Anderson, C. J., Glassman, M., McAfee, B. R., & Pinelli, T. (2001). An investigation of factors affecting how engineers and scientists seek information. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management. 18(2), 131-155.
Abstract:
This study investigated how 872 US aerospace scientists and engineers select information carriers. When considering oral and written information carriers, the principle of least effort was supported with a strong preference for oral communication over written communication. In examining how the respondents select written carriers, the decision to use or not to use a written carrier was found to be primarily a function of the perceived importance of the carrier’s information to a person’s work. Task uncertainty and task complexity were found to be significant, but not the primary nor a totally consistent criteria. The perceived quality and accessibility of written carriers were not found significant. The findings reinforce the need for firms to hire knowledgeable employees, to provide them with comprehensive training programs, and to develop formal and informal communication networks.
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Bailey, Jr., C.W. (2005). Open Access Bibliography: Liberating Scholarly Literature with E-Prints and Open Access Journals. Association of Research Libraries.
Abstract:
The Open Access Bibliography: Liberating Scholarly Literature with E-Prints and Open Access Journals provides an overview of open access concepts, and it presents over 1,300 selected English-language books, conference papers (including some digital video presentations), debates, editorials, e-prints, journal and magazine articles, news articles, technical reports, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding the open access movement’s efforts to provide free access to and unfettered use of scholarly literature. Most sources have been published between 1999 and August 31, 2004; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1999 are also included. Where possible, links are provided to sources that are freely available on the Internet (approximately 78 percent of the bibliography’s references have such links). The 129-page bibliography has been published in print and PDF formats by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). The print version is available from ARL. The book is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License.
Weblink: http://eprints.rclis.org/archive/00004972/
Besek, June (2003). Copyright Issues Relevant to the Creation of a Digital Archive: A Preliminary Assessment. .
Abstract:
As libraries move into the digital age, they increasingly face copyright and other intellectual property questions . Creating digital surrogates and using digital technologies to make copyrighted works available to the public arise many issue. Copyrights are complex and can be controversial. It is a challenge to find an appropriate balance between, on one hand, serving the public interest in developing the Internet as a tool for providing information, and on the other, protecting authors’ emerging digital markets.
Weblink: http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/tk/en/folklore/creative_heritage/docs/clir_digital_archive.pdf
Borgman, C. L. (2007). Scholarship in the Digital Age: Information, Infrastructure, and the Internet. Cambridge: MIT Press.. .
Abstract:
Scholars in all fields now have access to an unprecedented wealth of online information, tools, and services. The Internet lies at the core of an information infrastructure for distributed, data-intensive, and collaborative research. Although much attention has been paid to the new technologies making this possible, from digitized books to sensor networks, it is the underlying social and policy changes that will have the most lasting effect on the scholarly enterprise. In Scholarship in the Digital Age, Christine Borgman explores the technical, social, legal, and economic aspects of the kind of infrastructure that we should be building for scholarly research in the twenty-first century.
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Borgman, C. L. (1996). Why are online catalogs still hard to use?. Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 47 (7),493-503
Abstract:
We return to arguments made 10 years ago (Borgman, 1986a) that online catalogs are difficult to use because their design does not incorporate sufficient understanding of searching behavior. The earlier article examined studies of information retrieval system searching for their implications for online catalog design; this article examines the implications of card catalog design for online catalogs. With this analysis, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of user behavior and to lay to rest the card catalog design model for online catalogs. We discuss the problems with query matching systems, which were designed for skilled search intermediaries rather than end-users, and the knowledge and skills they require in the information-seeking process, illustrated with examples of searching card and online catalogs. Searching requires conceptual knowledge of the information retrieval process – translating an information need into a searchable query; semantic knowledge of how to implement a query in a given system – the how and when to use system features; and technical skills in executing the query – basic computing skills and the syntax of entering queries as specific search statements. In the short term, we can help make online catalogs easier to use through improved training and documentation that is based on information-seeking behavior, with the caveat that good training is not a substitute for good system design. Our long term goal should be to design intuitive systems that require a minimum of instruction. Given the complexity of the information retrieval problem and the limited capabilities of today’s systems, we are far from achieving that goal. If libraries are to provide primary information services for the networked world, they need to put research results on the information-seeking process into practice in designing the next generation of online public access information retrieval systems. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Borgman, C.L (2006). What can Studies of e-Learning Teach us about Collaboration in e-Research? Some Findings from Digital Library Studies. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). 15 (4); 359-383.
