Abstract—There has been some research on the information behaviour of international students that is related to their academic issues (e.g. coursework and patterns of library use). However, little research has explored other non-academic issues (e.g. access health services and accommodation) of international student everyday life. This paper therefore explores the sources of information that international students rely on for academic and everyday living as well as the patterns students use in accessing these information sources. By analyzing interview data from a series of 7 focus groups, this study shows that international students rely on a wide range of information sources and display different patterns in using these sources depending on the source type, origin and amount as well as the students’ education level. Some practical implications to effectively provide information to international students are suggested.

Index Terms—information behaviour, information sources, International students, social media.

Cite:Basil Alzougool, Shanton Chang, Catherine Gomes, and Marsha Berry, "Finding Their Way around: International Students’ Use of Information Sources," Journal of Advanced  Management Science, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 43-49, March 2013. doi: 10.12720/joams.1.1.43-49