Simmons University School of Library and Information Science

Naresh Agarwal

(Click the name above to access the faculty page.)

Last edited: December 3, 2025

* Publication with student

Information Behavior and Practices

Current Projects

  • The role of power in non-response behavior: A survey study (4,001 survey responses)
  • The impact of Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology in the last two decades of her life (with SLIS graduate)
  • Publications resulting from research on ‘Turns and serendipity in the life journey of information scientists: A biographical research project’ – ‘Project Oneness World’ interviews
  • Information need in situations beyond your control – especially exploring impermanence and loss and resulting uncertainty / information need deadlock which cannot be satisfied with current information
  • Context in the context of children interacting with information (with external collaborator)
  • Effect of Institutional Factors on Source and Channel Use by Medical Residents (with external collaborators)

Publications

  • Ahmadi, S.* and Agarwal, N. K. (2025). Virtual Pathways to Learning: Girls’ Education in Afghanistan. In Proceedings of the 88th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2025), November 14-18, 2025, Washington D.C.
  • Agarwal, N. K. (2025). Tom Wilson: The person and his influence on my research. Information Research (30th Anniversary Issue), 30(2), 78–84. https://doi.org/10.47989/ir30251502
  • Erdelez, S., Huang, Y. H., & Agarwal, N. K. (2024). Does Serendipity Matter in Knowledge Management?: Organizational Sharing and Use of Encountered Information. Journal of Documentation, 80(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-10-2022-0211
  • Mooney, H.* & Agarwal, N.K. (2024). Examining the impact of Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology across different fields. 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Calgary, Canada, Oct 25-29, 2024.
  • Agarwal, N.K. (2023). Information Behavior Research in the twenty-first century: The journey so far. Informatio, 28(1), a6, 97-146. http://www.scielo.edu.uy/scielo.php?pid=S2301-13782023000100097&script=sci_arttext | http://www.scielo.edu.uy/pdf/info/v28n1/2301-1378-info-28-01-97.pdf 
  • Agarwal, N.K. (2023). Messages and calls ignored? A survey of four thousand smartphone users on non-response behavior. 86th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, London, UK, October 27-31, 2023.
  • Sunoo, J.*, Erdelez, S., & Agarwal, N.K. (2023) Practicing Serendipity: Information Encountering with Personal Productivity Apps. ASIS&T Mid-Year Conference. Virtual. April 11-13, 2023.
  • Agarwal, N. (2023, Jan). The world loses a treasure: My interactions with Brenda Dervin. Information Matters, 3(1), 1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4359958
  • AlShakhs, B. H.* & Agarwal, N. K. (2022). Information seeking behavior and knowledge transfer: A case study of family business owners in Kuwait. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 21(3), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219649222500381
  • Agarwal, N. K., Mitiku, T.*, & Lu, W.* (Jun 2022). Disconnectedness in a connected world: Why people ignore messages and calls. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 74(4), 650-672. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-05-2021-0150
  • Agarwal, N. K. (Mar 2022). Integrating models and integrated models: towards a unified model of information seeking behaviour. Information Research, 27(1), paper 922.  https://doi.org/10.47989/irpaper922 
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Lu, W.* (2021). The Yin and Yang of smartphones: An interview study of smartphone use and its effects. Global Knowledge, Memory, and Communication, 71(6/7), 432-448. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2021-0018
  • Agarwal, N.K., Huang, Y.H., & Erdelez, S. (2021). Aha! Librarians’ predisposition for information encountering and serendipity in the workplace.  In Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science, Jun 7-10, 2021, 1-8. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/ojs.cais-acsi.ca/index.php/cais-asci/article/view/1203/1038
  • Agarwal, N. K.  & Franco, J.K.* (2021). Project Oneness World: Knowledge sharing through the Life Journeys of Information Scientists. ASIS&T SIG Knowledge Management International Research Symposium, Sep 29, 2021. https://sigkmsymposium.ci.unt.edu/conference-papers (Awarded Best Poster Award – Second Place)
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Lu, W.* (2020). Response to non-response: How people react when their smartphone messages and calls are ignored. In Proceedings of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Oct 23-28, 2020, 57, e260, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.260 (Awarded ASIS&T SIG USE Best Information Behavior Conference Paper Award, 2020)
  • Agarwal, N.K. (2018). Exploring Context in Information Behavior: Seeker, situation, surroundings, and shared identities. In G. Marchionini (Series Editor). Synthesis Lectures on Information Concepts, Retrieval, and Services.  San Rafael, CA: Morgan & Claypool Publishers, 9(7), i-163. https://doi.org/10.2200/s00807ed1v01y201710icr061