Abstract:
e-Research is intended to facilitate collaboration through distributed access to content, tools, and services. Lessons about collaboration are extracted from the findings of two large, long-term digital library research projects. Both the Alexandria Digital Earth Prototype Project (ADEPT) and the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS) project on data management leverage scientific research data for use in teaching. Two forms of collaboration were studied: (1) direct, in which faculty work together on research projects; and (2) indirect or serial, in which faculty use or contribute content to a common pool, such as teaching resources, concepts and relationships, or research data. Five aspects of collaboration in e-Research are discussed: (1) disciplinary factors, (2) incentives to adopt e-Learning and e-Research technologies, (3) user roles, (4) information sharing, and (5) technical requirements. Collaboration varied by research domain in both projects, and appears partly to be a function of the degree of instrumentation in data collection. Faculty members were more interested in tools to manage their own research data than in tools to facilitate teaching. They also were more reflective about their research than teaching activities. The availability of more content, tools, and services to incorporate primary data in teaching was only a minimal incentive to use these resources. Large investments in a knowledge base of scientific concepts and relationships for teaching did not result in re-use by other faculty during the course of the project. Metadata requirements for research and for teaching vary greatly, which further complicates the transfer of resources across applications. Personal digital libraries offer a middle ground between private control and public release of content, which is a promising direction for the design of digital libraries that will facilitate collaboration in e-Research.
Weblink: http://www.springerlink.com/content/xm17104270p24269/
Brown, Cecilia (1999). Information seeking behavior of scientists in the electronic information age: Astronomers, chemists, mathematicians, and physicists. Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 50 (10),929-943.
Abstract:
The information seeking behavior of astronomers, chemists, mathematicians, and physicists at the University of Oklahoma was assessed using an electronically distributed questionnaire. All of the scientists surveyed relied greatly on the journal literature to support their research and creative activities. The mathematicians surveyed indicated an additional reliance on monographs, preprints, and attendance at conferences and personal communication to support their research activities. Similarly, all scientists responding scanned the latest issues of journals to keep abreast of current developments in their fields, with the mathematicians again reporting attendance at conferences and personal communication. Despite an expression by the scientists for more electronic services, the majority preferred access to journal articles in a print, rather than an electronic, form. The primary deficit in library services appeared to be in access to electronic bibliographic databases. The data suggest that a primary goal of science libraries is to obtain access to as many appropriate electronic bibliographic finding aids and databases possible. Although the results imply the ultimate demise of the printed bibliographic reference tool, they underscore the continued importance to scientists of the printed peer-reviewed journal article.
Weblink: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/62502161/abstract
Carol Tenopir, Donald W. King, Peter Boyce, Matt Grayson, Keri-Lynn Paulson (2005). Relying on electronic journals: Reading patterns of astronomers. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 56 (8);786-802.
Abstract:
Surveys of the members of the American Astronomical Society identify how astronomers use journals and what features and formats they prefer. While every work field is distinct, the patterns of use by astronomers may provide a glimpse of what to expect of journal patterns and use by other scientists. Astronomers, like other scientists, continue to invest a large amount of their time in reading articles and place a high level of importance on journal articles. They use a wide variety of formats and means to get access to materials that are essential to their work in teaching, service, and research. They select access means that are convenient – whether those means be print, electronic, or both. The availability of a mature electronic journals system from their primary professional society has surely influenced their early adoption of e-journals.
Weblink: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/110436999/abstract
Chatman, Elfreda A. (1991). Life in a small world: Applicability of gratification theory to information-seeking behavior. Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 42(6);438-449.
Abstract:
This research reports a study in which gratification theory (essentially, that certain populations live in an environment in which the emphasis is on immediate gratifications and satisfaction of needs) was applied to an information-seeking behavior of a lower-class population. The focus of the study was an investigation of the information-seeking behaviors of a lower-working class population. Respondents were janitorial workers at a southern university. Results show that, although members of this lower-working class population expressed a number of areas in which they needed information (e.g., employment, everyday coping advice, etc.), they were not active seekers of information outside of their most familiar social milieu. The findings indicate that a possible explanation for this was the perception that outside sources were not capable of responding to their concern. Thus, there was little motivation in exploring the relevance of these sources. Moreover, items of most interest to them were those things that were accessible, had a firm footing in everyday reality, and responded to some immediate, practical concern. © 1991 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Weblink: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/10049453/abstract
Choo, C., Detlor, B., & Turnbull, D. (2000). Web Work: Information Seeking and Knowledge Work on the World Wide Web.. New York: Springer.
