A Study of Information Overload in Internet Use among Business School Graduate Students

• Main Authors: Hsu, Wen Chi, 許文綺
• Other Authors: 蘇諼
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2002
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/vj4nw4

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 圖書資訊學系 === 90 === The information age offers a wealth of available information but it also creates an environment for information overload. By employing survey method, the researcher seeks to get an insight into the phenomenon of information overload among the Business School graduate students at Fu-Jen Catholic University. 327 questionnaires were distributed in person by the researcher to collect data for the study. Based on the results of 274 valid questionnaires, this research findings are : 1.More than half of the graduate students in Business School often have information overload phenomenon. It also occurs more often in male students than in female students. 2.There is no statistical significance between the internet tool used and the occurrence of information overload. More than 20% of the graduate students surveyed report that they have information overload while using internet resources. 3.The main causes of information overload can be attributed to the way search engines used, the dispersed nature of web resources, and the quantity of information owned or searched by the user. 4.The information overload phenomenon of Business School graduate students has various physical, psychology and social implications. 5.Most graduate students surveyed tend to use interpersonal relations to solve the problems of information overload. The researcher suggests that when using a search engine, it is feasible to apply Boolean Operators in the search process. This not only increases the accuracy of the search, but also reduces the burden on the server. Also, the use of intelligent agents is important in filtering out information. By applying the concepts of time management and critical thinking skills in their information seeking process, the users can prevent themselves from being surrounded by irrelevant information. It is also suggested that libraries provide user education courses teaching students how to use web tools effectively and develop skills in selecting, evaluating, organizing, storing and utilizing information to reduce information overload phenomenon.