Talks

  • Agarwal, N. K., Urquhart, C., Olsson, M., Snowden, D., Cheuk, B., Reinhard, C., Zalot, A., Massara, G., Mooney, H. (accepted). Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology: What has been achieved and why it matters now? 88th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2025), November 14-18, 2025, Washington D.C.; December 10, 2025, Virtual. 
  • Wang, L., Bossaller, J., Hartel, J., & Agarwal, N. (2025). Making History: The Pioneers of Information Science Who Made A Difference. 88th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2025), November 14-18, 2025, Washington D.C.
  • Fourie, I., Agarwal, N. K., Bothma, T. J., Mierzecka, A., & Nesset, V. (2024). Who Are They? Redefining Demarcation of Research Participant Characteristics and Related Conceptualizations. Proceedings of the 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2024), Calgary, Canada, Oct 25-29, 2024, 61(1), 754-757. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.1094
  • On Life and Journey in Information Science (LIS 484 Theories of Information Science) Interviews by: Culman, T., Scavotto, C., & Liu, V., Mar 22, 2024; Wicks, S., Barker, H., & Roch, S., Apr 14, 2022; Gardner, P. & Reynolds, J., Mar 12, 2021
  • State of the Art in Human Information Behavior Research [Invited video message] Presentation of the dossier ‘Comportamiento Humano Informativo’ (Human Information Behavior) in the Uruguan journal ‘Informatio’, Faculty of Information and Communication, University of the Republic of Uruguay, November 15, 2023. https://youtu.be/mMWZOz124JE
  • Understanding the User’s Context [Invited speaker] 6th International Conference on Information Science and Systems, Edinburgh, UK, August 11-13, 2023. http://iciss.org/is.html
  • Remembering Brenda Dervin [Invited video message] Commemoration session for Professor Brenda Dervin, International Association for Media and Communication Research Association (IAMCR) conference, Lyon, France, July 7-10, 2023.
  • Fourie, I., Agarwal, N. K., Sonnenwald, D. H., Julien, H., Rorissa, A., & Detlor, B. (2022). Everyday information behavior of marginalized communities in the global South: informal transportation as example. Proceedings of the 85th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, 59(1), 565-569. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.628
  • Marchionini, G., Erdelez, S., Seadle, M., Rorissa, A., Singh, V., Agarwal, N.,  Tang, R., & Chow, A. (moderator) (2022). What is Information Science? Panel of iFederation Leaders, Deans, Directors, and Chairs, Information Science Summit, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 28, 2022.
  • Information behavior models and Context [Guest lecture] INY 714 “Information behaviour, retrieval and organisation“ , Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa, August 22, 2022 https://youtu.be/QDmfJjNXHGo | https://www.up.ac.za/information-science/news/post_3100414-special-guest-lecture-prof-naresh
  • Buchanan, S. A., Sauer, S., Quan-Haase, A., Agarwal, N. K., & Erdelez, S. (2020). Amplifying Chance for Positive Action and Serendipity by Design. Proceedings of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Oct 23-28, 2020, 57(1), e288. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.288
  • The many meanings of Context: Can we arrive at a shared understanding? [Keynote Speaker], Information Seeking in Context (ISIC): The Information Behaviour Conference, Pretoria, South Africa, Sep 28 – Oct 2, 2020.
  • Exploring Context in Information Behavior: Seeker, Situation, Surroundings, and Shared Identities (Meet the Author Series) [Webinar], Association for Information Science & Technology, Mar 27, 2020

Knowledge Management

Current Projects

  • Agarwal, N.K. & Islam, M.A. (in contract). Managing knowledge in libraries: Research, implementation, innovation. Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group. 