Abstract:
This book brings together three great motifs of the network society: the search for and use of information by individuals and groups; the creation and application of knowledge in organizations; and the fundamental transformation of these activities as they take place on the World Wide Web and corporate intranets. As research endeavors, these streams overlap and share conceptual constructs, perspectives, and methods of analysis. Although these overlaps and shared concerns are sometimes apparent in published research, there have been few attempts to connect these ideas explicitly and identify cross-disciplinary themes. This book is an attempt to fill this void. Audience: The book’s primary audience is faculty and students in masters and doctoral programs in information science, information systems, and management schools. Consultants and organizations designing and implementing intranets and portals will find the book useful in providing research-based insights into how information search and knowledge sharing may be enhanced.
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Choo, Chun Wei; Detlor, Brian; Turnbull, Don (1998). A Behavioral Model of Information Seeking on the Web–Preliminary Results of a Study of How Managers and IT Specialists Use the Web.. Paper presented at the American Society for Information Science (ASIS) Conference. Pitsburgh, PA, October 25-29, 1998.
Abstract:
This paper develops a new behavioral model of information seeking on the Web by combining theoretical elements from information science and organization science. The model was tested during the first phase of a study of how managers and information technology (IT) specialists use the Web to seek external information as part of their daily work. Participants answered a questionnaire and were interviewed individually in order to understand their information needs and information seeking preferences. A custom-developed tracker application was installed on their workplace computers, or their browsers were redirected through a proxy server set up by the research team. Participants’ Web-use activities were then monitored continuously for two work weeks. The tracker application recorded participants’ Web browser actions, while the proxy recorded HTTP requests and transfers. In a follow-up round of personal interviews, participants recalled critical incidents of using information from the Web. Data from the questionnaire, interviews, and the tracker and server log files supplied a rich database for study. Results were found to be compatible with the behavioral model proposed. Overall, the study suggests that a behavioral framework which relates motivations (strategies and modes of viewing and searching) and moves (tactics used to find and use information) may be helpful in analyzing Web-based information seeking. Findings also suggest that multiple, complementary methods of collecting qualitative and quantitative data may be used within a single study to compose a richer portrayal of how individuals seek and use Web-based information in their natural work settings.
Weblink: http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED438799&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED438799
Croft, W.B. (1995). What Do People Want from Information Retrieval? (The Top 10 Research Issues for Companies that Use and Sell IR Systems). D-Lib Magazine.
Abstract:
With the enormous increase in recent years in the number of text databases available on-line, and the consequent need for better techniques to access this information, there has been a strong resurgence of interest in the research done in the area of information retrieval (IR). For many years, IR research was done by a small community that had little impact on industry. Most applications of text retrieval focused on bibliographic databases, and the large information services such as DIALOG or WESTLAW were based on standard Boolean logic approaches to text matching and paid little attention to the results of research on topics such as retrieval models, query processing, term weighting and relevance feedback.
Weblink: http://dlib.org/dlib/november95/11croft.html
Davis, Philip M. (2004). Information-seeking behavior of chemists: A transaction log analysis of referral URLs. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 55 (4);326-332.
Abstract:
This study reports an analysis of referral URL data by the Cornell University IP address from the American Chemical Society servers. The goal of this work is to better understand the tools used and pathways taken when scientists connect to electronic journals. While various methods of referral were identified in this study, most individuals were referred infrequently and followed few and consistent pathways each time they connected. The relationship between the number and types of referrals followed an inverse-square law. Whereas the majority of referrals came from established finding tools (library catalog, library e-journal list, and bibliographic databases), a substantial number of referrals originated from generic Web searches. Scientists are also relying on local alternatives or substitutes such as departmental or personal Web pages with lists of linked publications. The use of electronic mail as a method to refer scientists directly to online articles may be greatly underestimated. Implications for the development of redundant library services such as e-journal lists and the practice of publishers to allow linking from other resources are discussed.
