Information Studies Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2780

Browse

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

The "Extra Layer of Things": Everyday Information Management Strategies and Unmet Needs of Moms with ADHD
(2024) Walsh, Sheila Ann; St. Jean, Beth; Information Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Mothers with ADHD need to manage their symptoms while balancing parenting responsibilities. Although technology is recommended to people with ADHD, there is limited related research in human-computer interaction (HCI). To help fill this gap, the author interviewed five mothers diagnosed with ADHD. The mothers, whose voices are largely unheard in HCI research, vividly describe their challenges managing everyday information and their attempts to adapt existing systems. The study uncovers a previously unrecognized tendency among moms with ADHD to frequently switch, and sometimes abandon, tools and systems. The study contributes to HCI by linking each finding to a design consideration. The study builds upon previous findings that neurodivergent individuals benefit from externalizing thoughts, providing new insights into how and why this occurs. These findings lay the groundwork for further HCI research and human-centered design initiatives to help parents with ADHD, and their families, thrive.
Library and Information Science Research and Neurodiversity: So Much Potential if We'd Just Apply Ourselves
(2023) Hoffman, Kelly M.; Jaeger, Paul T; St. Jean, Beth; Library & Information Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Neurodivergent people consistently face less optimal outcomes than neurotypical people in education, their careers, and other areas of life. Anecdotally, personal knowledge management (PKM) is a useful tool for neurodivergent individuals. However, there is sparse research involving the information practices of neurodivergent adults in the field of library andinformation science (LIS). A survey with both close-ended and open-ended questions, partially based on Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology (Dervin, 1992, 2000), was distributed online and received over 300 self-identifying neurodivergent participants. The results indicated that neurodivergent people use PKM most heavily in the Learning, Job, and Everyday domains for the purposes of Managing Tasks and Projects, Building Knowledge, Creating, and Self-Improvement. Common PKM activities engaged included Storing Information and Using It Later, Remembering What Needs to be Done, Understanding and Ideating, and Planning and Prioritizing. The most helpful benefits of PKM that were described were Connecting Ideas, Improving Thinking, and Having Fun. Overall, key themes regarding neurodivergent individuals’ PKM usage included Reducing Stress, Memory, and Externalizing. These findings provide a foundation for a much-needed LIS research agenda exploring the PKM practices of neurodivergent adults.