Entertainment media and the information practices of queer individuals

Publication date: Available online 14 February 2019Source: Library & Information Science ResearchAuthor(s): Diana Floegel, Kaitlin L. CostelloAbstractWhile LIS literature addresses queer individuals' information practices in certain contexts, a gap exists in understanding interactions with entertainment media (EM), which can be broadly defined as fictional and creative non-fiction content such as movies and television. Ten semi-structured interviews with queer individuals and content analysis of EM resources using constructivist grounded theory found that participants viewed EM as a salient part of their identity-related information practices. In particular, participants engaged in discovery practices that included seeking, satisficing, and triangulation, and consumption practices that included validation, fact-finding, evaluation, and creation. Participants discussed the complex and contextual positive and negative attributes of queer-representative EM, as well as their experiences attempting to access such content in information institutions. Findings suggest ways in which knowledge workers may improve EM-related information systems and services to better assist queer individuals.
Source: Library and Information Science Research - Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: research