Information Consumption -- Theory, Methods, and Level Measurement

Author: Zhu Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This book studies the measurement of information consumption level from three aspects: theory, methods, and practice. The topic is novel, not only a hot issue in information economics research but also a frontier in the field of information science. The book first defines the concept, then proposes the theory, derives methods from the theory, and uses the methods for measurement. The overall logic is clear, the structure is reasonable, and the discussion is systematic. Based on defining the concept of information consumption, the author studies specific content such as information products, information services, information markets, information consumers, information consumer rights, and their protection. Subsequently, classification measurement methods and overall measurement methods are proposed for these aspects, studying the information consumption level from both micro and macro perspectives. A large amount of detailed data is collected, and through an empirical analysis of the information consumption level in Shanxi universities, the operability of the methods is verified. With the continuous development of information technology, the attention of more and more consumers has shifted to information products and services. Without a doubt, information consumption is very important. The first step in any research is to clarify the research question. Information consumption refers to the process of consuming information products and services based on different goals and needs. Consumers have information needs, and businesses continuously explore what information consumers need, how they consume information, and how these habits are formed. However, sometimes consumers themselves may not know what they ultimately need, making it difficult to clarify potential information needs. Compared to material needs, information needs are primarily spiritual, so information consumers can achieve greater satisfaction than traditional consumers. Information products are an important factor in the information market, including information infrastructure and information resources. The information market is increasingly becoming a significant aspect of the information industry. Clearly, the fulfillment of information needs is achieved through information consumption, and the more information products consumers consume, the higher their capability. Information consumers are those who obtain more information than general consumers to meet internal needs or solve certain problems. Information consumer behavior can be simply described as behaviors such as demand, motivation, preference, choice, and risk. The information market is the venue for transactions in information products, and research on the information market includes theories of asymmetric information and equilibrium. Information policies play a supervisory role in the information market. Currently, research on information consumption is focused on the information product market, information product sales, personalized consumer studies, and the measurement of information consumers. This book pays particular attention to the measurement of information product and service quality and the measurement of information provider behavior. There are mainly two methods for measuring information consumption: one pioneered by Polat and the other developed by the Japanese Telecommunications Research Institute (RITE). In 1977, Polat divided the information sector into primary and secondary information sectors. The primary information sector directly transmits, processes, handles, and produces information, while the secondary information sector generally refers to government management departments. Current research is primarily focused on primary information sector products. The Japanese Telecommunications Research Institute uses statistical data and an indicator system to measure information consumption levels. Currently, measurement methods for information consumption activities are all related to Polat's method and RITE's method. This book studies information consumption and its level measurement, primarily exploring the theoretical system of information consumption measurement, proposing methods for measuring information consumption levels, and verifying the operability of the proposed methods through empirical analysis. The overall research of the book revolves around the measurement of information consumption:
1. The theoretical part of information consumption measurement. Chapter 1, "Overview of Information Consumption," primarily defines the connotation of information consumption and serves as the foundation for the subsequent theoretical research. The overview divides the research content of information consumption into four parts: information products and services, information consumers, information markets, and information policies, laws, and regulations. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 elaborate on information products, services, information markets, information consumer behavior, and information consumer rights and their protection, further refining the research content of information consumption. In the study of information consumption measurement methods, research focuses on the quality and utility measurement methods of information products, measurement methods related to information service personnel, measurement methods of information consumer demand and preferences, measurement methods of information market operation levels, measurement methods of information consumption policy levels, and overall measurement methods of information consumption.
2. The methodological part of information consumption measurement. In the methodological part of information consumption measurement (including Chapter 4, classification level measurement, and Chapter 5, overall level measurement), more than 20 measurement methods are proposed. In the practical part of information consumption measurement, more than ten measurement methods are adopted to conduct an empirical analysis of the information consumption level in universities in Shanxi, verifying the feasibility of the measurement methods proposed in this book. However, during the specific measurement process in the practical part, certain modifications are made to the measurement methods due to the limitations of the specific data obtained. These modifications do not affect the measurement methods themselves.
The structure of this book is as follows: Chapter 1, "Overview of Information Consumption," defines information consumption and proposes the differences between information consumption and traditional consumption, determines the research content of information consumption, gives the practical significance of studying information consumption, and elaborates on the guiding principles for the research on the level measurement of information consumption. Chapter 2, "Information Products, Services, and Information Market," discusses theories related to information products, information services, and the information market. Chapter 3, "Information Consumer Behavior," discusses theories of information consumption demand, information consumption motivation, information consumption preference, information consumption choice, and information consumption risk. Chapter 4, "Information Consumer Rights and Their Protection," discusses information consumer rights, information consumption disputes and their resolution, and online information consumption contracts. Chapter 5, "Classification Level Measurement of Information Consumption," proposes methods such as the information consumption index, information product quality measurement, information product consumption utility measurement, information service personnel-related measurement, information service level measurement, information consumption demand measurement, information consumption preference measurement, information consumption risk measurement, online information consumption measurement, information market operation level measurement, and information consumption policy level measurement, based on a review of measurement methods. Chapter 6, "Overall Level Measurement of Information Consumption," studies methods for overall information consumption measurement, discussing methods such as factor synthesis, index method, ratio method, input-output method, tax method, and analytic hierarchy process. Chapter 7, "Empirical Analysis and Suggestions," uses factor synthesis, structural analysis, and questionnaire surveys to conduct an empirical analysis of the information consumption level in universities in Shanxi, and estimates the current state of information consumption in Chinese universities based on this. "Conclusion" summarizes the reliability of theoretical assumptions and the operability of measurement methods through empirical analysis.