DIVERSITY OF INFORMATION NEEDS WITHIN THE UP LGBT STUDENT

COMMUNITY

MIKEE JAY CAMILLE MORAL CHAN

SUBMITTED TO THE
SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES SYSTEM
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

JUNE 2017
 UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION STUDIES

Bachelor of Library and Information Science

Mikee Jay Camille Moral Chan

Diversity of Information Needs Within the UP LGBT Student Community

Thesis Adviser
Mr. Benedict Salazar Olgado
School of Library and Information Studies
University of the Philippines Diliman

Date of Submission
June, 2017
Permission is given for the following people to have access to this thesis:

Circle one or more concerns: I, P, C

Available to the general public Yes, No

Available only after consultation with author/thesis adviser Yes, No

Available only to those bound by confidentiality agreement Yes, No

Student’s signature:

Signature of thesis adviser:

2
“I hereby grant the University of the Philippines non-exclusive worldwide, royalty-free license to
reproduce, publish and publicly distribute copies of this thesis or dissertation in whatever form subject to
the provisions of applicable laws, the provisions of the UP IPR policy and any contractual obligations, as
well as more specific permission marking on the Title Page.”

“Specifically I grant the following rights to the University:

a) To upload a copy of the work in the theses database of the college / school / institute /
department and in any other databases available on the public internet;
b) To publish the work in the college / school / institute / department journal, both in print
and electronic or digital format and online; and
c) To give open access to above-mentioned work, thus allowing “fair use” of the work in
accordance with the provisions of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines
(Republic Act No. 8293), especially for teaching, scholarly and research purposes.”

___________________________________
[Student’s Name]

3
 This undergraduate thesis entitled, "[Thesis Title]", prepared and submitted by Mr.

[Student's Name] in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Library

and Information Science, is hereby accepted.

BENEDICT S. OLGADO

Adviser

Accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Library

and Information Science.

KATHLEEN LOURDES B. OBILLE

Dean

4
 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Name : Mikee Jay Camille M. Chan

Date of Birth : February 7, 1995

Place of Birth : Caloocan City, NCR

Educational Attainment : Bachelor of Library and Information Science

School of Library and Information Studies
University of the Philippines Diliman
Quezon City, June 2017

Work Experience : Administrative Assistant, RN Ferrer and Associates, Inc.

September 2016 - November 2016

Customer Service Representative

May 2014 - August 2014

Tutor, UPGRADE Tutorial

June 2012 - March 2014

5
6
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The researcher would like to thank her three best college buddies, Baby Joy, Ann Cheneth,

and Andrea Vale for all the positivity they have given on the days where the researcher feels so

hopeless in her thesis and most specially for saving her for being friendless in college. Without

them most probably this acknowledgement page will be empty. To the researcher’s new found

cousin, JC Navera, and to Mia Altre, thank you very much for helping her write this thesis and

survive her archives classes. The researcher appreciates the relationship she had with JC and Mia

since the summer internship that was shared together in SIL. In addition, the researcher would also

like to thank Mr. Manuel Tamayao, library and archives manager of SIL, for sharing ideas and

encouragements. The experience and knowledge had shared are truly kept.

The researcher would like to express her deep gratitude to his very supportive and

understanding thesis adviser, Mr. Benedict Olgado as well as to the SLIS Faculty especially Mr.

Elijah Dar Juan. Without them the researcher will not be able to write this thesis. All the knowledge

that had been shared are cherished and used well.

The researcher is really grateful to her best friend, Anirban, for supporting, helping, and

staying with her during the wee hours just to proof read. The researcher will be forever thankful

to Anirban for never stop believing to her capabilities. And last but not the least, the researcher

would like to thank her parents and sisters for the patience given to her.

7
 DEDICATION

This is for all the Filipino LGBT.

8
 ABSTRACT

This study explored the information needs of LGBT undergraduate students of UP Diliman.

It aimed to assess the similarities and difference of information needs of each class, of the LGBT

community, in relation to their sexual and gender identities. The study also investigated the

information sources LGBT undergraduate students of Dilman use in their daily life. Guided by

Robert Taylor’s question formation, the researcher disseminated online survey on various social

media and conducted a series of focus group discussions to each member of LGBT to gain deeper

insight about the information they seek. It was discovered in the study that the information needs

of each member of LGBT undergraduate students of UP Diliman are similar to each other. All of

them still seek coming out information, mental health information, and support groups. There is a

slight difference discovered in their information needs. But it is due to some factors such as

availability of resources. Moreover, the result of the study showed internet is the the top

information resource used by the UP Diliman LGBT students because of its convenience,

accessibility, and the anonymity it gives which are the three important things that they consider

when it comes to utilizing information resources for their use. The study concluded that the

information needs of the UP Diliman LGBT students are affected by their academic needs, since

most of them came out or had realized that they are non-binary after attending gender and sexuality

courses in UP Diliman.

Descriptors:

LGBT, information needs, LGBT students

9
10
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page

I. INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 5
Objectives of the Study 6
Significance of the Study 7
Scope and Limitations of the Study 7
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 9

LGBT Information Needs 9

LGBT Diverse Information Needs 11

LGBT Coming Out Information Needs 11
LGBT College Information Needs 12
LGBT Library Information Needs 13
LGBT Internet Information Needs 14

Theoretical Framework of the Study 16

Robert Taylor Question Formation 16

Conceptual Framework of the Study 18

Definition of Terms 21
III. METHODOLOGY 232

Research Design 22
Population and Sample 22
Research Instruments 23
Data Collection 24
Analysis of Data 25
IV. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA 26

Online Survey 26
Profile of Respondents 26
Information Needs 28
Information Sources 29

Focus Group Discussion 30

Information Needs 30
Information Sources 31
40
V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 33

11
 Summary 33
Restatement of the Problem 33
Description of Methodology 33
Principal Findings of the Study 33

Conclusions 36
Recommendations 37
VI. REFERENCES 38

APPENDICES

A - Timetable 41
B - Interview Schedule 42
C - Online Poster 45
D - Online Survey 46

