{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T12:11:26Z","timestamp":1773835886909,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":73,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,26]],"date-time":"2018-04-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1524700800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JD"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,5,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of school subject and student information behaviour (IB).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Mixed methods were employed. In all, 152 students, teachers and librarians participated in interviews or focus groups. In total, 1,375 students, key stage 3 (11-14 years) to postgraduate, responded to a questionnaire. The research population was drawn from eight schools, two further education colleges and three universities. Insights from the literature review and the qualitative research phase led to a hypothesis which was investigated using the questionnaire: that students studying hard subjects are less likely to engage in deep IB than students studying soft subjects.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Results support the hypothesis that preferences for subjects at school affect choice of university degree. The hypothesis that a preference for hard or soft subjects affects IB is supported by results of an analysis in which like or dislike of maths\/ICT is correlated with responses to the survey. Interviewees\u2019 comments led to the proposal that academic subjects can be classified according to whether a subject helps students to acquire a \u201ctool of the Mind\u201d or to apply such a tool. A model suggesting how IB may differ depending on whether intellectual tools are being acquired or applied is proposed.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The \u201cinner logic\u201d of certain subjects and their pedagogies appears closely linked to IB. This should be considered when developing teaching programmes.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The findings offer a new perspective on subject classification and its association with IB, and a new model of the association between IB and tool acquisition or application is proposed, incorporating the perspectives of both teacher and student.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/jd-07-2017-0097","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,26]],"date-time":"2018-04-26T04:33:43Z","timestamp":1524717223000},"page":"692-721","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["The relationship between students\u2019 subject preferences and their information behaviour"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"74","author":[{"given":"Andrew D.","family":"Madden","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sheila","family":"Webber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nigel","family":"Ford","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mary","family":"Crowder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref001","volume-title":"From Information Literacy to Social Epistemology: Insights from Psychology","year":"2016"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref002","volume-title":"Academic Tribes and Territories: Intellectual Enquiry and the Cultures of Discipline","year":"2001","edition":"2nd ed."},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref003","first-page":"40","article-title":"Asian learners through Western eyes: an astigmatic paradox. Australian and New Zealand","volume":"2","year":"1994","journal-title":"Journal of Vocational Educational Research"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref004","volume-title":"Teaching for Quality Learning at University","year":"1999"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1037\/h0034701","article-title":"The characteristics of subject matter in different academic areas","volume":"57","year":"1973","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Psychology"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref006","volume-title":"How do Young People Make Choices at 14 and 16?","year":"2006"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"277","DOI":"10.1080\/096392899330801","article-title":"The quality of learning in accounting education: the impact of approaches to learning on academic performance","volume":"8","year":"1999","journal-title":"Accounting Education"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resstr.2003.09.002","article-title":"Nontraditional undergraduates at home, work, and school: an examination of information-seeking behaviors and the impact of information literacy instruction","volume":"19","year":"2003","journal-title":"Research Strategies"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref009","volume-title":"Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs and Behaviour","year":"2016","edition":"4th ed."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"287","DOI":"10.1002\/jaal.448","article-title":"Investigating criteria that seventh graders use to evaluate the quality of online information","volume":"59","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lisr.2010.12.002","article-title":"If it is too inconvenient I\u2019m not going after it:\u2019 convenience as a critical factor in information-seeking behaviors","volume":"33","year":"2011","journal-title":"Library & Information Science Research"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"262","DOI":"10.1080\/00220670009598715","article-title":"Students\u2019 conceptions of learning, the classroom environment, and approaches to learning","volume":"93","year":"2000","journal-title":"The Journal of Educational Research"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref013","volume-title":"Kinds of Minds: Toward an Understanding of Consciousness","year":"1996"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref014","unstructured":"Department for Education (2015), \u201cModern foreign languages: GCE AS and A level subject content\u201d, available at: www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/national-curriculum-in-england-languages-progammes-of-study\/national-curriculum-in-england-languages-progammes-of-study (accessed 16 April 2018)."},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref015","volume-title":"The National Curriculum: Handbook for Secondary Teachers in England","author":"DfES\/QCA","year":"2004"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1353\/lib.2006.0015","article-title":"The information-seeking behavior of youth in the digital environment","volume":"54","year":"2005","journal-title":"Library Trends"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref017","unstructured":"Entwistle, N. (1998), \u201cMotivation and approaches to learning: motivating and conceptions of teaching\u201d, in Brown, S., Armstrong, S. and Thompson, G. (Eds), Motivating Students, Kogan Page, London, pp. 15-24."},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref018","unstructured":"Entwistle, N. (2005), \u201cWays of thinking and ways of teaching across contrasting subject areas\u201d, paper presented at the ISL2005 Conference on Improving Student Learning by Assessment, London, available at: www.etl.tla.ed.ac.uk\/docs\/etlISL2005.pdf (accessed 11 May 2017)."