Publications

  • Islam, M.A. & Agarwal, N. K. (accepted). COVID, Disinformation, Technology, Budget Cuts: Can Knowledge Management Help Libraries Overcome Challenges? Libri: International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies. Accepted on September 5, 2025.
  • Albright, K., Merlo, T. R., & Agarwal, N. K. (Eds.) (in press 2025). Navigating Inequities and Social Justice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/q0511
  • Erdelez, S., Huang, Y. H., & Agarwal, N. K. (2024). Does Serendipity Matter in Knowledge Management?: Organizational Sharing and Use of Encountered Information. Journal of Documentation, 80(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-10-2022-0211
  • Agarwal, N. K. & Islam, M. A. (2023). Are Knowledge Management courses in South Asia designed well? A content analysis of syllabi and a case study. Library Trends, Special Issue on Knowledge Management Education, 72(2), 338-367. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2024.a941432
  • AlShakhs, B. H.* & Agarwal, N. K. (2022). Information seeking behavior and knowledge transfer: A case study of family business owners in Kuwait. Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 21(3), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219649222500381
  • Agarwal, N. K.  & Franco, J.K.* (2021). Project Oneness World: Knowledge sharing through the Life Journeys of Information Scientists. ASIS&T SIG Knowledge Management International Research Symposium, Sep 29, 2021. https://sigkmsymposium.ci.unt.edu/conference-papers (Awarded Best Poster Award – Second Place)
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Islam, M.A. (2020). Looking for Knowledge Management in Library and Information Science Research. Global Knowledge, Memory, and Communication, 69 (8/9), 697-716. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2020-0001
  • Islam, M.A. & Agarwal, N.K. (2020). What is the impact of Library and Information Science on Knowledge Management research? VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 51(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-11-2018-0098

Talks

  • Unlocking knowledge in the process of writing books [Distinguished Keynote speaker], Webinar on ‘Knowledge Economy for Sustainable Development’ for World Book and Copyright Day, Department of Information Management and Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, April 23, 2025 (about 100 participants; in person and online).
  • Connecting Indian Knowledge with World Knowledge: Lived experience and role of libraries [Plenary], International Seminar on the “Role of Libraries in Unveiling the Indian Knowledge Systems in Digital Era” (RLUIKS 2025), Visva-Bharati Library Network, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India, February 21, 2025
  • Knowledge Organization and Information Science [Invited speaker] Roundtable on Knowledge Organization and Information Science [with Jansen, B.J., Barros, T.H.B., & An, L.], 18th International Society for Knowledge Organization (ISKO 2024) conference, Wuhan, China, March 21, 2024. (~60 participants; discussed generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and knowledge organization; covered in Chinese national news – Xinhua, Guangming Daily, ScienceNet and in local media – Hubei TV Station, Wuhan University News, School of Information Management, and the Center for Studies of Information Resources). 
  • Agarwal, N.K., Islam, M.A., Hassanzadeh, M., & Fombad, M. (2023). Knowledge Management Education. Satellite meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), Knowledge Management section, Education and Training section, Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 19, 2023. 
  • Knowledge Management and Innovation of Public Library Services [Keynote Speaker], International Conference on Design and Development of Public Library Services; Patterns, Experiences, and Ideas, Shiraz, Fars, Iran, May 17, 2022, 500 attendees (170 in person, 30 for English, 300 for Persian translation).
  • Knowledge Management for Research Support in University Libraries [Guest speaker/Webinar; more than 100 participants from Pakistan, India, Australia, Nigeria, US, Canada, and Mexico; covered in various newspapers – Daily – the Climax, Siadat, Sadae Pakistan, Wafa, Ilmiatnews, 92 News, UrduPoint], Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library & Department of Library & Information Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Jan 6, 2021. https://youtu.be/MSjHoSVco2Y
  • Knowledge Management and Innovation of Services in Academic and Research Libraries [Webinar], SVKM’s NMIMS (formerly, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies), Mumbai, India, Jul 11, 2020.

