Information Behaviors of Marine Engineers at Sea and on Shore
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29173/istl2742Keywords:
Information behaviors, Marine engineers, Information needs, Information seeking, CuriosityAbstract
The information behaviors of professionals in their workplaces, including those related to various fields of engineering, have been widely studied. However, the information behaviors of marine engineers have not been examined. This study used a qualitative approach to collect data by conducting 13 in-depth interviews with marine engineers living in the United States. Inductive thematic analysis was used to identify the information needs, information types and formats used, the methods for verifying information, and the information communication practices used by marine engineers. The study found that many information behaviors of marine engineers align with other research on engineers. However, the results demonstrate that the working conditions at sea and in the maritime industry also create unique challenges, such as needing information for emergency or unexpected situations, a lack of access to information due to crew turnover, and lack of digitized or current versions of information. These results indicate that further research should investigate ways that the maritime industry can improve access to information and better prepare students for information use in this industry.
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