Weblink: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/106566738/abstract
Ellis, D. (1989). A behavioral approach to information retrieval system design.. Journal of Documentation.. 45(3), 171-212.
Abstract:
A Behavioural approach to information retrieval system design is outlined based on the derivation of a behavioural model of the information seeking patterns of academic social scientists. The information seeking patterns of a variet of academic social scientists were broken down into six characteristics: starting, chaining, browsing, differentiating, monitoring, and extracting. These characteristics constitute the principal generic features of the different individual patterns, and together provide a flexible behavioural model for the information retreival design. The extent to which these characteristics are available on existing systems is considered, and the requirements for implementing the features on an experimental system are set out.
Weblink: http://projects.ischool.washington.edu/harryb/courses/INFO310/ellis(1).pdf
Ellis, D. & Haugan, M. (1997). Modelling the information seeking patterns of engineers and research scientists in an industrial environment.. Journal of Documentation. 53, 384-403.
Abstract:
The study explores the role of information seeking in the Research and Development department of an international oil and gas company. The information seeking patterns of engineers and and research scientists at Statoil’s Research Centre in Trondheim, Norway were studied in relation to their research activities in different phases and types of projects. The project phases were evaluation of alternative solutions ;development and testing; and summary of experiences. The project types were incremental; radical; and fundemental. Eight major characteristics were identified in the patterns: surveying; chaining; monitoring; browsing; distinguishing; filtering; extracting and ending. The study analyses the requirements for different types of information in an environment where the need for internal and external resources are intertwined; it also compares features of the information seeking patterns of engineers and research scientists from this and previous studies. It was found that although there were differences in the features of the information seeking patterns of the research scientist and engineers, the behavioral characteristics were similar; and the study identified identical or very similar categories of information seeking behavior to those of previous studies of academic researchers.
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Ellis, David; Cox, Deborah; Hall, Katherine (1993). A Comparison Of The Information Seeking Patterns Of Researchers In The Physical And Social Sciences. Journal of Documentation. 49 (4); 356-369(14).
Abstract:
The information seeking patterns of a group of research physicists and research chemists were analysed and the key features of those patterns identified. The aim was to use a similar methodology to that employed in a previous study of the information seeking activities of a group of social scientists and to effect a comparison between the information seeking patterns of the scientists and the social scientists. The information seeking patterns were derived from interviews with physicists at Manchester University and chemists at the University of Sheffield. The methodology adopted for the interviews and analysis was qualitative and based on the grounded theory approach. The results were then compared with the findings of the previous study of the social scientists to try and identify similarities and differences between the two groups. Certain minor variations concerned with awareness levels of facilities, the extent of usage of a source and the research stage at which a strategy may be employed were identified. Nonetheless, fundamental differences in information seeking behaviour could not be determined. Finally, the extent to which developments in electronic communication have had any impact on the information or communication patterns of the scientists and social scientists is considered.
Weblink: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mcb/jd/1993/00000049/00000004/art00002
Flaxbart, D (2001). Conversation with Chemists : Information Seeking Behavior of Chemistry Faculty in the Electronic Age. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LIBRARIES – haworthpress.com.
Abstract:
Six faculty members in the Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin were interviewed
one-on-one to gather information about their information-seeking behavior,
favored resources, and opinions about the transition from a print to an
electronic information environment. In most cases, these chemistry faculty
members have eagerly embraced the enhanced access to chemical information
made possible by the steady addition of electronic journals and
networked database systems. The most-cited benefits include significant
time-saving and convenience as well as access to more journals than ever.
As a result, use of the physical library and its printed collections by faculty
is declining. Chemistry faculty interviewed expressed a strong self-reliance
in their information-seeking skills and showed sophistication in their
choice of tools.
