Information Practices of French-Speaking Immigrants to Israel: An Exploratory Study

Purpose: This preliminary study focuses on information practices of French-speaking immigrants to Israel with three goals in mind: a) understanding their information needs; b) mapping information sources used before and after immigration to cope with these needs, and c) analyzing the information practices related to immigrant's wellbeing. The Israeli law allows immigration and citizenship for any person of Jewish ascendant, and Israel is the fifth country in OECD by immigrants share in its population. Immigration is not only mobility but also a significant transition in life, impacting on immigrant's wellbeing, levels of income, health, and housing conditions. Efficient information practice plays an essential role in coping with these issues. Methodology: French questionnaires were published on Facebook and LinkedIn groups dealing with immigration to Israel in August and September 2020. Seventy-one responses were collected. Findings. This preliminary study revealed a shift in Jewish immigrants' information sources to Israel, from familial and organizational to digital information sources. A second finding is a factor analysis of the main topics researched by immigrants, developed in three components: Integration, Short-term settlement, and long-term settlement. The last finding shows how these components are correlated to information sources used after immigration. Originality. Original aspects of this preliminary study are exploring information sources before and after immigration and their correlation to immigrants' information needs. These findings may also pave the way to include information practices in immigration policy and government agencies' work.