},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref019","article-title":"Teaching-learning environments and student learning in electronic engineering","year":"2004"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1177\/096100068601800103","article-title":"Psychological determinants of information needs: a small-scale study of higher education students","volume":"18","year":"1986","journal-title":"Journal of Librarianship"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"503","DOI":"10.1353\/pla.2014.0034","article-title":"Google vs. the library (Part ii): student search patterns and behaviors when using Google and a federated search tool","volume":"14","year":"2014","journal-title":"Portal: Libraries and the Academy"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref022","first-page":"219","article-title":"Disciplinary literacies and learning to read for understanding: a conceptual framework for disciplinary literacy","volume":"5","author":"Project READI","year":"2016","journal-title":"Educational Psychologist"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref300","volume-title":"Mind in Science: A History of Explanations in Psychology and Physics","year":"1981"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref023","article-title":"Fast surfing for availability or deep diving into quality \u2013 motivation and information seeking among middle and high school students","volume":"11","year":"2006","journal-title":"Information Research"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"257","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.10042","article-title":"Epistemology and the socio-cognitive perspective in information science","volume":"53","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1080\/03057267.2015.1112471","article-title":"Unpacking the paradox of Chinese science learners: insights from research into Asian Chinese school students\u2019 attitudes towards learning science, science learning strategies, and scientific epistemological views","volume":"52","year":"2016","journal-title":"Studies in Science Education"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref026","volume-title":"Subject and Course Choices at Ages 14 and 16 Amongst Young People in England: Insights from Behavioural Economics. Research Report DFE-RR160","year":"2010"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8535.2009.01019.x","article-title":"Expediency-based practice? Medical students\u2019 reliance on Google and Wikipedia for biomedical inquiries","volume":"42","year":"2011","journal-title":"British Journal of Educational Technology"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lisr.2008.10.008","article-title":"How high-school students find and evaluate scientific information: a basis for information literacy skills development","volume":"31","year":"2009","journal-title":"Library & Information Science Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1004036826490","article-title":"Misconceptions about the learning approaches, motivation and study practices of Asian students","volume":"40","year":"2000","journal-title":"Higher Education"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref030","volume-title":"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions","year":"1996","edition":"3rd ed."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/j.acalib.2008.03.004","article-title":"Information structures and undergraduate students","volume":"34","year":"2008","journal-title":"The Journal of Academic Librarianship"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref032","unstructured":"Limberg, L. (1999), \u201cThree conceptions of information seeking and use\u201d, in Wilson, T.D. and Allen, D.K. (Eds), Exploring the Contexts of Information Behaviour, Taylor Graham, London, pp. 116-135."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1108\/00220410710743289","article-title":"Information resources used by children at an English secondary school: perceived and actual levels of usefulness","volume":"63","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1108\/00220410410516626","article-title":"Evolution and information","volume":"60","year":"2004","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref035","first-page":"466","article-title":"University and course choice","volume":"20","year":"2006","journal-title":"International Journal of Educational Management"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref036","volume-title":"The Experience of Learning","year":"1997"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2044-8279.1976.tb02980.x","article-title":"On qualitative differences in learning: I outcome and process","volume":"46","year":"1976","journal-title":"British Journal of Educational Psychology"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref038","unstructured":"Marton, F. and Saljo, R. (1984), \u201cApproaches to learning\u201d, in Marton, F., Hounsell, D. and Entwistle, N. (Eds), The Experience of Learning, Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh, pp. 36-55."},{"issue":"3\/4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref039","first-page":"259","article-title":"A quantitative survey on the influence of students\u2019 epistemic beliefs on their general information seeking behaviour","volume":"40","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Academic Librarianship"},{"issue":"3\/4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref040","first-page":"331","article-title":"Creating mathematicians and scientists: disciplinary literacy in the early childhood classroom","volume":"187","year":"2017","journal-title":"Early Child Development and Care"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1080\/03075070120052071","article-title":"Disciplinary differences and university teaching","volume":"26","year":"2001","journal-title":"Studies in Higher Education"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"162","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2923.1986.tb01163.x","article-title":"Learning styles and approaches: implications for medical education","volume":"20","year":"1986","journal-title":"Medical Education"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resstr.2006.12.021","article-title":"The information behaviors and preferences of undergraduate students","volume":"20","year":"2005","journal-title":"Research Strategies"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1002\/meet.14504901176","article-title":"\u2018I just Wikipedia it\u2019: information behavior of first-year writing students","volume":"49","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pask, G. (1988), \u201cLearning strategies, teaching strategies, and conceptual or learning style\u201d, in Schmeck, R.R. (Ed.), Learning Strategies and Learning Styles, Springer, Berlin, pp. 83-100.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4899-2118-5_4"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref046","unstructured":"Pettigrew, K.E., Fidel, R. and Bruce, H. (2001), \u201cConceptual frameworks in information behavior\u201d, in Williams, M.E. (Ed.), Annual Review of Information Science & Technology, Vol. 35, Information Today, Medford, pp. 43-78."