12
 LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Types of Information 19

2. LGBT Information Needs 34

13
 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page

1. Robert Taylor’s question formation 18

2. LGBT information needs diagram blueprint 20

3. Age graph 26

4. Biological sex graph 27

5. Sexual orientation graph 27

6. Information needs graph 28

7. Information sources graph 29

14
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The now-ubiquitous acronym ‘LGBT’ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) is the most

common way of referring to the gay community, with most people tending to think that such a

fourfold classification ends with ‘transgender’. However, the term ‘LGBT’ is itself a shorthand for

an even more diverse community that the term allows for: a community of sexual minorities

comprised of different sexual and gender identities that is quite distinct from each other. Attempts

to rectify this perception have resulted in more variations of letter extensions that keep on adding

to the acronym to represent and encompass all the identities that there are. For instance,

‘LGBTQIA’ represents, in addition to the standard classifications, the queer, the intersex, and the

agender. On the other hand, ‘LGBTQQIP2SAA’ represents the questioning, the pansexual, the

two-spirit, twhe agender, and the asexual. The acronym can even go as long as

‘LGBPTTQQIIAA+’ which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer,

questioning, intersex, intergender, asexual, and the plus sign indicating all the other identities that

go beyond (Zak, 2013). The seemingly never-ending letter extensions and the plus sign in these

attempts are illustrative of the LGBT community’s diversity.

These emerging identities in the LGBT community have caught the attention of library

scholars. It was in 1990 when Creelman and Harris started their pioneer study on the information

needs of lesbian library users during their initial coming out process. According to their study, it

was discovered that a large percentage of the lesbian library users were aware that there were

15
LGBT materials available in the library that contained information that could help in their coming

out process. However, the respondents of the study were generally unsatisfied with the available

LGBT materials due to the bulk of the information being centred around the male experience of

coming out. The research done by Alisa Whitt (1993), on the other hand, where she surveyed

lesbian library users to assess their satisfaction on the available LGBT materials in libraries,

revealed that a majority of the respondents of her research were discontented with the library

service due to its lacks of materials that could fulfil their information needs. Another pioneering

study by Joyce and Schrader (1997), which focused on the information needs of gay library users,

of Edmonton Public Library, during the coming out process, found that gay library users were

aware that the library could be considered as a chief source of information regarding

homosexuality however, the problem was that the Edmonton Public Library did not have enough

LGBT materials to satisfy this group’s information needs. While the authors have suggested that

the library might have had adequate material on the subject, they also noted the library’s lack of

promotion of these materials and, as a result, gay library users were not aware of the availability

of these LGBT material.

In the Philippines, different sexual and gender identities have begun emerging and similar

LGBT studies in the field of library science are limited. Juan Inciong’s (2014) study on the

representation of Filipiniana LGBT books in select university libraries in Metro Manila is just one

of two LGBT theses at the UP School of Library and Information Studies (UP SLIS) that can be

searched for in the library’s Online Access Public Catalog (OPAC). In his research, he found that

all four universities that were covered in his study had adequate representation of LGBT material

in the library, with consideration given to the fact that some of those universities were Catholic

schools. Inciong’s bibliography of these materials showed that the majority of the LGBT books in
16
the academic libraries he studied are short stories, anthologies, and poetry that are mostly based

on real-life experiences (Inciong, 2014, p.66).

One can argue that there are enough foreign LGBT studies in the field of Library and

Information Science. Ever since Creelman and Harris pioneered user studies with lesbians in 1990,

numerous library scholars have followed in their footsteps. However, despite the significant

number of research in the LIS field, there still exist gaps in the studies done. Patrick Keilty (2006)

pointed out these gaps in his article ‘Information Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and

Transgender.’ According to his article, a majority of the research done focused only on one of the

classifications of the LGBT community. It was mostly either a user study of gays or lesbians. There

is very little research, almost none, focusing specifically on bisexuals, transgenders, and other

members of the community. Library scholars have failed to give equal representation to each of

the communities, an important criterion to ensure equal attention to the concerns and needs of each

of the individuals. Another gap that was suggested by Keilty is that a majority of the studies were

very specific with the information needs of the LGBT individuals during their coming out process;

and that most of the respondents in these studies were library users which made these research

library-centric. It would be optimal if the studies centred primarily on LGBT individuals

themselves so libraries and information centers could have an idea as to what kind of information

these users need and what the organizations can do to address these requirements.

In the case of the Philippines, there is a growing visibility of LGBT academic research in

general though in LIS, research in this area is still very limited. As mentioned earlier, there are

only two LGBT theses currently at the UP SLIS. Similar to the LIS research abroad, both studies

are library-centric. The only difference is that the local studies focused on the availability and

content of LGBT material in the library and the foreign studies focused on the library users. Both
17
studies concluded that there was a good representation of LGBT materials in the academic libraries

in Metro Manila. However, the research done did not cover if the availability of the material in the

libraries were known and whether the information provided for were or had been indeed useful to

the users of the library.

A study that analyzes the everyday information needs that relate to the sexual or gender

identity of, as much as possible, all the members of the community would be ideal as it would be

able to give a wide range of information to everyone, information that is not limited to only the

coming out process of the gay and the lesbian members of the community. Moreover, being aware

of the information needs of the LGBT members would validate the suitability of the available

library materials with regard to the needs of its LGBT users and also contribute in collective

development of policies that are favorable to the same community.

Statement of the problem

Limited LGBT research in the Philippines is one of the main reasons why there is a lack of

studies in LIS focusing on the information needs of members of the LGBT community. So far,

there have only been two LGBT theses available at the UP School of Library and Information

Studies and both studies are content analysis of LGBT material in academic libraries in Metro

Manila. None of the research have discussed about the information needs of sexual minorities.