Libraries and Users

Current Projects

  • Agarwal, N.K. & Islam, M.A. (in contract). Managing knowledge in libraries: Research, implementation, innovation. Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group. 

Publications

  • Islam, M.A. & Agarwal, N. K. (accepted). COVID, Disinformation, Technology, Budget Cuts: Can Knowledge Management Help Libraries Overcome Challenges? Libri: International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies. Accepted on September 5, 2025.
  • Agarwal, N.K., Huang, Y.H., & Erdelez, S. (2021). Aha! Librarians’ predisposition for information encountering and serendipity in the workplace.  In Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for Information Science, Jun 7-10, 2021, 1-8. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/ojs.cais-acsi.ca/index.php/cais-asci/article/view/1203/1038.

Talks

  • Unlocking knowledge in the process of writing books [Distinguished Keynote speaker], Webinar on ‘Knowledge Economy for Sustainable Development’ for World Book and Copyright Day, Department of Information Management and Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, April 23, 2025 (about 100 participants; in person and online).
  • Connecting Indian Knowledge with World Knowledge: Lived experience and role of libraries [Plenary], International Seminar on the “Role of Libraries in Unveiling the Indian Knowledge Systems in Digital Era” (RLUIKS 2025), Visva-Bharati Library Network, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India, February 21, 2025
  • Reading habits for college students: Critical thinking in a disinformed hybrid world [Keynote Speaker], People’s campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, ASIS&T South Asia Chapter, and ASIS&T SIG Education for Information Science, June 28, 2024.
  • Understanding the User’s Context [Invited speaker] 6th International Conference on Information Science and Systems, Edinburgh, UK, August 11-13, 2023. http://iciss.org/is.html
  • Why libraries now? Library Advocacy for South Asia [Keynote Speaker], Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Government of Nepal and ASIS&T South Asia Chapter, June 20, 2023.
  • Knowledge Management and Innovation of Public Library Services [Keynote Speaker], International Conference on Design and Development of Public Library Services; Patterns, Experiences, and Ideas, Shiraz, Fars, Iran, May 17, 2022, 500 attendees (170 in person, 30 for English, 300 for Persian translation).
  • Agarwal, N., Lison, B., McCauley, M., Pelayo-Lozada, L.K., Seifi, L. (moderator) (2022). The future of public libraries in a post-COVID world. International Conference on Design and Development of Public Library Services, Shiraz, Iran, May 16, 2022. Panelists are President, Association for Information Science & Technology – ASIS&T, President, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions – IFLA, President-elect, Public Library Association, and President-elect, American Library Association – ALA, respectively.
  • Change Management: Skills for leadership in Universities and Academic Libraries [Post-conference workshop], 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Social Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Nov 24, 2021.
  • Role of information providers in fighting fake news and disinformation [Invited/Chief Speaker, Webinar], Odisha Library Academy, Bhubaneswar,  Odisha, India, Jul 17, 2021
  • Moderator in Agarwal, N.K., Mahmood, K., Rafiq, M., Gala, B., Srivastav, P., Batool, S.H., & Thanuja, S. (2021). Targeting YouTube generation: Libraries’ Role beyond COVID-19. ASIS&T South Asia Chapter Webinar, Mar 26, 2021.
  • Knowledge Management for Research Support in University Libraries [Guest speaker/Webinar; more than 100 participants from Pakistan, India, Australia, Nigeria, US, Canada, and Mexico; covered in various newspapers – Daily – the Climax, Siadat, Sadae Pakistan, Wafa, Ilmiatnews, 92 News, UrduPoint], Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library & Department of Library & Information Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Jan 6, 2021. https://youtu.be/MSjHoSVco2Y
  • Knowledge Management and Innovation of Services in Academic and Research Libraries [Webinar], SVKM’s NMIMS (formerly, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies), Mumbai, India, Jul 11, 2020.
  • Fighting disinformation and fake news: The role of the library and beyond [Keynote Speaker], International Conference on Library and Information Science (LIS 2020) (held in conjunction with International Conference on Education and Global Studies (IConEGS 2020), International Conference on Business, Information, Tourism, and Economics (BITE 2020), International Conference on Natural Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET 2020) – the keynote was common to all 4 conferences), Osaka, Japan, Jan 15-17, 2020.

