International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

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Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Lawyers in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Open access

Mohd Razilan Abdul Kadir, Tuan Safa’at Tuan Ameri, Ahmad Zam Hariro Samsudin, Ahmad Nazri Mansor

Pages 2973-2989 Received: 20 Sep, 2024 Revised: 15 Oct, 2024 Published Online: 30 Oct, 2024

http://dx.doi.org/10.46886/IJARBSS/v14-i10/12833
User studies continue to be an important area of library research, as studying the information needs and seeking behaviour of specific user groups has contributed to the development of a variety of necessary services in Malaysia. This study aims to investigate the information needs and seeking behaviour of lawyers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A realistic concept of legal information seeking behavior would respond to the observation that lawyers, in such activities, routinely change from one information seeking strategies to another. Furthermore, information seeking is a crucial part of among practicing lawyers and as well as other professions. The study opted a survey method where questionnaires were polled from 182 lawyers. The information needs and information seeking behaviour are observed via measurement items related to six variables of information required to meet lawyers’ daily needs, purpose prompting lawyers to seek information, sources of information obtained by lawyers, seeking strategies of lawyers in information retrieval, challenges faced by lawyers in information seeking and effectiveness of information seeking. Findings of the study lead to indication that the practicing lawyers’ information needs and seeking behaviour were inclined towards searching resources mainly for drafting document and for their case preparation. The finding also reaffirmed the dominant use of online sources in fulfilling legal information needs was of a paramount importance to lawyers. Thus, being a bedrock to a judicial process success, the right online resources should be provided and the authorized or relevant providers should be aware of what kind of legal information mostly needed and or being sought.
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