PhD research students

Mojeed Adekunle Amidu

Date of Start of Studies: 1st December, 2011
Country:Nigeria
Supervisors: Anne Morris & Wendy Olphert
Email: M.A.Amidu@lboro.ac.uk
Research Group: Information Behaviour

Title : The Impact of Culture on Human Information Seeking Behaviour

Information seeking is peculiar to every individual irrespective of cultural orientation or environment, but how individual access information depends on several inherent factors that are culturally determined. Culture plays a significant impact on how individual seek and respond to information.

It is important to understand the specific characteristics of information users regarding their information seeking behaviours and not focusing mainly on methods of information retrievals in terms of systems design and information needs without adequately addressing the impact of culture on information seeking behavior.

The aim of this study is to examine:

• The relationship if any, between particular cultural characteristics of a group and their information seeking behaviour in Africa, and particularly in Nigeria.
• Whether culture influences the acceptance or rejection of source(s) of information, and/or the correctness or validity of that information (how individual relate with source of information?).
• Whether cultural factors, e.g. religion, language, etc., affect the level of significance of the information in daily life activities?
• What role culture plays in information dissemination in Nigeria?

The research questions underpinning the study are as follows:

• Is culture a contributory factor to human information behaviour in Nigeria?
• Is the acceptance or rejection of source(s) of information based on cultural factors like religion, language, etc., rather than the correctness or validity of that information?

Background: I have worked as Public Affairs/Protocol Officer at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Nigeria from 1993 to 2003 and my duties include Public Relations, Conference Packaging; Organising Seminars and Trainings; responsible for the Departmental Library and NBC Publication Distribution List for local and international distribution; Packaging of Local and International trips for Management and Staff of NBC; Receiving of Foreign and Local Guests on behalf of NBC and general Protocol Duties.

Education:

• Dec 1st 2011 – Date                 Loughborough University, Loughborough.

PhD Information Science

• Sep. 2007 – Nov. 2008           The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

M Sc. Information and Library Studies (ILS).

• Sep. 2003 – Jul. 2006.             University of Wolverhampton

B Sc Mathematical Sciences

• Sept. 1987 – Sept. 1991.         Lagos State University, Nigeria

B Sc Sociology