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref047","first-page":"204","article-title":"Uncovering information literacy\u2019s disciplinary differences through students\u2019 attitudes: an empirical study","volume":"47","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Librarianship and Information Science"},{"issue":"10","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1315","DOI":"10.1080\/21670811.2017.1286943","article-title":"My news feed is filtered? Awareness of news personalization among college students","volume":"5","year":"2017","journal-title":"Digital Journalism"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref049","unstructured":"Rozaklis, L. (2012), \u201cThe academic library in the life of the undergraduate: an investigation of undergraduates\u2019 academic information behaviors in the digital age\u201d, unpublished PhD dissertation, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"498","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0663.82.3.498","article-title":"Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension","volume":"82","year":"1990","journal-title":"Journal of Educational Psychology"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.2307\/1217208","article-title":"The comparison of dendrograms by objective methods","volume":"11","year":"1962","journal-title":"Taxon"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref052","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1108\/JD-06-2016-0081","article-title":"The searchification of everyday life and the mundane-ification of search","volume":"73","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref053","first-page":"143","article-title":"A surface approach to learning rewards first-year engineering students","year":"2013"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref054","first-page":"46","article-title":"Developing scales for information\u2010seeking behaviour","volume":"60","year":"2010","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref055","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.4103\/2320-0057.135415","article-title":"Why and where Wikipedia is cited in journal articles?","volume":"2","year":"2013","journal-title":"Journal of Scientometric Research"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref056","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1080\/0194262X.2016.1206052","article-title":"A study of citations to wikipedia in scholarly publications","volume":"35","year":"2016","journal-title":"Science & Technology Libraries"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref057","unstructured":"Trowler, P. (2014), \u201cDisciplines and academic practice\u201d, in Trowler, P., Saunders, M. and Bamber, V. (Eds), Tribes and Territories in the 21st Century: Rethinking the Significance of Discipline in Higher Education, Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 30-38."},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref058","unstructured":"Trowler, P., Saunders, M. and Bamber, V. (Eds) (2014), Tribes and Territories in the 21st Century: Rethinking the Significance of Discipline in Higher Education, Routledge, Abingdon."},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref059","volume-title":"Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future","author":"University College London","year":"2008"},{"issue":"8","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref060","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1188","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.20562","article-title":"Understanding student information behavior in relation to electronic information services: lessons from longitudinal monitoring and evaluation, Part 2","volume":"58","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref061","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"509","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.jchemed.5b00525","article-title":"Improving information literacy skills through learning to use and edit Wikipedia: a Chemistry perspective","volume":"93","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Chemical Education"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref062","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2007.01.030","article-title":"Information-problem solving: a review of problems students encounter and instructional solutions","volume":"24","year":"2008","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref063","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1002905027633","article-title":"Deconstructing deep and surface: towards a critique of phenomenography","volume":"33","year":"1997","journal-title":"Higher Education"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref064","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.1177\/01655515030294007","article-title":"Information science in 2003: a critique","volume":"29","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Information Science"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref065","volume-title":"The Intellectual and Social Organization of the Sciences","year":"2000","edition":"2nd ed."},{"issue":"8","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref066","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.10123","article-title":"Disciplinary differences and undergraduates\u2019 information-seeking behaviour","volume":"53","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref067","unstructured":"Wikipedia (2017), \u201cWikiproject mathematics\u201d, available at: https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Mathematics (accessed 11 May 2017)."},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref068","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1108\/eb026702","article-title":"On user studies and information needs","volume":"37","year":"1981","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref069","first-page":"49","article-title":"Human information behavior","volume":"3","year":"2000","journal-title":"Informing Science"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref070","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"317","DOI":"10.1080\/0144341960160308","article-title":"Cross\u2010cultural validation of models of approaches to learning: an application of confirmatory factor analysis","volume":"16","year":"1996","journal-title":"Educational Psychology"},{"key":"key2021041507441438400_ref071","article-title":"Promoting deep learning through teaching and assessment: conceptual frameworks and educational contexts","year":"2001"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2021041507441438400_ref072","first-page":"1","article-title":"The paradox of the Chinese Learner","volume":"93","year":"1993","journal-title":"Educational Research and Development Unit (RMIT) Occasional Paper"}],"container-title":["Journal of Documentation"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/JD-07-2017-0097\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/JD-07-2017-0097\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T22:34:29Z","timestamp":1753396469000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/jd\/article\/74\/4\/692-721\/213842"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,26]]},"references-count":73,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,26]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,5,8]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/JD-07-2017-0097"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/jd-07-2017-0097","relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-0418"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-0418","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,4,26]]}}}