Information Literacy and Mis/Disinformation

Publications

  • Islam, M.A. & Agarwal, N. K. (accepted). COVID, Disinformation, Technology, Budget Cuts: Can Knowledge Management Help Libraries Overcome Challenges? Libri: International Journal of Libraries and Information Studies. Accepted on September 5, 2025.
  • Ahmadi, S.* and Agarwal, N. K. (2025). Virtual Pathways to Learning: Girls’ Education in Afghanistan. In Proceedings of the 88th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2025), November 14-18, 2025, Washington D.C.
  • Paljor, K. & Agarwal, N. (August 2024). Belonging and unbelonging in Sikkim: What does “Sikkimese” mean to us? In S. Choudhary & P. Gill (Eds.) But I am one of you: Northeast India and the struggle to belong (pp. 243-271). HarperCollins Publishers India.
  • Agarwal, N. K. (2023, February 19). Dear Sikkim, as an ‘old settler’, please listen to what I have to say. EastMojo. https://www.eastmojo.com/sikkim/2023/02/19/dear-sikkim-as-an-old-settler-please-listen-to-what-i-have-to-say (widely shared across various media outlets – see ‘Service to Community’)
  • Batool, S.H., Gala, B., and Agarwal, N. (2022). Strategies to control COVID-19 Infodemic, Video Script, https://youtu.be/pegMA0SBi-w (also translated to Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Sinhala) as part of the $7000 project ‘Dealing with COVID-19 and saving people’s lives in South Asia (SA) areas & beyond-A health informatics promotion project’ awarded to ASIS&T South Asia chapter from the ASIS&T Special Chapter Project Fund.
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Alsaeedi, F.* (2021). Creation, dissemination, mitigation: Towards a disinformation behavior framework and model. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 73(5), 639-658. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-01-2021-0034 (A poster based on this paper was among the Top 10 most downloaded articles, Wiley, 2022)
  • Agarwal, N.K. (2021). An information behavior model on disinformation and fake news. In Begum, D. (Ed.) Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management (i-IKM 2021), Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jun 24-26, 2021 (p. 37). https://heyzine.com/flip-book/a6fcbdc983.html
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Alsaeedi, F.* (2020). Understanding and fighting disinformation and fake news: Towards an information behavior framework. In Proceedings of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T AM 2020), Oct 23-28, 2020, 57, e327. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.327 (Among Top 10 most downloaded papers – in the 12 months following online publication among works published in 2019-2020, Wiley, June 2022).