Weblink: http://www.haworthpress.com/store/E-Text/View_EText.asp?a=4&fn=J122v21n03_02&i=3%2F4&s=J122&v=21
Fry, J; Talja, S (2004). The cultural shaping of scholarly communication: Explaining e-journal use within and across academic fields. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 41 (1); 20-30
Abstract:
Current research on e-journal usage patterns focuses more on measuring levels of use and measuring changes in reading patterns than developing theoretical models that enable the explanation and prediction of patterns in the adoption and uptake of e-journals across scientific fields. Typically, studies either focus on single disciplines or attempt to reach an overview of disciplinary differences by using broad disciplinary groupings, such as physical sciences, health sciences, applied technologies, social sciences, or humanities. We argue that there is a need for extending the domain analytic approach to incorporate a fuller understanding of the cultural characteristics of scientific specialisms, which include both epistemological and social considerations. To this end we suggest that Whitley’s theory of the social organization of scholarly fields can be effectively used as an explanatory model of e-journal use across scientific fields. By using Whitley’s theory we also illustrate the limitation of current approaches to the explanation of information practices and e-journal use that use the administrative unit of the discipline, or base comparison on coarse-grained aggregations as the unit of analysis, rather than the specialism.
Weblink: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/112092473/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Ken Eason, Sue Richardson, Liangzhi Yu (2000). Patterns of use of electronic journals. Journal of Documentation. 56 (5); 477-504.
Abstract:
On the basis of a twenty-two month transaction log of SuperJournal and using K-Means cluster analysis, this paper classifies a spectrum of user behaviour with electronic journals into a typology of eight categories of user (or eight patterns of use): the searcher, the enthusiastic user, the focused regular user, the specialised occasional user, the restricted user, the lost user, the exploratory user and the tourist. It examines the background and experience with SuperJournal of each type of user to illuminate its formation. The examination shows that the contents (both coverage and relevance) and ease of use of a system as they were perceived by the user were the most significant factors affecting patterns of use. Users’ perceptions of both factors were affected by a range of intervening factors such as discipline, status, habitual approach towards information management, availability of alternative electronic journal services, purpose of use, etc. As any service is likely to attract a great variety of users, so will it lead to differing patterns of use. This paper demonstrates the need for a service to meet the requirements of users with these varied patterns.
Weblink: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContentItem.do?contentType=Article&contentId=864137
King, D.W.; Montgomery, C. H.; (2002). After Migration to an Electronic Journal Collection. D-Lib Magazine. 8 (12); .
Abstract:
An October 2002 D-Lib Magazine article by the authors described the changes in the Drexel University W.W. Hagerty Library’s operational costs associated with the migration to a (mostly) all-electronic journal collection. The present article gives the use perspective to determine whether the migration to the electronic collection has had an effect on the number of journal readings, outcomes from reading and information-seeking and reading patterns. Key findings are that amount of reading remains high; outcomes from reading continue to be favorable, particularly from library-provided articles; while 42 percent of faculty reading is from library-provided articles, faculty still rely heavily on readings from personal subscriptions; most of the library-provided reading is from electronic articles; and readers spend much less time locating and obtaining library-provided articles when they are available electronically.
Weblink: http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/edoc/aw/d-lib/dlib/december02/king/12king.html
Kraut,R.; Egido, C;Galegher, J; (1988). Patterns of contact and communication in scientific research collaboration. Computer Supported Cooperative Work; Proceedings of the 1988 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work.
Abstract:
In this paper, we describe the influence of physical proximity on the development of collaborative relationships between scientific researchers and on the execution of their work. Our evidence is drawn from our own studies of scientific collaborators, as well as from observations of research and development activities collected by other investigators. These descriptions provide the foundation for a discussion of the actual and potential role of communications technology in professional work, especially for collaborations carried out at a distance.
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Kuhlthau, C. C. (1999). The Role of Experience in the Information Search Process of an Early Career Information Worker: Perceptions of Uncertainty, Complexity, Construction, and Sources.. Journal of the American Society for Information Science.. 50(5), 399-412.
Abstract:
Information workers center on seeking, gathering, and interpreting information in order to provide value-added information as a basis for making decisions and judgments critical to the function of an enterprise. This longitudinal case study investigates changes in perceptions of the information search process of an early career information worker as he becomes more experienced and proficient at his work. Building on Kuhlthau’s earlier research, comparisons of the user’s perceptions of uncertainty, complexity, construction, and sources in information tasks were made over a 5-year period. This is a case study, but it provides insight into issues raised in prior quantitative studies of securities analysts.
