Navigating the role of mobile technologies in shaping information behavior: A meta-synthesis

Mobile technology, primarily via smartphones, has become increasingly ubiquitous in the modern world, and this change is impacting information behavior in important ways. As LIS educators, we must study this new phenomenon and incorporate it in our teaching in order to stay current in the information science field. With this goal in mind, we used the relatively new meta-synthesis methodology to collect qualitative studies that examined the intersection of mobile technology and information behavior, systematically evaluating them for patterns and trends that provide insight into technology-driven change in behavior we are witnessing. Through this process we identified four primary ways mobile technology is affecting information behavior, and these will be incorporated into a graduate level Information Behavior cours