Information seeking behaviour of beggars in Accra
Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication
Abstract
Purpose – It is evident that human existence is highly dependent on information. Information is considered
to be an essential right of every single individual to sustain life and enjoy it as well. The benefits of looking
into the information behaviour of people can, therefore, not be overemphasised. However, there is a yawning
gap in research conducted into the information behaviour of marginalised groups such as beggars. This study
aims to investigate the information seeking behaviour of beggars in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach – Through a case study design, the study used a qualitative approach
and interpretivist paradigm to look into this phenomenon. In total, ten beggars were sampled from the beggar
population in Accra through the use of convenient and snowball sampling techniques. A semi-structured
interview schedule was used as data collection tool to solicit responses from the participants.
Findings – The study revealed that beggars in Accra lacked understanding of their information needs,
although they were heavily dependent on information for their tasks and survival. Again, the findings of the
study showed that beggars were faced with information seeking barriers such as illiteracy, lack of
information literacy skills and financial resources. The study recommends the need for stakeholders to look
into the social welfare and literacy needs of beggars.
Originality/value – The authors consider the study original both in conceptualisation and design. The
main question being interrogated stems from identified gaps in the literature and the study intends to fill
these knowledge gaps. The study’s originality also stems from the fact that there is a paucity of information
on the subject of study in the context of Ghana.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Beggars, Information access, Information need, Barrier, Information seeking