Foreign studies, on the other hand, despite there being enough, have mostly focused only on the

information needs of the gay and the lesbian library users during the coming out process. None has

yet explored the daily or general information needs of the LGBT members. Since a majority of the

studies are centered on the two classifications of the LGBT community and specific to the coming

18
out process, the information available for the LGBT community has become restricted and

inadequate for many members. To address the issue stated, this study would like to explore the

different information needs of each class of the LGBT community. The main query of the present

study is proposed to be answered through analyzing the following:

1. What information in daily life do the members of the LGBT seek that relate to their sexual

or gender identity?

2. What type of information do members of the LGBT specifically need?

3. What are the differences among the LGBT members' information needs?

4. What accounts for the differences among the LGBT members’ information needs?

Objectives

The main objective of this research is to explore the information needs of each

classification of the LGBT community in order to lay foundations for highlighting more precise

problem for future studies. To achieve the main objective, the central aim of this study would be

to analyse the information needs of each of the classes of the LGBT community in relation to their

sexual or gender identities and compare the differences among their needs if any. The goal is to

provide a list that categorizes and differentiates the information needs of each class of the LGBT

community.

Significance of the study

This research seeks to be a huge contribution in widening society’s knowledge and

19
understanding regarding the daily information needs of the LGBT. In that way, it could help raise

LGBT awareness and gender equality. Moreover, this study can also help to bring out the specific

concerns of each member of the community and help information professionals and institutions

address them. The output of this research will help LIS as well to improve its services to LGBT

patrons. Lastly, the information that will be gathered in this study will help LGBT scholars develop

new research.

Scope and Limits

The research will cover the everyday information needs of each class of the LGBT

community relating to their sexual or gender identity. This study will include the undergraduate

college students of UP Diliman within the age range of 15 – 24 years old as per the definition of

youth, according to the United Nations. The research will be exclusive to LGBT, excluding their

straight allies since they are heterosexuals. This study recognizes the existence of all members of

the LGBT however, due to limited population in UP Diliman, lesbian, gay, bisexual and,

transgender will be the only classes covered in this study although, it is open to include other

classes as long as there are a sufficient number of members. Since this study is exploratory, the

research will not go beyond on neither the analysis of the performance of the libraries in providing

information nor the evaluation of the information sources.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

20
 Since the explosion in the last century of scholarly interest in the subject of non-

heterosexual gender identities, there has been considerable research within the field of LIS on the

information needs of the LGBT community. Most of these studies however are from the West and

quite outdated, with a majority dating back to the 1990s and the early 2000s. A lot has changed in

the way we get our information since then and there could have been changes in the information

needs of the LGBT themselves. Most notably, the ubiquitous presence of the Internet in the daily

lives of people in this decade, offering novel ways of access to information and the ways specific

communities such as the LGBT acquire these. Ten literatures, since the publishing of the first user

study in 1990, have been reviewed for this study to identify and to understand the information

needs of the LGBT through the years.

LGBT Information Needs

One basic observation in reviewed literature is that the LGBT have considerable diversity

in their information needs. These vary depending on the demographics and phase of their sexuality.

For instance, during the ‘coming out’ phase, it appears that gays and lesbians have similar

information needs. Both primarily sought for information that would help them explain and

understand their sexuality, and for information that would help them come out to their families

and friends (Stenback and Schrader, 1999; O’Leary, 2005; Schaller, 2011). The sexual orientation

and the gender identity also play a role in the difference in information needs. Transgenders, in

contrast to gays and lesbians, during their coming out process look for information that would give

a name to what they are feeling and for information that would answer whether they are gay or
21
otherwise (Pierce and Adams, 2013). It is also apparent from one study that once an LGBT

individual comes out, their need for information relating to their sexuality reduces (O’Leary,

2005).

Age is another factor that differentiates the information needs of LGBT individuals. Older

LGBT members tend to look for health and lifestyle information (p. 70) while younger ones are

least interested in such topics and instead, look more for information related to coming out and

their sexuality (Norman, 1999).

Occupational status can also be another factor in differences in information needs. Fikar

and Keith’s study (2004) on the information needs of LGBT health professionals revealed that

such health professionals look for information about intimate partner violence and loss, sexual

health practices, adolescent depression and suicide, and cancer. The results of their study are quite

distinct from the rest as most of the literature being reviewed here show similar results regarding

LGBT information needs, which is usually about entertainment, politics and law, history and

sexual identity (Creelman and Harris 1990; Joyce and Schrader, 1995; Schaller, 2011). It can be

observed that a majority of the information needs of the LGBT professionals reflect the needs of

their profession.

Culture has little impact on the differences in information needs of LGBT individuals.

Yang’s study (2000) on Taiwanese academic gay community Internet users revealed that, similar

to western LGBT individuals, they use the Internet to seek information regarding their sexuality

and coming out.

22
LGBT Diverse Information Needs

LGBT Coming Out Information Needs

A majority of the information needs research done in the past focused on the coming out

process of the LGBT individuals. Creelman and Harris (1990), who pioneered a user study in LIS

research, concentrated in the coming out process of Canadian lesbian library users. They concluded

in their study that the lesbians have distinct information needs during the coming out stage of their

lives. Stenback and Schrader (1999) replicated the work of Creelman and Harris to support the

result of the study by finding the information needs of Canadian lesbians during the phase of

establishing their lesbian identity. They were able to establish three emerging themes in the coming

out information needs of lesbians: (1) coming to terms with the lesbian identity, (2) coming out to

others and (3) finding and learning about the lesbian community. Respondents were primarily

looking for information that acknowledged and assisted them to accept their own sexual identity.

Hamer (2003) also established three categories of information needs of young gay men from New

Jersey during their coming out process. According to him, young gay men would usually seek

information linked to self-labelling, consequences of self-identifying as gay and forming an

understanding of the gay identity. The mentioned information needs of gays and lesbians help

them cope with the coming out process.

