IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jinfst/v75y2024i1p24-42.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Interaction with peers online: LGBTQIA+ individuals' information seeking and meaning‐making during the life transitions of identity construction

Author

Listed:
  • Romy Menghao Jia
  • Jia Tina Du
  • Yuxiang (Chris) Zhao

Abstract

People search for information and experiences and seek meaning as a common reaction to new life challenges. There is little knowledge about the interactions through which experiential information is acquired, and how such interactions are meaningful to an information seeker. Through a qualitative content analysis of 992 posts in an online forum, this study investigated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual (LGBTQIA+) individuals' online information interactions and meaning‐making with peers during their life transitions of identity construction. Our analysis reveals LGBTQIA+ people's life challenges across three transition stages (being aware of, exploring, and living with a new identity). Three main types of online peer interactions were identified within: cognitive, affective, and situational peer interactions. We found that online peer interactions are not only a type of information source that LGBTQIA+ individuals use to acquire understanding about themselves but a unique space for transformation learning and meaning‐making where they share self‐examination and reflection, conduct assessments and assumptions, and obtain strength and skills to initiate and adapt life transitions. The findings have theoretical contributions to the development of information behavior models of transitions and practical implications on providing information services that support LGBTQIA+ individuals' meaning‐making during the life transition.

Suggested Citation

  • Romy Menghao Jia & Jia Tina Du & Yuxiang (Chris) Zhao, 2024. "Interaction with peers online: LGBTQIA+ individuals' information seeking and meaning‐making during the life transitions of identity construction," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 75(1), pages 24-42, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:75:y:2024:i:1:p:24-42
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24837
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24837
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/asi.24837?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oliver L. Haimson & Albert J. Carter & Shanley Corvite & Brookelyn Wheeler & Lingbo Wang & Tianxiao Liu & Alexxus Lige, 2021. "The major life events taxonomy: Social readjustment, social media information sharing, and online network separation during times of life transition," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(7), pages 933-947, July.
    2. Marié P. Wissing & Lusilda Schutte & Christelle Liversage & Brenda Entwisle & Marianne Gericke & Corey Keyes, 2021. "Important Goals, Meanings, and Relationships in Flourishing and Languishing States: Towards Patterns of Well-being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(2), pages 573-609, April.
    3. Ethan C Cicero & Sari L Reisner & Elizabeth I Merwin & Janice C Humphreys & Susan G Silva, 2020. "The health status of transgender and gender nonbinary adults in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Ian Ruthven, 2021. "Resonance and the experience of relevance," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(5), pages 554-569, May.
    5. Aira Huttunen & Terttu Kortelainen, 2021. "Meaning‐making on gender: Deeply meaningful information in a significant life change among transgender people," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(7), pages 799-810, July.
    6. Vanessa Kitzie, 2019. "“That looks like me or something i can do”: Affordances and constraints in the online identity work of US LGBTQ+ millennials," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 70(12), pages 1340-1351, December.
    7. Bostwick, W.B. & Meyer, I. & Aranda, F. & Russell, S. & Hughes, T. & Birkett, M. & Mustanski, B., 2014. "Mental health and suicidality among racially/ethnically diverse sexual minority youths," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(6), pages 1129-1136.
    8. Shelagh K. Genuis & Jenny Bronstein, 2017. "Looking for “normal”: Sense making in the context of health disruption," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 68(3), pages 750-761, March.
    9. Shelley L. Craig & Vivian W. Y. Leung & Rachael Pascoe & Nelson Pang & Gio Iacono & Ashley Austin & Frank Dillon, 2021. "AFFIRM Online: Utilising an Affirmative Cognitive–Behavioural Digital Intervention to Improve Mental Health, Access, and Engagement among LGBTQA+ Youth and Young Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.
    10. Elfreda A. Chatman, 1999. "A theory of life in the round," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 50(3), pages 207-217.
    11. Chun Wei Choo & Indrani Nadarajah, 2014. "Early warning information seeking in the 2009 Victorian Bushfires," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 65(1), pages 84-97, January.