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Kuhlthau, C. C. (2008). Information Search Process.. Rutgers University. May 1, 2008.. http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm
Abstract:
The Information Search Process (ISP) is a six stage model of the users’ holistic experience in the process of information seeking. The ISP model, based on two decades of empirical research, identifies three realms of experience: the affective (feelings), the cognitive (thoughts) and the physical (actions) common to each stage. Central to the ISP is the notion that uncertainty, both affective and cognitive, increases and decreases in the process of information seeking. A principle of uncertainty for information seeking is proposed that states that information commonly increases uncertainty in the early stages of the search process. Increased uncertainty indicates a zone of intervention for intermediaries and system designers.
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Leckie, G.J., Pettigrew, K. E., & Sylvain, C. (1996). Modeling the information seeking of professionals: a general model derived from research on engineers, healthcare professionals, and lawyers.. Library Quarterly. 66(2), 161-193.
Abstract:
Drawing upon existing research and previous attempts at modeling the information-seeking behavior of specific professional groups, this article posits an original model of information seeking this is applicable to all professionals. The model was developed through a careful analysis and interpretations of empirical studies on fthe information habits and practices of three groups : engineers, health care professionals, and lawyers. The general model of its six major components are presented in detail. These six components are (1) work roles, (2) associated tasks, and (3) characteristics of information needs and three factors affecting information seeking: (4) awareness, (5) sources , (6)outcomes. In turn, each component contains a number of variables that are described with examples from the literature. The complexity of the information-seeking process is conceptualized in turns of the interaction and simultaneous occurence of the model’s components and variables, including a feedback mechanism. The article concludes with suggestions as to the potential usefulness of the model
Weblink: http://www.viktoria.se/~dixi/BISON/resources/leckie%20et%20al%201996.pdf
Makri, S. Blandford, A, & Cox. A. L. (2008). Investigating the information-seeking behavior of academic lawyers: from Ellis’s model to design.. Information Processing Management.. 44(2), 613-634.
Abstract:
Information-seeking is important for lawyers, who have access to many dedicated electronic resources. However there is considerable scope for improving the design of these resources to better support information-seeking. One way of informing design is to use information-seeking models as theoretical lenses to analyse users’ behaviour with existing systems. However many models, including those informed by studying lawyers, analyse information-seeking at a high level of abstraction and are only likely to lead to broad-scoped design insights. We illustrate that one potentially useful (and lower-level) model is Ellis’s – by using it as a lens to analyse and make design suggestions based on the information-seeking behaviour of 27 academic lawyers, who were asked to think aloud whilst using electronic legal resources to find information for their work. We identify similar information-seeking behaviours to those originally found by Ellis and his colleagues in scientific domains, along with several that were not identified in previous studies such as ‘updating’ (which we believe is particularly pertinent to legal information-seeking). We also present a refinement of Ellis’s model based on the identification of several levels that the behaviours were found to operate at and the identification of sets of mutually exclusive subtypes of behaviours.
Weblink: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VC8-4P18BH0-1&_user=4423&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=4423&md5=6254a02f6f9b186b456ea6877ecacf33
Meho, L. I. & Tibbo, H. R. (2003). Modeling the Information-Seeking Behavior of Social Scientists: Ellis’s Study Revisited.. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,. 54(6), 570-587.
Abstract:
This paper revises David Ellis’s information-seeking behavior model of social scientists, which includes six generic features: starting, chaining, browsing, differentiating, monitoring, and extracting. The paper uses social science faculty researching stateless nations as the study population. The description and analysis of the information-seeking behavior of this group of scholars is based on data collected through structured and semi-structured electronic mail interviews. Sixty faculty members from 14 different countries were interviewed by e-mail. For reality check purposes, face-to-face interviews with five faculty members were also conducted. Although the study confirmed Ellis’s model, it found that a fuller description of the information-seeking process of social scientists studying stateless nations should include four additional features besides those identified by Ellis. These new features are: accessing, networking, verifying, and information managing. In view of that, the study develops a new model, which, unlike Ellis’s, groups all the features into four interrelated stages: searching, accessing, processing, and ending. This new model is fully described and its implications on research and practice are discussed. How and why scholars studied here are different than other academic social scientists is also discussed.
Weblink: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/103520101/abstract
Meyer, Eric T.; Schroeder, R (2008). The World Wide Web of Research and Access to Knowledge.
