Interdisciplinary research is a method that has become efficient in accelerating scientific discovery. The integration of such processes in problem solving and knowledge generation is a vital part of learning and instruction. Promoting Interdisciplinarity in Knowledge Generation and Problem Solving is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on interdisciplinary projects from around the world, highlighting the broad range of circumstances in which this approach can be effectively used to solve problems and generate new knowledge. Featuring coverage on a number of topics and perspectives such as industrial design, ethnographic methods, and methodological pluralism, this publication is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the promotion of interdisciplinarity for knowledge production.

With the increasingly complex and ubiquitous data available through modern technology, digital information is being utilized daily by academics and professionals of all disciplines and career paths. Information Seeking Behavior and Technology Adoption: Theories and Trends brings together the many theories and meta-theories that make information science relevant across different disciplines. Highlighting theories that had their base in the early days of text-based information and expanding to the digitization of the Internet, this book is an essential reference source for those involved in the education and training of the next-generation of information science professionals, as well as those who are currently working on the design and development of our current information products, systems, and services.

Although global pandemics are not a new phenomenon, the spread of COVID-19 in 2020 has taken place in a very different information environment to that which existed even at the time of the SARS pandemic less than two decades ago. In today's world, information plays a critical role in all areas of life, with much of this being delivered via the Internet and social media. People have access to unprecedented amounts of information from both official and unofficial sources. These channels and the connectivity they provide are important in enabling authorities to obtain information necessary for use in managing a pandemic, and as communication tools to support implementation of pandemic management strategies and measures. But social media and other online forms of communication can also hinder official efforts to manage the crisis, with vast amounts of fake news and misinformation being posted and shared. The traditional media also play a key role in global pandemics, with newspapers, television and radio news being an important source of information for many people, and overall rates of news consumption typically increasing at this time. The information that individuals receive from all these channels, and their attitudes and responses to this information, are likely to influence their behaviours in ways that may support or hinder government efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Since this is the first time a global pandemic has occurred in the context of a largely digital information environment, little was previously known about the role of information and the media in pandemic management in this type of information environment. The book is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of research conducted into the role of information and the media during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a better understanding of how to use these as tools for managing pandemics in the event of future similar global health crises. A considerable number of peer-reviewed academic articles have already been published which examine various aspects of information, communications and the media in pandemic management, and how these can hinder or support such efforts. This book addresses the need to pull together the key themes and insights of this research into a single volume, which is both robust and research-based but also accessible. The book is targeted at anyone with an interest in understanding how information, the media and communications play an important role in the management of a pandemic or epidemic. It is expected to be of particular interest and value to government policymakers, public health authorities, and information and communications specialists, as well as academic researchers and students in a wide range of public health and information-related disciplines.

Although global pandemics are not a new phenomenon, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken place in a very different information environment than any pandemic before it. In today's world, information plays a critical role in all areas of life with much of this information being delivered over the internet and social media. People have access to unprecedented amounts of information from both official and unofficial sources. While these channels are beneficial for enabling authorities to obtain information necessary to manage the pandemic, there is also a higher risk of misinformation spread. Mass Communications and the Influence of Information During Times of Crises provides a comprehensive overview of research conducted into the role of information and the media during times of international crises, particularly examining the COVID-19 pandemic. This text provides a better understanding of how to use the media as a tool for managing pandemics in the event of future global health crises. Covering topics such as crisis communication, data acquisition, and social media usage, this book is a dynamic resource for government policymakers, public health authorities, information and communications specialists, researchers, graduate and post-graduate students, professors, and academicians in a wide range of both public health and information-related disciplines.