    12. Danielle Allard & Nadia Caidi, 2018. "Imagining Winnipeg: The translocal meaning making of Filipino migrants to Canada," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 69(10), pages 1193-1204, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vanessa L. Kitzie & Travis L. Wagner & Valerie Lookingbill & Nicolas Vera, 2022. "Advancing information practices theoretical discourses centered on marginality, community, and embodiment: Learning from the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and as," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(4), pages 494-510, April.
    2. Ian Ruthven, 2022. "An information behavior theory of transitions," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(4), pages 579-593, April.
    3. Xin Bao & Ping Ke, 2023. "Chaos, expansion, and contraction: The information worlds of depression patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(8), pages 971-989, August.
    4. Sarah Elizabeth Roberts, 2020. "The Bureaucratic and Political Work of Immigration Classifications: an Analysis of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and Access to Settlement Services in Canada," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 973-992, September.
    5. Stephann Makri, 2020. "Information informing design: Information Science research with implications for the design of digital information environments," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(11), pages 1402-1412, November.
    6. Amber L. Cushing & Páraic Kerrigan, 2022. "Personal information management burden: A framework for describing nonwork personal information management in the context of inequality," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(11), pages 1543-1558, November.
    7. Rong Tang & Bharat Mehra & Jia Tina Du & Yuxiang (Chris) Zhao, 2021. "Framing a discussion on paradigm shift(s) in the field of information," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(2), pages 253-258, February.
    8. Jhon Adrián Cerón-Guzmán & Daniel Tetteroo & Jun Hu & Panos Markopoulos, 2022. "“Not Sure Sharing Does Anything Extra for Me”: Understanding How People with Cardiovascular Disease Conceptualize Sharing Personal Health Data with Peers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-19, August.
    9. Nicole A. Cooke & Vanessa L. Kitzie, 2021. "Outsiders‐within‐Library and Information Science: Reprioritizing the marginalized in critical sociocultural work," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(10), pages 1285-1294, October.
    10. Thatcher, Andrew & Vasconcelos, Ana C. & Ellis, David, 2015. "An investigation into the impact of information behaviour on information failure: The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power disaster," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 57-63.
    11. Ian Ruthven, 2024. "Information sculpting," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 75(4), pages 483-495, April.
    12. Jordon D Bosse & Lisa Chiodo, 2016. "It is complicated: gender and sexual orientation identity in LGBTQ youth," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(23-24), pages 3665-3675, December.
    13. Natalie Pang & Stan Karanasios & Misita Anwar, 2020. "Exploring the Information Worlds of Older Persons During Disasters," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(6), pages 619-631, June.
    14. Chiang, Szu-Ying & Fleming, Theresa & Lucassen, Mathijs F.G. & Fouche, Christa & Fenaughty, John, 2018. "From secrecy to discretion: The views of psychological therapists on supporting Chinese sexual and gender minority young people," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 307-314.
    15. Aurora González-Teruel & Gregorio González-Alcaide & Maite Barrios & María-Francisca Abad-García, 2015. "Mapping recent information behavior research: an analysis of co-authorship and co-citation networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 103(2), pages 687-705, May.
    16. Marco Giovanni Mariani & Rita Chiesa & Elena Lo Piccolo & Gerardo Petruzziello, 2023. "Invest in Your Mental Health, Support Your Career. Exploring the Impact of Mental Health Activities on Movement Capital and the Mediating Role of Flourishing and Career Engagement during the Transitio," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, April.
    17. Luke Balcombe & Diego De Leo, 2022. "Evaluation of the Use of Digital Mental Health Platforms and Interventions: Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-23, December.
    18. Aurora González-Teruel & Francisca Abad-García, 2018. "The influence of Elfreda Chatman’s theories: a citation context analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(3), pages 1793-1819, December.
    19. Aira Huttunen & Terttu Kortelainen, 2021. "Meaning‐making on gender: Deeply meaningful information in a significant life change among transgender people," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(7), pages 799-810, July.
    20. Rebekah Willson & Heidi Julien & Gary Burnett, 2022. "JASIS&T special issue on information behavior and information practices theory," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(4), pages 491-493, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:75:y:2024:i:1:p:24-42. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.asis.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.