LGBT College Students Information Needs

Even though there has been an explosion of LGBT research in the last century, user studies

focusing on LGBT college students are still very limited. The researcher was only able to find one

study regarding it.

Susann Schaller (2011) studied the information needs and seeking behaviour of library
23
users of Jackson Library in her research ‘Information Needs of LGBTQ College Students’. She

aimed to find if the LGBT college students were satisfied with the services Jackson Library

provided and how it could be improved. In her study, she discovered that the LGBT students were

mainly interested in social and political information, alongside information on the legal

marginalization of LGBT and religion. They were least interested in information relating to finding

support groups. When it comes to information needs during the coming out process on the other

hand, the participants defined a need for expert opinions and scientific information (p.105).

Based on the findings of Schaller, a concrete conclusion regarding the information seeking

behaviour of LGBT college students cannot be given as the respondents are suspected to have been

biased since the participants were from the Pride Student Association. It can be observed that their

information needs are related to their role in the Pride Student Association as an advocate in raising

awareness on issues relating to the LGBT. There could be other information needs that are sought

by non-members of the Pride Student Association. They could be needing information about

support groups, which is usually sought by younger LGBT individuals. With that being said, a

study that explores the information needs of LGBT college students further is needed to formulate

a more concrete conclusion on their information behaviour.

LGBT Library Information Needs

LGBT user studies have shown that the library satisfaction of LGBT individuals is

generally low (Whitt, 1993). Librarians are not usually helpful due to a lack of LGBT knowledge

(Joyce and Schrader, 1997) that causes a development of library anxiety among the LGBT library

users (Schaller, 2011). They tend to not ask for the help of librarians due to fear of rejection of

their sexuality. There is also a lack of LGBT display in the libraries that make it a non-LGBT-

24
friendly place. However, despite the ‘negative’ comments about the library as an information

centre, it is still acknowledged by the LGBT community as a place to gain information relating to

LGBT. Lesbians cited library as their information source during coming out (Stencaback and

Schrader 1999), which landed fifth out of a total of eight primary destinations for LGBT

information by homosexuals (Garnar, 2000).

It is assumed in research that the LGBT come to the library to seek information regarding

their sexuality. In Norman’s study (1999), it was shown that the LGBT use libraries to look for

information regarding politics, LGBT history, coming out process and health issues. Similar results

were shown in O’leary’s (2005) research regarding library use of the LGBT. Her Sheffield’s

respondents usually visit the library to find information regarding coming out to family members

or alternatively, being accepted by family members for their sexuality, information on gay rights

and laws concerning LGBT issues and, most prominently, local social or support groups in the

area. As evidenced, it appeared in studies that the LGBT do not visit the library to only look for

information related to their sexuality. In fact, in Norman’s study, the top reason of the LGBT for

using the library was found to be for pleasure reading. LGBT student respondents of O’Leary from

Sheffield sought out novels, newspapers, reference items and travel information. It can be argued

that homosexuals have similar interests and information seeking behaviour with their heterosexual

counterpart. Even Norman stated in his study that there is a gap in literature showing that LGBT

scholars underestimate the recreational needs of LGBT individuals.

LGBT Internet Information Needs

The Internet has given people seemingly endless cyberspace that can be used in exploring

and finding information anonymously. Due to its wide range of coverage of information and its

25
private and anonymous nature, it becomes a very good place for the LGBT to seek information. In

fact, it is considered as the primary information source of the LGBT community (Pierce and

Adams, 2013; Garnar, 2000).

Kingston is the first LGBT scholar who considered the Internet in the information seeking

behaviour of homosexuals. In his study in 1998, he conducted an Internet survey on the LGBT

students of Indiana University regarding their internet use. It was discovered in the research that

the LGBT students used the Internet because of its up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS, its

collection of online erotica and its assistance for academic purposes. Chung-Chuan Yang’s (2000)

study, considered as the sole LGBT information seeking study done in a non-Western context,

showed that the Taiwanese gay community seek information, social interaction, entertainment and

relaxation, personal revelation, preference, privacy and escapism, pass time and novelty.

It can be observed in reviewed literature that similar to the LGBT library information

needs, the LGBT do not use the Internet just to seek information relating to their sexuality but also

for entertainment and privacy which are usually overlooked in LGBT research. Accuracy of

information is another issue that is neglected by LGBT scholars. Pierce and Adams (2013), though

have raised this issue in their study, failed to focus on it too much.

From the literature review performed, it can be observed that the majority of the research

are done abroad, particularly in USA and Canada. Yang’s (2000) study is the sole study that

focused on Asian homosexuals. However, Yang’s research is already quite outdated - a research

gap in LGBT studies. There could be changes in the information needs of Yang’s respondents
26
considering currently, Taiwanese are becoming more accepting towards homosexuals which is a

factor that affects the Internet information needs of the Taiwanese gay community (p.169). There

is as well an evident lack of equal representation in LIS LGBT studies that make the available

information needs about the LGBT limited to gay and lesbian coming out processes. With that

being said, this study wants to fill this gap in LGBT research. It wishes to explore the information

needs of LGBT Filipinos to contribute to the LGBT studies, which is currently lacking in the

information science field (Keilty, 2007), especially in the Philippines.

Theoretical Framework

This study will be guided by Robert Taylor’s landmark insights on the process of question-

negotiation in seeking out the information needs of users (Taylor, 1968). According to him, there

are four levels in question formation. In the first stage, which he called “visceral need”, the

conscious and unconscious need of information is not existing in the remembered experience. This

can be a dissatisfaction that can be disregarded eventually during the development of the

investigation or can be retained if it is found as something important, but this need will still be

inexpressible. The inexpressible need will then transition to the conscious mental description of

an ill-defined area of decision that becomes a “conscious need”. At this point, the person, the

inquirer, will have an ambiguous description and rambling statement of his information need. He

might then start asking other people to make the need clearer to him or sometimes even get an

answer. The inquirer expects two elements in his questioning: (a) an understanding of the

ambiguities by his receiver; and (b) the gradual disappearance of these ambiguities during the

dialogue. Eventually the “conscious need” will be a “formalized need” where the inquirer has built
27
a rational statement of question. The last stage of the question formation will be the “compromised

need” where the inquirer will seek for the information needed.

