The relationship between mobile self-efficacy and mobile-based personal information management practices: A systematic review

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between mobile self-efficacy and personal information management (PIM) practices through mobile phones and smartphones, and additionally, to explore the challenges of using a smart device for PIM.

This study followed Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to achieve the objectives. A comprehensive search strategy, inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were formulated in light of PRISMA guidelines. The data were collected from different scholarly repositories, databases and core journals of PIM. The studies were included after four steps, i.e. identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion of studies.

Findings revealed that there was a positive relationship between mobile self-efficacy and PIM via mobile phones. People used two techniques for finding and re-finding information via mobile phones/smartphones. These techniques include browsing and searching information. People send information, share with others and save in draft folders to emails in mobile phones/smartphones for keeping information for future use. They organize their personal information in folders and use different applications such as Evernote, Google Calendar, alarm and organizer. They uninstall and update mobile applications with new versions, clear phone call history and backup personal information to desktop devices and cloud services to maintain personal information. PIM via mobile phone/smartphone challenges were also identified. These challenges were classified as information related challenges, technical challenges, mobile phone adaptability challenges and miscellaneous challenges.

This study will help library professionals and decision makers to devise information literacy instruction programs according to the users' needs. The results of this study will also open new horizons for system designers to devise mobile-based PIM tools according to users' needs.