Talks

  • Reading habits for college students: Critical thinking in a disinformed hybrid world [Keynote Speaker], People’s campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, ASIS&T South Asia Chapter, and ASIS&T SIG Education for Information Science, June 28, 2024.
  • Malik, A., Batool, S.H., Agarwal, N.K., Islam, M.A., Jayasekara, P.K., Dangol, R., Lamba, M., & Mahmood, A.B. (2023). D/Misinformation on social media and the role of the LIS profession: A South Asian perspective. ASIS&T Mid-Year Conference. Virtual. April 11-13, 2023.
  • Doherty, L., Graves, D., Moura, E., Roders, C., and Agarwal, N., and Budd, J. (moderator) (2023). An epidemic, a social condition, a human problem: A cross-disciplinary conversation about the impacts of misinformation. Allen Smith panel presented by the School of Library and Information Science, Simmons University, Boston, MA, April 27, 2023.
  • Role of information providers in fighting fake news and disinformation [Invited/Chief Speaker, Webinar], Odisha Library Academy, Bhubaneswar,  Odisha, India, Jul 17, 2021
  • Fake information and the COVID Infodemic [Invited Speaker], School of Library and Information Science, Central University of Gujarat, Advance Information Network of Libraries in Gujarat (ADINET), South Asia Chapter of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, Jun 30, 2021. 
  • An information behavior model on disinformation and fake news [Invited Speaker] 2nd International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management (i-IKM 2021), Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jun 26, 2021. https://youtu.be/9n_gpKXtaoY
  • When information becomes sick: Towards a new model for fighting disinformation [Keynote Speaker], International Symposium on Infodemic Management, Department of Library & Information Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Jun 25, 2021.
  • From Pandemic to Infodemic: How to fight Disinformation and Fake News [Guest speaker/Webinar; more than 100 participants from Pakistan, India, Malaysia, USA, Canada; covered in various newspapers including The Pakistan Observer and The News], Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library & Department of Library & Information Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Jan 20, 2021. https://youtu.be/iqtlStp6tZI
  • Knowledge Management and Innovation of Services in Academic and Research Libraries [Webinar], SVKM’s NMIMS (formerly, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies), Mumbai, India, Jul 11, 2020
  • Disinformation and Fake News: What It Is and How Can We Fight It? (Social Media in the Age of Misinformation, Part 3) [Webinar], SIG Social Media & South Asia Chapter, Association for Information Science & Technology, Apr 2, 2020
  • Fighting disinformation and fake news: The role of the library and beyond [Keynote Speaker], International Conference on Library and Information Science (LIS 2020) (held in conjunction with International Conference on Education and Global Studies (IConEGS 2020), International Conference on Business, Information, Tourism, and Economics (BITE 2020), International Conference on Natural Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET 2020) – the keynote was common to all 4 conferences), Osaka, Japan, Jan 15-17, 2020.

Artificial Intelligence in LIS

Publications

  • Albright, K., Merlo, T. R., & Agarwal, N. K. (Eds.) (in press 2025). Navigating Inequities and Social Justice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. World Scientific. https://doi.org/10.1142/q0511 

Talks

  • Allen, J., Rorissa, A., Alemneh, D., Agarwal, N., and Hawamdeh, S. (2025). Fostering and Cultivating Human-AI Collaboration and Partnerships in an Evolving Workplace. 88th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2025), November 14-18, 2025, Washington D.C.
  • Knowledge Organization and Information Science [Invited speaker] Roundtable on Knowledge Organization and Information Science [with Jansen, B.J., Barros, T.H.B., & An, L.], 18th International Society for Knowledge Organization (ISKO 2024) conference, Wuhan, China, March 21, 2024. (~60 participants; discussed generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and knowledge organization; covered in Chinese national news – Xinhua, Guangming Daily, ScienceNet and in local media – Hubei TV Station, Wuhan University News, School of Information Management, and the Center for Studies of Information Resources). 
  • Moderator in Fleischmann, K., Villa-Nicholas, M., & Salzman, B. (2021). Innovative Technologies: Opportunities & Challenges. Tenth Annual Allen Smith Symposium, Simmons University, Apr 30, 2021

Health Informatics and Well-Being

Publications

  • Paljor, K. & Agarwal, N. (August 2024). Belonging and unbelonging in Sikkim: What does “Sikkimese” mean to us? In S. Choudhary & P. Gill (Eds.) But I am one of you: Northeast India and the struggle to belong (pp. 243-271). HarperCollins Publishers India.
  • Agarwal, N. (2023, Jan). The world loses a treasure: My interactions with Brenda Dervin. Information Matters, 3(1), 1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4359958
  • Agarwal, N.K. (2023, February 19). Dear Sikkim, as an ‘old settler’, please listen to what I have to say. EastMojo. https://www.eastmojo.com/sikkim/2023/02/19/dear-sikkim-as-an-old-settler-please-listen-to-what-i-have-to-say (widely shared across various media outlets – see ‘Service to Community’)
  • Agarwal, N.K. (2022). A bucketful of happiness. In Various authors. The Book of 500 Best Poems Vol. II: An Anthology. Chennai, India: Swipe Pages. https://youtu.be/bgMIWyIijpE
  • Agarwal, N. K. & Singh, R. (2021, Oct). Engineering to Ikigai: 25 Journeys towards Purpose  (South Asian version). Indus – Thinkmines Media, Newgen DigitalWorks Pvt Ltd, 342 pages. https://induspublishing.myshopmatic.com/products/engineering-to-ikigai-25-journeys-towards-purpose
  • Singh, R. & Agarwal, N. K. (2021, Sep). You know the glory, not the story: 25 Journeys towards Ikigai (International version). World Scientific Publishing, 422 pages. https://doi.org/10.1142/12103 
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Lu, W.* (2020). Response to non-response: How people react when their smartphone messages and calls are ignored. In Proceedings of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Oct 23-28, 2020, 57, e260, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.260 (Awarded ASIS&T SIG USE Best Information Behavior Conference Paper Award, 2020)
  • Agarwal, N.K. (Dec 2020). A Good Samaritan to countless. Gyanalogy.