The stages of question formation can be divided into two parts, as shown in figure 1, that

would help determine the information need of an individual. The first two stages of the question

formation are the part where an individual has recognized the information need. After an individual

has finalized his information need, he will then interact socially or seek information from resource

material where new information need will be formulated.

Figure 1. Robert Taylor’s question formation

28
Conceptual Framework

Based on the literature review, it can clearly be seen that there are gaps in the information

needs studies done in the past, especially in giving equal representation to members of the LGBT.

This study will try to fill the gaps by identifying the similarities, differences and unique

information needs of each class. The information needs that will be identified are going to be

classified based on the type of information it is. This study will adapt Norwood’s (1994) type of

information classification, which is as follows:

Table 1

Type of Information

Type of Information Description

Coping information Information to resolve basic physiological needs

(e. g hunger, thirst, bodily comforts)

Helping information Information to resolve needs related to personal

safety level

Enlightening information Information to resolve higher-level needs such as

those related to personal relationship
development.

Empowering information Information for resolving needs related to

personal esteem (e,g to gain approval and
recognition)

Edifying information Information for resolving needs related to self-

fulfillment and realizing one’s potential.

29
 Lesbian-
Lesbian- Transgender
Gay G-L-T
Information
Information Info.
Needs
Needs Needs
LGBT
L-G-B college L-B-T
Info. students Info.
Needs Information Needs
Needs
Gay – G-B-T Transgender-
bisexual Bisexual
Information Info. Information
Needs Needs
Needs

Figure 2. LGBT information needs diagram blueprint

30
Definition of Terms
LGBT - acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. It is the general term for people who

are non-cis gender or non-heterosexual (Working definition).

Biological sex – person’s anatomy as male, female or intersex (APA, 2011).

Bisexual – a biological male or female who is sexually or romantically attracted to both biological

males and females (Working definition).

Gay – a biological male who is emotionally, sexually and romantically attracted to biological males

(Working definition).

Gender identity - refers to one's sense of oneself as male, female or something else (APA, 2011).

Lesbian - a biological female who is emotionally, sexually and romantically attracted to biological

females (Working definition).

Sexual orientation – person’s sexual and emotional attraction to another person. Transgender - a

person whose gender identity differs from the assigned gender at birth (Working definition).

Transmen – a person whose biological sex is female but his gender identity is male (Working

definition).

Transwoman - a person whose biological sex is male but her gender identity is female (Working

definition).

CHAPTER III
31
 METHODOLOGY

Research Design

A cross-sectional research was conducted for this study to know if there were any

differences and similarities in information need of each member of the LGBT. The researcher

conducted a series of focus group discussions (FGD) to explore the experiences of the LGBT

during their coming out process, identity acceptance and everyday life. The focus group

discussions enabled the researcher to gain an understanding of the individuals' experienced actual

information needs. Information that was collected helped the researcher differentiate the unique

needs of each member of the LGBT.

Since this study does not aim to provide any final and conclusive answer but instead aims

to explore the information needs of the LGBT, an exploratory research and qualitative method of

study was implemented.

Population and Sample

The respondents of this study were undergraduate LGBT students of UP Diliman whose

ages were between 17 - 25 years. A purposive sampling was used to gather a pair of lesbians, gays,

bisexuals, transgender women, and transgender men. The researcher originally planned to seek

help from UP Babaylan, an LGBT student organization based in UP Diliman, to gather

respondents. However, the organization took an extensive amount of time to respond, which was

beyond the researcher’s time frame in conducting the study. As a backup plan, the researcher sent
32
out focus group discussion invitations to her LGBT friends and utilized social media to seek LGBT

respondents willing to join the FGD. It was quite challenging to find respondents as anonymity

was a major issue. Most of them were not comfortable in revealing their physical identity while

others were too shy to interact with other LGBT members. Although, there were a few who were

very willing to participate. Most of those who were willing were members and applicants of UP

Babaylan. Conflict of schedules was as well a drawback for some respondents to not attend the

FGD.

Research Instruments

The researcher used a time table (Appendix A) to fix schedule conflicts between the

respondents and researcher. An interview schedule (Appendix B) was as well used while

conducting the FGD that guided and kept the researcher on track with the discussion. The entire

focus group discussion was recorded and the researcher took notes for key points mentioned by

the participants.

An online poster (Appendix C) for call for respondents was posted to various social media

groups to invite LGBT UP Diliman students to join the research. An online survey questionnaire

(Appendix D) was used to gather demographic information and to evaluate the basic information

needs of prospect respondents.

Data Collection

33
 An online survey was disseminated on various social media where the researcher was able

to gain insight on the general information needs of LGBT undergraduate students of UP Diliman.

The researcher took the opportunity to invite those who answered the online survey to join a

personal FGD. Those who responded to the invitation attended a series of FGDs. The respondents

were grouped according to the sexuality they identify themselves as. The researcher was able to

achieve the target respondents which was a pair of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. However, since

the transgender community in UP Diliman is very small, no transgender was able to participate in

the FGD. A pair of queer respondents though took part in the FGD as an alternative. The FGD

conducted consisted of two parts; (1) pre-FGD where respondents were interviewed per group

based on their self-identified sexuality, and (2) post-FGD where every member of the LGBT took

part. However, due to schedule conflicts, the group of queers were not able to attend.

Analysis of Data

The researcher used the key points that were taken down in the notes during the discussions

to help discover the information needs of LGBT undergraduate students of UP Diliman that relate

to their sexuality. Information that was obtained from the FGDs were cross referenced with the

respondents’ answers in the online survey questionnaire. The researcher also summarized the

answers of those respondents who took part in the online survey but did not attend the FGD.

