Comparing International Students’ Information Behaviour Research in Global North and Global South: A Systematic Review

Research on international students’ information behaviour has significantly developed, mainly in the Global North and leaving the Global South underexplored. This review analyses 60 publications in five languages (English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Indonesian) from four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar). This study identifies nine sub-topics within the research, with a predominant focus on the Global North. Several topics for further investigation include online information behaviour, cultural diversity, the role of institutions, health information, digital journeys, and information sharing. The findings also highlight differences between the Global North and the Global South due to factors like IT infrastructure and sociocultural situations. This review emphasises the need for further exploration in the context of the Global South. This work contributes to a nuanced understanding of international students’ information behaviour and its broader implications.