Human Information Interaction

Background and Aim: Personal Information Management (PIM) process consists of four activities; acquisition, organization, maintenance and retrieval. Obviously this process is due to human limitations and expanding scope of personal space of information which has become an exhausting and difficult process. Use of technology and tools related to PIM could facilitate this procedure.

This survey study aims to investigate PIM behavior and its four activities among graduate students in the University of Birjand and was performed on the basis of digital environment.

Method: Population of this study was all graduate students at the University of Birjand in the 2013-2014 academic year. Self assessment questionnaire was used to collect information.

Results and Conclusion: The results show that the overall PIM and all four activities among graduate students at the University of Birjand were less than estimated desired rate and there were significant differences between PIM in various course studies, also among master's and doctoral students. Computer and laptop was most used tools for storage of personal collection, the most widely used method for organizing based on content and finally the most common method for retrieval of information was based on the explanatory notes.

Originality: personal information management filed is a relatively new area of research and yet little research was performed in PIM area in Iran. Meanwhile the studies perform, have less focused on the behavioral aspects of PIM and have been more observing PIM tools and affecting factors