The information needs of Al-Azhar preachers in the governorates of Northern Upper Egypt: a field study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70000/cj.2026.78.687Keywords:
Information needs, information retrieval, Information-seeking, Al-Azhar preachersAbstract
The present study sought to investigate the motives that drive Al-Azhar preachers in the governorates of Northern Upper Egypt to search for information, to identify the sources of information they resort to in meeting their informational needs, and to uncover the difficulties and obstacles they face during the information-seeking process, as well as the means by which they attempt to overcome them. Given the nature of the research, a descriptive-analytical method was adopted, with a questionnaire as the data collection instrument.
The findings revealed that the proportion of Al-Azhar male preachers surpassed that of females, with males accounting for 93.5% compared to 6.5% for females. The study further demonstrated that the primary motive for information-seeking among Al-Azhar preachers was preaching and guidance (82.2%), followed by issuing fatwas (65.2%). It was also found that the most needed type of information among Al-Azhar preachers was religious information (such as creed, Sufism, Qur’anic exegesis, Hadith, etc.), ranking first at 90.7%.
The study concluded with several recommendations; the most significant of which are: strengthening training programs for Al-Azhar preachers in the skills of providing information to beneficiary communities; ensuring the availability of appropriate technological facilities (computers, tablets, internet access, etc.) and making them accessible to Al-Azhar preachers both at home and within Al-Azhar regions; and establishing libraries for preachers across the various Al-Azhar regions, equipped with seminal religious references, in order to facilitate their access to information.
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