding technology as part of neuropsychological rehabilitation.Participants differed on their preference of the two user-interface designs available in ApplTree. This highlights an area for future research because currently available reminding apps have a broad-shallow design which may not always be appropriate for people with ABI.