Connecting with new information landscapes: Information literacy practices of refugees

Purpose: The purpose of the research reported in this article is to understand how refugees learn to engage with acomplex, multimodal information landscape and how their information literacy practice may be constructed to enablethem to connect and be included in their new information landscape.Methodology: The study is framed through practice and socio-cultural theories. A qualitative research design isemployed including semi-structured face-to-face interviews and focus groups which are thematically analysed throughan information practice lens.Findings: Refugees encounter complex and challenging information landscapes that present barriers to their fullparticipation in their new communities. Social inclusion becomes possible where information is provided via sharingthrough trusted mediators who assist with navigating the information landscape and information mapping, and throughvisual and social sources.Research limitations/implications: The study is local and situated and therefore not empirically generalizable. It doeshowever provide rich, deep description and explanation that is instructive beyond the specific research site andcontributes to theory building.Practical implications: The study highlights the role, and importance, of social and visual information sources and thekey role of service providers as mediators and navigators. Governments, funders and service providers can use thesefindings to inform their service provision.Originality/value: This is an original research paper in which the results provide practical advice for those workingwith refugees and which also extends theories of information literacy practice as an information practice.