Information behaviour of refugees in North Western Uganda

Abstract

Information behaviour attempts to understand how different categories of users respond to, and utilise information products. This study focussed on exploring the behaviour of refugees in North Western Uganda in relation to their need for information, the means by which they seek information, the ways in which they use information and the problems encountered in the processes of information interaction. Because refugees face different integration and sustenance difficulties in their host communities, this study offers insights that can ameliorate refugees’ situations in host communities through information access and use. The study was qualitative in nature and adopted phenomenological design. Its population included refugees in North Western Uganda including youths above 18 years of age and adult women and men as well as refugee administrators from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of Uganda at Bidi Bidi refugee settlement. A purposively selected sample of 60 participants was used in the study. Non participatory observation, group and individual interview techniques were espoused to gather data. Data collected were analysed thematically using Atlas.ti 24 version and presented and interpreted into meaningful information that depicted the lived experiences of refugees at Bidi Bidi settlement. Findings from the study revealed that refugees had various information needs including faith and spiritual, legal, economic, sociological, technological and others. Refugees utilised a multitude of information sources including persons, media based as well as community centres in their information seeking. Refugees possessed different information seeking patterns and behaviours. Based on the refugees’ information seeking and use patterns, a model depicting refugees’ information behaviour in pursuit of information needs satisfaction was developed. Refugees faced physiological, sociological, psychological and technological difficulties in their information seeking and use which generated recommendations that ensure information access and use among the refugee community. The study findings offer insights that help comprehend refugees’ information behaviour and offer measures to overcome information seeking and use difficulties at Bidi Bidi settlement by modelling the refugees’ information behaviour. The study was limited by language barrier resulting in more time in the field.