Abstract:
This essay presents a framework for understanding formal and informal scholarly communications that are increasingly online. The essay focuses on e-Research, but argues that e-Research cannot be divorced from a larger context which includes search engines for accessing knowledge, and the digitization and use of databases and journals. The essay reviews research related to the shift towards online scholarship, and develops a systematic framework for understanding access to the online realm. While it is true that there are disciplinary differences in the shift to online materials and in the way that e-Research is being promoted in different fields, there are also certain features that disciplines share, such as infrastructures which provide access to e-Research tools and resources. Within this framework, it is possible to identify the various actors that are shaping the digitization of research materials and how they are used. While it is too early to assess long-term impacts on scholarly practices, since many of the changes are still ongoing, it is nevertheless important to identify key emergent factors (competition for attention, online visibility, and gatekeeping) that will play a key role throughout this evolving system.
Weblink: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1153922
Mote, L.J.B. (1962). Reasons for the variations in the information needs of scientists.. Journal of Documentation,. 18(1), 169-175.
Abstract:
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Mueller, B. K., Sorini, G., & Grossman, E. (2005). Information seeking behavior of engineers in the corporate environment: implication for information delivery.. Paper presented at the SLA Annual Conference. Toronto, Ontario, June 5-8, 2005..
Abstract:
With the challenges of product development, tight delivery times, and a globally distributed workforce, engineers in a corporate environment face challenges not necessarily encountered in the academic sphere. This paper focuses on identifying information seeking behaviors specific to a corporate engineering environment and the implications of those findings.Much has been written about the specific information seeking behavior of scientists and engineers. Understanding this population is critical for libraries to deliver the right types of services in the right format. Understanding the engineering population in corporate environments produces new challenges for information professionals. With the importance of high technology in the marketplace, more and more corporate information centers need to understand how to best serve and support the engineering community within the corporate space.
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Nicolas Vibert, Jean-Francois Rouet, Christine Ros, Melanie Ramond, Bruno Deshoullieres, (2007). The use of online electronic information resources in scientific research: The case of neuroscience. Library & Information Science Research. 29 (4), 508-532.
Abstract:
This study explored the bibliographic and documentary information-seeking behavior of high-level research scientists in the context of ever-developing online bibliographic and documentary information (BDI) resources. Descriptive data were obtained from a nationwide sample of French neuroscience researchers using individual questionnaires, followed by semistructured interviews. French neuroscientists often use online BDI resources instead of indexes and other print resources for bibliographic and documentary searches. The most popular online BDI resources among neuroscientists are the PubMed database and the Google(TM) search engine, which neuroscience experts described as essential for their work. The participants used them with a wide variety of objectives, such as acquiring new knowledge, finding out about experimental techniques, monitoring publications in their field, looking for information to fuel scientific debate, or retrieving teaching resources. Time constraints appear to be a decisive factor when it comes to determining the usefulness of a BDI resource. This study suggests that when research scientists can access efficient and exhaustive online BDI resources, those resources quickly become their preferred way of getting work-related information. Hence, direct collaboration of scientists and scholars with librarians and information specialists to put together online BDI resources that include convenient databases and search engines appears essential. On the other hand, formal training on those specialized online information resources should be introduced in graduate courses. In addition, introducing easily accessible, online tutorials that can adapt themselves to the needs of individual users might alleviate the difficulties users encountered with these systems.
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Palmer, J. (1991). Scientists and information: I. Using cluster analysis to identify information style.. Journal of Documentation,. 47(2), 105-129.
Abstract:
Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used to explore the influence of personality, discipline and organisational structure on the information behaviour of biochemists, entomologists and statisticians working at an agricultural research station (n = 67). Cluster analysis was used to reveal groupings in the data. Library and document-based activities did not differentiate individuals. Computer use, both for scientific work and information handling, and the degree of enthusiasm displayed for actively seeking information divided the population. Discipline, work role and time spent in the subject field and organisation were the most important determinants of information behaviour. There were some indications of male/female differences in information behaviour. A comparison of the groups obtained from the cluster analysis with a subjective classification showed the former to be more robust in later analysis.
