Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes

Introduction. As unsheltered homelessness is growing in the United States (US), the habitation of vehicles as an affordable housing option is increasing. Policies continue to criminalise and marginalise vehicle residents, pushing them farther away from essential information resources. This study in...

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Main Author: Kaitlin E. Montague
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Borås 2025-05-01
Series:Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://publicera.kb.se/ir/article/view/51910
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author Kaitlin E. Montague
author_facet Kaitlin E. Montague
author_sort Kaitlin E. Montague
collection DOAJ
description Introduction. As unsheltered homelessness is growing in the United States (US), the habitation of vehicles as an affordable housing option is increasing. Policies continue to criminalise and marginalise vehicle residents, pushing them farther away from essential information resources. This study investigates vehicle residency from an information access perspective. Method. Based on six months of ethnographic fieldwork using various methods, this study explores vehicle residents’ information practices, seeking to understand the relationship among vehicle residents, their most utilised resources and the ways that their environments impact their information access. Analysis. Fieldnotes and interview transcripts were analysed using abductive analysis to identify themes and quotations. Visual analysis was used to examine photographs and information horizon maps. Results. Analysis of information horizon maps offer preliminary findings about the ways vehicle residents incorporate their immediate environments and geographical location in their conceptualisations of information and barriers to information access by illustrating natural elements in their information horizon mapping exercises. Conclusions. Geographical location and immediate information environments impact how vehicle residents conceptualise barriers to information access. Gaining a deeper understanding of these understandings and information practices provides theoretical implications for information behaviour research and practical implications for resource development.
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spelling doaj-art-dee3be29d7ed4daa9ee6f9bc27d500a42025-08-20T03:48:10ZengUniversity of BoråsInformation Research: An International Electronic Journal1368-16132025-05-0130CoLIS10.47989/ir30CoLIS51910Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapesKaitlin E. Montague0Department for Library and Information Science at Humboldt University Introduction. As unsheltered homelessness is growing in the United States (US), the habitation of vehicles as an affordable housing option is increasing. Policies continue to criminalise and marginalise vehicle residents, pushing them farther away from essential information resources. This study investigates vehicle residency from an information access perspective. Method. Based on six months of ethnographic fieldwork using various methods, this study explores vehicle residents’ information practices, seeking to understand the relationship among vehicle residents, their most utilised resources and the ways that their environments impact their information access. Analysis. Fieldnotes and interview transcripts were analysed using abductive analysis to identify themes and quotations. Visual analysis was used to examine photographs and information horizon maps. Results. Analysis of information horizon maps offer preliminary findings about the ways vehicle residents incorporate their immediate environments and geographical location in their conceptualisations of information and barriers to information access by illustrating natural elements in their information horizon mapping exercises. Conclusions. Geographical location and immediate information environments impact how vehicle residents conceptualise barriers to information access. Gaining a deeper understanding of these understandings and information practices provides theoretical implications for information behaviour research and practical implications for resource development. https://publicera.kb.se/ir/article/view/51910Information behaviour and practicesinformation practicesinformation environmentsinformation landscapesinformation horizonsinformation access
spellingShingle Kaitlin E. Montague
Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Information behaviour and practices
information practices
information environments
information landscapes
information horizons
information access
title Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes
title_full Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes
title_fullStr Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes
title_full_unstemmed Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes
title_short Geographical information ranges: conceptualising holistic information landscapes
title_sort geographical information ranges conceptualising holistic information landscapes
topic Information behaviour and practices
information practices
information environments
information landscapes
information horizons
information access
url https://publicera.kb.se/ir/article/view/51910
work_keys_str_mv AT kaitlinemontague geographicalinformationrangesconceptualisingholisticinformationlandscapes