Talks

  • Fireside chat: Humans of the Library [Special Guest], Special Interest Groups on ‘International Information Issues’ and ‘Education and Learning’, Association for Information Science & Technology (moderated by Homavandi, H. & Kumar, S.) https://youtu.be/K0xOps5kaPg?si=OTRKHDrDsu3C6zSt, June 3, 2025
  • Synthesizing Contradictions [Invited speaker] 2nd Humans of the Library, ASIS&T Past Presidents [with Rorissa, A., Chu, C. M., Caidi, N., & Hirsh, S.], Special Interest Group on International Information Issues, Association for Information Science & Technology, June 7, 2024. (invigorating session with about 30 participants; 42 registered)
  • Modeling Happiness, An Online Conversation on Public-oriented Research and Scholarship, Hazel Dick Leonard Seminar (with Kamya, H., Ogden, L., and Leonard, S. (moderator)), May 3, 2024. https://youtu.be/aSGjU5CsEnE
  • Happiness: My commandments in life [Invited speaker] School of Computer Science, New Castle University, UK, November 17, 2023
  • Remembering Brenda Dervin [Invited video message] Commemoration session for Professor Brenda Dervin, International Association for Media and Communication Research Association (IAMCR) conference, Lyon, France, July 7-10, 2023.
  • Expert’s Talk – Meaning of Life? | Not only Professor but also Artist, Motivational Speaker, Writer (interview on life, philosophy, and career), VLSIForAll, January 13, 2023 https://youtu.be/JHb043e2C8A
  • Gala, B., Islam, M. A., Gamage, R., & Agarwal, N. K. (2022). Health Information Crisis during COVID‐19 in the South Asian Region: Challenges, Experiences, Resilience, and Collaborative Efforts. Proceedings of the 85th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Oct. 29 – Nov. 1, 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, 59(1), 570-574. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.629
  • In Search of Happiness in Old Age [Invited talk] Sharon Adult Center and Council on Aging, Sharon, MA, Jul 27, 2022
  • Meet the Author, ‘Engineering to Ikigai: 25 Journeys towards Purpose’ (interview by Mangar, N.) [Media interview in Nepali] Sikkim Chronicle (news portal with 435K followers), Gangtok, Sikkim, India, Mar 4, 2022, 26.7K views, 618 likes, 20 shares
  • Meet and Greet with Naresh Agarwal: Academic, Painter, Speaker, Author [Book launch of ‘Engineering to Ikigai: 25 Journeys towards Purpose’], Rachna Books, Gangtok, Sikkim, India, Feb 22, 2022 (covered in Sikkim Express http://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/naresh-agarwal-launches-new-book-engineering-to-ikigai, Feb 24, 2022 and other newspapers/media outlets)
  • Discover your Ikigai (with Singh, R., & Saha, B. – moderator) [Book talk on ‘Engineering to Ikigai: 25 Journeys towards Purpose’], Nanyang Technological University South India Alumni Association, Dec 25, 2021 https://youtu.be/ECX0yBPJiZA
  • Calling Home: Living with the new reality of COVID-19 (with Wangdi, A., & Paljor, K.) [Facebook & YouTube Live; viewed by 5,000 people], EastMojo.com (news portal covering the eight states of north-eastern India with 146K subscribers), May 15, 2020.
  • Happiness and Mental/Physical Fitness (in Nepali; with Budhathoki, S.C.) [Facebook Live; viewed by 2,200 people], Voice of Sikkimese People (news portal with 170.6K subscribers), Apr 12, 2020.

