Undergraduates' source selection behavior: A correspondence analysis

With advances in information technologies, a wide variety of sources and channels have been made available to provide access to information. As different sources offer information with varying qualities, evaluating and selecting quality information sources is crucial and has become a key element in bibliographic instruction and information literacy training. Despite efforts in helping them to select optimal sources, individuals choose to use sources that are not necessarily accurate or reliable. Users often turn to information sources that are not suitable to their tasks. This study aims at understanding the relationship between the perception and selection of information sources. Surveying undergraduate students, this study examines three aspects related to their source selection behavior: (1) perceived characteristics of different sources; (2) source characteristics considered to be important for the source selection; and (3) frequently selected/used sources. The study will help understand how users view sources differently and how such perception is related to the source selection behavior. Based on the study findings, suggestions will be made to improve information literacy programs that can support the selection of the best sources.