Everyday life information seeking in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic: daily topics of information needs in social Q&A
Online Information Review
; 2022.
Article
in English
| Scopus | ID: covidwho-1948707
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
This study investigated information needs on COVID-19 by identifying topics discussed on social questions and answers (Q&A) about daily routines, problems, and health issues for survival. A layered model of contexts for everyday life information seeking (ELIS) was adapted for interpreting topics to better understand the contexts in which users could relate information needs. Design/methodology/approach:
Questions and answers posted on Naver Knowledge-iN were collected and analyzed during the first nine months following the outbreak. Time distribution, topic modeling, and association rule mining were applied to examine the topics on COVID-19 and their temporal variation.Findings:
Numerous topics related to the cognitive context (symptoms and masks) and situational contexts (international affairs, financial support, study, and work) were discovered. Topics related to social context were discussed moderately, but the number of questions on this topic increased with time. Strong associations were observed between terms related to symptoms, indicating their importance as a COVID-19 topic in health. Originality/value This study investigated topics of information needs using social Q&A data in which not only information inquiry but also information sharing coexist. The findings can help bridge the theory of ELIS to topic modeling in practice. The insights gained from this study can be used by information service providers for developing guidance and programs about how to survive during a pandemic. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at https//publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2021-0547. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
COVID-19; Everyday life information seeking; Health information needs; Social media; Social Q&A; Topic modeling; Information services; Information use; Social networking (online); User profile; Daily routines; Health information need; Health informations; Health issues; Peer review; Social question and answer; South Korea
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
Scopus
Language:
English
Journal:
Online Information Review
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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