Användarundervisning inför informationssökning i yrkeslivet: En kunskapsöversikt [User Education for Information Seeking in Working Life]

Abstract

The present article is an analytical review of studies about user education (in both traditional and web-based form)aimed primarily at college and university students, and of studies about professionals' information seeking. A theoretical framework discussing the concepts of information, profession and professional identity form a critical background against which the mainly empirically oriented studies are presented. Librarians and nurses, two occupational groups with important similarities and differences, are used as examples of user groups in the study. A point of departure for this article is that user education and information seeking should be understood as socio-cultural practices. Thus, the symbolic value of professional information and its potential to create, sustain and alter power relations, identities and interests is underlined. The analysis of previous studies concludes in a number of research questions that are addressed in a presently ongoing research project about ICT-based information seeking in the transition from educational to occupational practice. The project aims to uncover how norms, values and expectations about information seeking and information literacy are formed within occupational groups, are mediated through user education and are appropriated or mastered by students for use in their working life.