”What is going on?” : A study of international students’ information needs at the University of Borås

The purpose of this Bachelor’s thesis was to examine the information needs of the international students at the University of Borås. A further aim was to examine the types of information sources the international students was using to satisfy their information needs and the environmental factors keeping them from achieving this. This was done through focus group interviews with international students from four different countries ranging from the ages 20 – 35. The students was studying at masters, bachelor or taking courses as part of the Erasmus Mundus program. The theoretical framework for this thesis is based in Wilson’s theories on information needs and factors influencing needs and information seeking behaviours as well as Daft and Lengel’s theory of information richness. The findings of this thesis were that the international students were well aware of their information needs and were able to choose different sources according to their needs. Most of the international students needs were met with a few exceptions; the education system while well received caused some confusion early on and trouble for at least one international student. Several environmental factors was identified among which the information systems and language proved to be the most problematic for the students. The environmental factors and the problems encountered by the international students can be countered by providing better and more well aimed information before and during their stay