[Résumé] The impact of cultural dimensions on information behavior. Considerations for conducting information user research.

PhD, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies, University of Warsaw (Poland), Academic Librarian at The University of Warsaw Library, and Associate Member of Laboratoire GERiiCO (University of Lille), she is a member of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Library Theory and Research Section. Her main areas of interest include open science, information literacy in a multicultural context, and users of information. ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1015-2000

In my presentation, I will investigate how cultural dimensions influence academic information behavior, with particular attention to the role of intercultural competence in information user research. I carried a study during a research stay in Vietnam (2016–2017) among students of the University of Danang. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combined a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews to examine students’ information needs, literacy, and everyday academic practices. This will be the main subject of my presentation. Parallelly, I will draw an analytical framework based on Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions—particularly power distance, collectivism, and long-term orientation—as well as Confucian educational values. I will show how hierarchical relationships, group harmony, and teacher-centered learning significantly affect students’ engagement with information and their expectations toward authority and knowledge. I will also argue that cultivating intercultural competence—encompassing awareness, knowledge, and skills—is essential for designing and interpreting cross-cultural studies on information behavior.