34
 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Online Survey

Profile of Respondents

35
 Figure 3. Age graph

A total of 28 LGBT respondents participated in the online survey the researcher

disseminated via social media. Respondents were asked for demographic information such as age,

biological sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The age bracket of the respondents was 17

- 25 years old as shown in figure 3 above.

36
 Figure 4. Biological sex graph

Figure 5. Sexual orientation graph

Biological female, as shown in figure 4, made up 64.3% of the respondents and the

remainder were all biological male (35.7%). A majority of the respondents identified themselves
37
as bisexuals (51.14%) followed by queers (17.9%), gay (14.3%), and lesbians (7.1%), as shown in

figure 5.

Information Needs

Figure 6. Information Needs graph

Based on the results of the online survey, UP Diliman LGBT undergraduate students seek

information relating to their sexual identity. It includes information regarding self-labelling, sexual

orientation and gender identity understanding. It is evident as well from the result that a lot of

LGBT undergraduate students look for information that relate to their mental health, such as

anxiety and depression. The information that is least sought by the respondents is health

information, such as diet, skin care, and genetics. Sexual health though ranked third (50%) together

with LGBT politics. Aside from the information needs mentioned above, two queer respondents

mentioned LGBT psychology, LGBT merchandise, LGBT social norms, LGBT fashion & art, and

38
gender inclusivity and mainstreaming as their need that other members do not seek.

Information Sources

Figure 7. Information sources graph

As per information sources used by the respondents, online media topped the list. Likely

because of the anonymity it provides to users as mentioned in previous studies (Schaller, 2011).

Next to online media, respondents considered their friends as an information source. Bookstore

and libraries are at the bottom of the list.

Focus Group Discussion

39
Information Needs

The focus group discussions took place during the 3rd and 4th week of March. A total of

8 respondents participated, which consisted a pair of lesbians, gays, female queers, one male and

one female bisexuals. Separate focus group discussions were conducted for each member and it

highlighted similarities and differences in information needs of the members. It was discovered

from the FGD that gays and lesbians look for sexual and romantic partners online while the other

members do not. One reason that was raised by the respondents during the FGD for this discovery

is the availability of online applications for gays and lesbians for hook ups. As they mentioned,

gays have Grindr while lesbians have Tinder, though they are aware that Tinder is open for anyone.

Respondents also said that it is easier for lesbians to find partners using the app in comparison to

their bisexual and queer counterparts. Bisexuals and queers, though, similarly look more for

information that relates to sexual identity such as sexual orientation and gender identity

understanding. Lesbians and gays mentioned that they also look for sexual identity information

however, they do not seek it as much as the bisexuals and queers do. Moreover, lesbians, gays,

and bisexuals look for sexual health information, specifically about HIV, AIDS and other sexually

transmitted diseases. As for the difference, only bisexual respondents seemed to be concerned

about health information. Health information that they seek covers diet, healthy foods, and body

care.

Generally, there are a lot of information needs members of the LGBT share. For instance,

all of them still seek information about coming out, though all of them claimed that they are already

out of the closet albeit not full fledged . They still as well seek support groups such as forums that

might help them understand their sexuality and look for someone (online friend) who has

experienced/is experiencing the same thing. Mental health information is very important to them
40
as well since the process of exploring their sexuality provided them with emotional struggle; one

of the respondents said that finding his sexuality was a lone battle.

Although queers and bisexuals do not seek sexual partners online as much as the lesbians

and gays do, all of them still seek information in regard to the sexual practices and flirting with

the same sex. They also seek for scientific papers that focus on LGBT, LGBT law and politics,

and LGBT history particularly in the Philippines and the Stonewall era. According to them, those

information help them better understand the current issues about LGBT.

Information Sources

In accordance to the online survey result, internet/online media is the top information

source of the LGBT students who participated in the FGD. They cited Google, Reddit, and other

online forums as a tool for general searching. YouTube, on the other hand, was used to watch

videos about flirting and how to’s. Tumblr and BuzzFeed were said to be helpful for sexuality

enlightenment. Lesbians and gays, as mentioned above, use Grindr and Tinder to look for partners.

According to the respondents they tend to use the Internet more compared to libraries and other

physical resources because of the anonymity and accessibility it offers. Moreover, going to a

library or using magazines and books is quite a hassle for them. They also mentioned that the fear

of being judged when discovered browsing for LGBT materials is another factor as to why they

prefer the Internet. They also said that libraries in UP Diliman lack LGBT promotion.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

41
Summary

Restatement of the Problem

The study sought to identify the information needs of the LGBT UP Diliman

undergraduates and to find the similarities and differences in the information needs of each classes.

Description of Methodology

The study used a cross-sectional exploratory research design to identify the similarities and

differences in information needs of each member of the LGBT. Descriptive study was used in

analyzing the information obtained from the respondents through an online survey and focus group

discussions.

Principal Findings of the Study

This study was able to extract the following:

1. The researcher was able to identify and to categorize the information needs of UP Diliman LGBT

students as shown in table 2 below. This study adapted Norwood’s (1994) type of information in

categorizing.

Table 2

LGBT Information Needs

Type of Information LGBT Information Need

42
 Coping information ● Sexual practices with same sex
● Seeking for sexual partner

Helping information ● Mental health

- Anxiety
- Depression
● LGBT politics and law
- Equal rights law
- LGBT politician
● Sexual health
- HIV, AIDS
- Other sexually transmitted
diseases
● General health
- Diet
- Body care
- Healthy food

Enlightening information ● Support groups

-online friend/s
-online forums
● Flirting with the same sex
● Seeking for romantic partner

Empowering information ● Coming out information

Edifying information ● LGBT history

- LGBT in Philippines
- Stonewall era
● LGBT academics
-LGBT scientific papers
-LGBT in literature
● Sexual identity
-Gender and sexuality
understanding

2. UP Diliman LGBT students still seek coming out information even though they have

already recognized their sexuality and have come out of the closet.

