Digital Consumers, Behaviour and Literacy

Researchers investigate how people in different contexts access and use knowledge and information, specifically examining user behaviour in digital environments to develop more appropriate models for enhancing information and digital literacy skills. They employ qualitative methods and structural equation modelling to understand the behaviour and literacy skills of digital consumers, and investigate outcomes in virtual environments.

This research aims to understand the complex behaviours associated with information-seeking in a variety of contexts. By analysing behaviours, researchers can adapt knowledge strategies to enable people to access and use information more effectively.

An example is the interdisciplinary research into users' trust in web resources which resulted in a framework to guide the development of personal, agile models of information behaviour of young people which is now being applied by teachers and librarians in the UK, Europe and USA. All of the research in this area has led to work with Ukrainian universities for the Ministry of Education on the EU Tempus IMPRESS knowledge transfer project.

Case Study: Critical thinking in the digital era