The Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior of Rural Communities: A Study Based on Kannaththota Village

Abstract

Developed countries acutely need knowledge and information for the development as well as the development countries. If knowledge and information is not adequately available at people’s hand, it will be a great obstacle for the same people as well as achieving developmental goals. Therefore information need has seen a top most essential need in the context of human needs. Within this context, the main objective of the study is to explore the information needs and seeking behavior of rural communities. Other objectives are to identify how fulfil their information needs, to examine the sources they apply for it, to identify whether new media used for, and to study the problems they face in fulfilling’s their information needs. Survey research method used for the study. Population was the rural communities in five selected villages in kannaththota region. Sample was 100 villagers from there five villages. It revealed that majority use television for getting information. They use it for getting daily news items. The library as a medium of getting information is very low. Female category prefer house hold information like cookery, dress making and clothing. Community living near road side was more used in reading newspaper than the interior villagers. Many people did not use modern media for getting information. Rural communities preferred to update their information. Government must pay more attention to improve the information provision of the public. It is much better to introduce more awareness programs and activities on the subject. The use of modern ICT for getting information should be make available as soon as possible.