3. Information about support groups such as online forums is very important to the UP

Diliman LGBT students as it gives them first hand information that helps them better

43
 understand their sexuality. They also feel a sense of belongingness and support which is

very important to them especially during the time they were still in the process of coming

out.

4. Mental health information is as important as support group information because coming

out of the closet had an impact on the emotions of the individual.

5. Gays and lesbians share more similar information needs when it comes to seeking partners

while bisexuals and queers tend to seek more information about sexual identity.

6. Although not all members of the LGBT considered seeking sexual partners as their

information need, all of them still seek information about sexual practices and flirting with

the same sex.

7. Bisexuals are the only members of the LGBT who are concerned with the health

information.

8. Internet is the the top information resource used by the UP Diliman LGBT students because

of its convenience, accessibility, and the anonymity it gives which are the three important

things that they consider when it comes to utilizing information resources for their use.

Conclusions

This study concludes that the information needs of the LGBT undergraduate students of

UP Diliman are similar to each other. All of them still seek for coming out information, mental

health information, and support groups. Though, there is a slight difference in the information

needs of some members but it is due to other factors such as availability of resources, as mentioned

in Chapter 4.
44
 Generally, the information needs of the UP Diliman LGBT students are affected by their

academic needs, since most of them came out or had realized that they are non-binary after

attending gender and sexuality courses in UP Diliman. The liberal education the university offered

has helped them come out. The coming out status affects their information needs as well. As stated

in earlier chapters, respondents claimed that they have not fully come out yet because of the culture

of the country in regard to the acceptance of non-binary individuals. Due to this factor, they still

continually seek for coming out information in contrast with the results of the study from the West

where it was discovered that once an individual comes out, he stops searching for coming out

information.

The availability of LGBT information is not seen as a problem as there is a vast amount of

information available on the Internet. However, the availability of Filipino LGBT information is

seen as a problem. Most of the available information online is written in a Western concept. Even

the physical resources that are available and accessible for the LGBT are usually from the West.

There are very few Filipino LGBT materials available in the country.

Recommendations

Availability of Filipino LGBT material is seen as an issue in accessing and seeking

information for the respondents. A study that will evaluate the available Filipino LGBT resources,

print and non-print, is recommended to be conducted. Moreover, a similar research to this is

recommended to be conducted but with more LGBT respondents and with the inclusion of

transgenders. Studies aiming to analyze the differences in information needs of out of the closet

LGBT individuals and closeted LGBT individuals is recommended as it has been seen in this
45
study that the coming out status of an individual affects the information need.

REFERENCES

Books:
Maslow, A. (1954) Motivation and Personality, Harper &Row, New York, NY.
Nicholas, D. and Herman, E. (2009) Assessing Information Needs in the Age of the Digital
Consumer, 3 edn, Routledge, London.
rd

Unpublished Works:
Inciong, J. B. (2014). Representation of Filipiniana LGBT books in selected university
libraries in Metro Manila. Quezon City. Undergraduate B.L.I.S thesis, University of the
Philippines, School of Library and Information Studies.
O'Leary, M. (2005). Pink perceptions: The information needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender library users as perceived by public librarians and by the LGBT communities
46
within Sheffield UK and Denver CO, USA. Unpublished master’s thesis, The University of
Sheffield.
Trinidad, D. O. (2011). Content analysis of gay and lesbian Filipiniana books of the
University of the Philippines Diliman library collection. Unpublished B.L.I.S thesis,
University of the Philippines, School of Library and Information Studies.

Articles and Book Chapters:

Adams, S. S., & Peirce, K. (2013, October). Is there a transgender canon?: Information
seeking and use in the transgender community. In Proceedings of the Annual Conference
of CAIS/Actes du congrès annuel de l'ACSI.
Creelman, J. A., & Harris, R. M. (1990). Coming Out: The Information Needs of Lesbians
[Abstract]. Collection Building, 10(3/4), 37-41.
Fikar, C. R., & Keith, L. (2004). Information needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered health care professionals: results of an Internet survey. Journal Of The
Medical Library Association: JMLA, 92(1), 56-65.
Hamer, J. S. (2003). Coming-Out: Gay Males' Information Seeking. School Libraries
Worldwide, 9(2), 73-89.
Joyce, S.L.P.; Schrader, A.M. (1997). "Hidden perceptions: Edmonton gay males and the
Edmonton Public Library". Canadian Journal of Information and Library Sciences. 22 (1):
19–37.
Keilty, P. (2007). LGBT and Information Studies: The Library and Archive OUTreach
Symposium at UCLA; and In the Footsteps of Barbara Gittings: An Appreciation.
InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies, (3), 1, 1-15. Retrieved
from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9jm2b1sh
Keilty, Patrick (2009). "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Information Needs".
Encyclopaedia of Library and Information Science, 3rd Edition: 3275–3280.
Lundh, Anna. "Studying Information Needs as Question-negotiations in an Educational
Context: A Methodological Comment." Information Research. Proc. of Seventh
International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science—"Unity in
Diversity" — Part 2, City University London, London. N.p., n.d. Web.
Norman, M. (1999). OUT on loan a survey of the use and information needs of users of the
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Collection of Brighton and Hove Libraries. Journal of
librarianship and information science, 31(4), 188-196
Schaller, S. (2011). Information needs of LGBTQ college students. Libri, 61(2), 100-115.
Stenback, T. L., & Schrader, A. M. (1999). Venturing from the closet: A qualitative study
of the information needs of lesbians. Public Library Quarterly, 17(3), 37-50.
Whitt, A.J. (1993). "The information needs of lesbians". Library and Information Science
Research. 15 (3): 275–288
47
Yang, Chung-Chuan. "The Use of the Internet among the Academic Gay Communities in
Taiwan: An Exloratory Study." Information, Communication & Society 3.2 (n.d.): 153-72.
Web. 2 Sept. 2016.

