Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Rodriguez-Mori, Howard
Author's Email Address	rodrigh@simmons.edu
URN	etd-05072009-221219
Title	The Information Behavior of Puerto Rican Migrants to Central Florida, 2003-2009: Grounded Analysis of Six Case Studies of Social Networks During the Migration Process
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Information Studies, College of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Kathleen Burnett Committee Chair Michelle Kazmer Committee Member Sylvia Hall-Ellis Committee Member Felipe Korzenny Outside Committee Member
Keywords	Puerto Rico Orlando Central Florida Information Behavior Emergent Theory Information Seeking Behavior Puerto Rican Migration Puerto Ricans Grounded Theory Grounded Analysis
Date of Defense	2009-04-10
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The study of the information behavior of Puerto Ricans and their reliance on personal social networks to procure needed information upon their migration to Central Florida is the core of this research. Life experiences of the researcher, as well as unstructured observations made in Puerto Rico from 1980 to 1996, and in Central Florida from 1996 to 2005 indicated that Puerto Ricans steadily rely on family members, friends, and acquaintances to solve their information needs and have a tendency to use similar personal social networks to seek information and to make sense of the new environment upon migration. This dissertation sought to answer three main questions: Is the information seeking behavior of Puerto Ricans modified by their relocation experience? Once they relocate to Central Florida, how do they use their personal social networks to seek the information needed to make sense of their new environment?; and; What new patterns of information behavior, if any, emerge from their information transactions/ interactions in their new environment? To answer these questions, this study used the combination of Yin’s multiple case studies and Dervin’s Sense-Making interview design for data collection. For the analysis of the data, Glaser’s grounded theory emerging design was used. As the result of this study, a documented record of the patterns of information behavior of Puerto Ricans migrants in Central Florida, and an emergent grounded theory to that effect, are hereby presented.
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