Analysis of the Internet search process of B.Sc. undergraduate students in Field of Water Science Engineering of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz with the model of "information seeking process" of Kuhlthau

With changes in the paradigm of information seeking field and the replacement of system-based approach by user-based one, it seems necessary to design systems to achieve Information seeking goals. This requires mutual interactions of users and systems and establishing relationships between information seeking and information retrieval. A number of models were created after the introduction of new technologies into information seeking field which present information search trends as dynamic activities and describe how to meet the users’ demands. The research attempted to investigate how the undergraduates of the Water Sciences Engineering School of Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz searched the information on the Internet and then compare their “information seeking” behavior with Kuhlthau “information search process”.

This was an applied research using descriptive survey method. The statistical population was comprised of all undergraduates of the Water Sciences Engineering School of Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz (N=204) out of whom 102 subjects (51 freshmen and 51 sophomores) were selected via random sampling who received questionnaires.

The data analysis revealed that from the stages of Kuhlthau model, freshmen and seniors tended to ignore “beginning” and “Selection stages”. Subjects would prioritize four stages of “exploration”, “formulation”, “collection” and “presentation” while “exploration” and “collection” stages were the best stages for the intervention of librarians in the search process. Also, data analysis showed that the students used “information bases”, search engines and topic indices equally while they employed search tools such as “Title” and “N operator” more than other search tools.

The results revealed that the pattern used by students was comprised of 4 stages which were in contrast to kuhlthau model in both terms of the number and order of stages. In the end, a new internet search pattern used by students was recognized and presented through the results obtained from the comparisons of both groups of subjects.