Electronic Sources:
Garnar, M. (2000). Changing times: Information destinations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender community in Denver, Colorados. Retrieved from
http://www.libr.org/isc/articles/12-Garnar.html
Taylor, R. S. (1962). The process of asking questions. Amer. Doc. American
Documentation, 13(4), 391-396. doi:10.1002/asi.5090130405
American Psychological Association. (2012). Guidelines for Psychological Practice with
Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients. American Psychologist, 67(1), 10–42. doi:
10.1037/a0024659
American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for Psychological Practice with
Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People. American Psychologist, 70(9), 832-864.
doi.org/10.1037/a0039906
American Psychological Association & National Association of School Psychologists.
(2015). Resolution on gender and sexual orientation diversity in children and adolescents
in schools. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/about/policy/orientation-diversity.aspx
Zak, E (2013, October 1). LGBPTTQQIIAA — How We Got Here from Gay.
Ms.Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2016, from
http://msmagazine.com/blog/2013/10/01/lgbpttqqiiaa-how-we-got-here-from-gay/

48
 Appendix A
(Timetable)

Data gathering Timeline:

Task Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Poster & survey dessimination
Conduct online survey
Repondent recruitment
Pre - FGD
Post - FDG

Focus Group Discussion Timeline:

49
 Task 20-Mar 21-Mar 22-Mar 23-Mar 24-Mar 27-Mar
Lesbian FGD
Bisexual FGD
Gay FGD
Queer FGD
Group FDG

Appendix B
(Interview Schedule)

Opening
Good day! Welcome to our focus group discussion. First of all, I want to thank you for accepting
my invitation and taking part in my research. My name is Mikee Jay Camille Moral Chan, I will
be the moderator for this discussion. You can call me Mikee. I am from the School of Library and
Information Studies. I am currently finishing this research we are currently conducting about the
diversity of information needs within the UP LGBT community. The aim of this study is to analyze
the information needs of each of the classes of the LGBT community in relation to their sexual or

50
gender identities and compare the
differences among their needs if any. There will be no wrong answers just feel free to share your
opinions or experiences. We will be recording the discussion since we don’t want to miss any of
your points. People often say very helpful things in these discussions and we can't write fast
enough to get them all down. We will be on a first name basis tonight, and we won't use any names
in our reports. You may be assured of complete confidentiality. Well, let’s begin by introducing
yourselves. Please tell us your name, year and course.

Body
Individual Group Questions:
1. Can you please specify the information need/s that you have mentioned in the individual
interview/survey?
2. Do you think you have different information need during your coming out process and now that
you have completely went out of the closet? Why?
3. What are your top 3 information sources?
4. Why do you choose those as top information sources?
5. How do you seek information?
6. Can you share a remarkable experience or story where you seek information that relates to your
sexuality?
7. Are the information sources available helpful to you? If yes, why? If no, why not?
8. Do the sources available provide extra information you seek?
9. What can you say about the current available information in our country that regards to your
sexuality?
10. How important your information needs that related to your sexuality are?

Group (LGBT) Questions:

1. Do you think each member of the LGBT community has a distinct information need from each
51
other? Or all the LGBT members have, if not the same, similar information need? Please explain
your answer.
2. Most researches about LGBT information need say that majority of information need of LGBT
revolves around the coming out process, do you think this is true? If yes, why. If no, why not?
3. Do you think that each member of the community has a distinct way of seeking information to
each other? Please explain your answer.
4. Do you think each member of the community seek from different information sources or you
think it is just all the same? If yes, what are these differences?
5. Do you agree that LGBT has special information needs distinct to non-LGBT? Please explain
your answer.
6. What do you think about the LGBT information available in the country? Do you think there
are biases in the information? Please explain your answer.

Post-FGD Questions:
1. How did you find the focus group discussion? Any reflections from the focus group discussion
that we had?
2. What information in the focus group discussion struck you? If yes, what are this information?
3. Did you learn any additional information about your daily information need from the focus
group discussion? Please explain your answer.

Closing
I appreciate the time you took for this interview. I should have all the information I need. Would
it be alright to contact you for an individual interview? Thank you again.

52
 Appendix C
(Online poster)

53
 Appendix D
(Online Survey)

54
LGBT Information Needs

Rainbow Greetings!
My name is Mikee Jay Camille Moral Chan. I am a graduating student from the School of Library
and Information Studies. I am currently working on my thesis about diversity of information needs
of LGBT students in UP Diliman. It aims to explore and analyze the information needs of each of
the classes of the LGBT community in relation to their sexual or gender identities and compare
the differences among their needs if any. I would like to enlist your help by undergoing a short
survey. All personal data that is collected will be kept with confidentiality and will only be used
for academic purposes.

Thank you!

Nickname:
___________________________________________
Age:
____________________________________________
Contact no.:
____________________________________________
Email address:
____________________________________________

Biological sex: (assigned at birth based on the appearance of external genitalia)

Female

Male

55
Gender Identity: (refers to one's sense of oneself as male, female or something else)

Lesbian
Transwoman

Gay
Transman

Bisexual
Others: __________________

Transgender

Are you willing to attend a focus group discussion?

Yes

No

If yes, what time are you available?

1:00PM 4:00PM

1:30PM 4:30PM

2:00PM 5:00PM

56
 2:30PM 5:30PM

3:00PM 6:00PM

3:30PM

What type of information do you seek?

Coming out information

Sexual identity (includes self-labeling, sexual understanding)

Mental health information (i.e depression, anxiety, suicide, etc.)

LGBT entertainment

Politics

Support group / organization Law

57
 Health information (i.e diet, skin care, genetics etc.)

LGBT history

Sexual health information (i.e STD, AIDS, sexual practices, Pregnancy)

Is there any information not listed above that you seek?

Yes No

If yes, can you please specify those information:

_________________________________________________________________

Where do you seek information?

Library Books

Bookstore Movies

Online News

Friends Others: ______________________

58