Scholarly Communication and Open Access

Publications

  • Mooney, H.* & Agarwal, N.K. (2024). Examining the impact of Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology across different fields. 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Calgary, Canada, Oct 25-29, 2024.
  • Islam, M. A. & Agarwal, N. K. (2023). Proceedings of the Annual Meetings of the Association for Information Science and Technology: Analysis of two decades of published research. Information Discovery and Delivery, 51(1), 105-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IDD-09-2021-0100 (A poster based on this paper was among the Top most downloaded articles, Wiley, 2023)
  • Agarwal, N. (2023, Jan). The world loses a treasure: My interactions with Brenda Dervin. Information Matters, 3(1), 1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4359958
  • Islam, M. A. & Agarwal, N.K. (2021). Towards Effective South Asian and International Collaboration in Library and Information Science Education and Research. Bangladesh Journal of Library & Information Science, 2(3), 17-36.
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Islam, M.A. (2021). A Bibliometric Analysis of the Annual Meeting Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 84th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology. 58(1). 673-675. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.525 (Top downloaded article; one of the most downloaded papers – in its first 12 months of publication among works published from January – December, 2021, Wiley, March 2023)
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Islam, M.A. (2020). Looking for Knowledge Management in Library and Information Science Research. Global Knowledge, Memory, and Communication, 69 (8/9), 697-716. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2020-0001
  • Islam, M.A. & Agarwal, N.K. (2020). What is the impact of Library and Information Science on Knowledge Management research? VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 51(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-11-2018-0098
  • Agarwal, N.K. & Islam, M.A. (2020). Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology: Analysis of two decades of published research. In Proceedings of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Oct 23-28, 2020, 57, e220, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.220 

Talks

  • Madalli, D., Islam, M. A., Gamage, R., & Agarwal, N. K. (moderator) (2025). Equity in Scholarly Publishing & Access: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries. Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) South Asia Chapter, Webinar, June 12, 2025.
  • Information Research: 30th Anniversary Webinar [Authors’ Roundtable], Information Research journal, June 10, 2025
  • Fourie, I., Agarwal, N. K., Bothma, T. J., Mierzecka, A., & Nesset, V. (2024). Who Are They? Redefining Demarcation of Research Participant Characteristics and Related Conceptualizations. Proceedings of the 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2024), Calgary, Canada, Oct 25-29, 2024, 61(1), 754-757. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.1094
  • Modeling Happiness, An Online Conversation on Public-oriented Research and Scholarship, Hazel Dick Leonard Seminar (with Kamya, H., Ogden, L., and Leonard, S. (moderator)), May 3, 2024. https://youtu.be/aSGjU5CsEnE
  • Research Directions: Bridging the boundaries of disciplines [Keynote Speaker], 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Social Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Nov 12, 2021, 95 participants.
  • Interdisciplinary research: Staying within or pushing the boundaries of your field [Pre-conference workshop], 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Approach in Social Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Nov 12, 2021 (130 attendees)
  • What is Open Access? [Plenary], with Pomerantz, J., Open Access Symposium – “Towards a more knowledgeable world: Open Access research in MENA”,  Knowledge E Publishing, Open Access Week, Oct 28, 2021, 139 participants
  • Knowledge Management for Research Support in University Libraries [Guest speaker/Webinar; more than 100 participants from Pakistan, India, Australia, Nigeria, US, Canada, and Mexico; covered in various newspapers – Daily – the Climax, Siadat, Sadae Pakistan, Wafa, Ilmiatnews, 92 News, UrduPoint], Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Library & Department of Library & Information Science, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Jan 6, 2021. https://youtu.be/MSjHoSVco2Y