Before the beginning: International students’ negotiation of moving to Australia through Reddit or Xiaohongshu

As transient migrants, international students draw on diverse online information sources. While existing research primarily focuses on the information behaviours of international students who have already moved to their host countries, less attention has been given to those in the preparatory phase. Further, less attention has been paid to the different experiences students have in seeking out information prior to departure. To address these gaps, this study examines how international students use two distinct social media platforms – Reddit and Xiaohongshu – to seek information prior to their move. Reddit is a predominantly English-language platform, and Xiaohongshu is primarily used by Chinese-speaking communities. These platforms differ in user demographics and the nature of the content shared. Posts were collected over a six-month period on both platforms. Our qualitative content analysis of the posts explores differences in these online information sources. We identify barriers to finding credible information the pre-departure phase. We also highlight how students use crowd-sourced tools to navigate uncertainty around information quality and emphasize the benefits of such practice. This article contributes to the field of information behaviour by showcasing unique information experiences of pre-departure international students.