Information literacy-related practices in the legal workplace: The applicability of Kuhlthau’s model to the legal profession

Abstract

This article examines evidence of information literacy in the context of legal education and legal practice in Nigeria. It seeks to explore the application of Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process model as the dominant framework used in investigating issues of uncertainty and task complexity in a study conducted among graduate lawyers in Nigeria. The article provides an analysis of the empirical validity of the model in investigating the connection between learning, experience and the development of expertise among novice practitioners in the legal workplace in Nigeria. Data were obtained using quantitative and qualitative approaches while a case study method was employed for the study. Based on the findings of the study, the article offers insight into the role of the cognitive and affective dimensions in information seeking and the implications they have on issues of curriculum design, teaching methods and learning experiences in the context of legal education and practice in Nigeria.

Keywords

Information literacy Information Search Process model legal education Nigeria task complexity uncertainty

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