Weblink: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mcb/jd/1991/00000047/00000002/art00001
Philip M. Davis, Leah R. Solla (2003). An IP-level analysis of usage statistics for electronic journals in chemistry: Making inferences about user behavior. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 54 (11);1062-1068
Abstract:
This study reports an analysis of American Chemical Society electronic journal downloads at Cornell University by individual IP addresses. While the majority of users (IPs) limited themselves to a small number of both journals and article downloads, a small minority of heavy users had a large effect on total journal downloads. There was a very strong relationship between the number of article downloads and the number of users, implying that a user-population can be estimated by just knowing the total use of a journal. Aggregate users (i.e. Library Proxy Server and public library computers) can be regarded as a sub-sample of the entire user population. Analysis of article downloads by format (PDF versus HTML) suggests that individuals are using the system like a networked photocopier, for the purposes of creating print-on-demand copies of articles.
Weblink:
Pikas, Christina K. (2007). Personal Information Management Strategies and Tactics used by Senior Engineers.. In Grove, Andrew, Eds. Proceedings 70th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 44
Abstract:
This paper reports the results of an exploratory qualitative study of how senior engineers in a research
laboratory environment do personal information management (PIM). Responsive, semi-structured interviews
were conducted with four senior engineers. Thirteen themes in four groupings emerged. The four groupings
are: organization and retrieval, un-organized aspects, information keeping and preservation, and use of
specialized tools. Themes not seen in other studies are: writing to remember and reporting to retrieve, and
personal handbooks. The themes are described in detail. Implications for the design of information systems
and future work are discussed.
Weblink: http://dlist.sir.arizona.edu/2164/01/Final_Pikas_PIM_Senior_Engineers_ASIST_2007.pdf
Tenopir, C. & King, D. W. (2004). Communication patterns of engineers.. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press..
Abstract:
Communication Patterns of Engineers brings together, summarizes, and analyzes the research on how engineers communicate, presenting benchmark data and identifying gaps in the existing research. Written by two renowned experts in this area, the text: Compares engineering communication patterns with those of science and medicine Offers information on improving engineering communication skills, including the use of communication tools to address engineering departments’ concerns about the inadequacies of communication by engineers Provides strong conclusions to address what lessons engineering educators, librarians, and communication professionals can learn from the research presented
Weblink: http://books.google.com/books?id=ndjXJsph0j8C
Tenopir, C. ; King, D. W. (2002). Reading Behaviour and Electronic Journals. Learned Publishing. 15 (4); 259-265(7).
Abstract:
Studies from 1977 through 2001 demonstrate that scientists continue to read widely from scholarly journals. Reading of scholarly articles has increased to approximately 120-130 articles per person per year, with engineers reading fewer journal articles on the average and medical faculty reading more. A growing proportion of these readings come from e-prints and other separate copies. Most scientists in a discipline now use electronic journals at least part of the time, with considerable variations among disciplines. Evidence suggests that scientists are reading from a broader range of journals than in the past, influenced by timely electronic publishing and by growth in bibliographic searching and interpersonal communication as means of identifying and locating articles. Although the scholarly journals system has changed dramatically in the past few decades, it is evident that the value scientists place on the information found in scholarly journal articles, whether electronic or print, remains high.
Weblink: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/alpsp/lp/2002/00000015/00000004/art00003?token=0069194cb94f9e6d7642f46762530482972715a614f6d29222c227e37256720297d76256f70237b60246c425e35473871c5e8dd87
Tenopir, C. ; King, D. W. ; Boyce, P; (2008). Patterns of Journal Use by Scientists through Three Evolutionary Phases. D-Lib Magazine. 14 (9/10).
Abstract:
Access to electronic journals and articles has involved three system phases: an early phase following introduction of electronic journals; an evolving phase in which a majority of scientific journals are available in electronic format, new features are added to some journals, and some individual articles are made available through preprint archives, author web sites, etc; and an advanced phase in which searching capabilities, advanced features, and individual articles are integrated in a complete system along with full text of core journals available back to their origin. This article provides some evidence of how scientists’ information seeking and reading patterns are affected by using journals in these three system phases. Readership surveys of scientists shed some light on how the three phases affected use, usefulness and value of articles read; where articles are obtained; the format of articles read; how they were found; and the age of articles read.
Weblink: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may03/king/05king.html
Von Seggern, Marilyn (1995). Scientists, Information Seeking, and Reference Services. REFERENCE LIBRARIAN, – haworthpress.com.
Abstract:
Decades of research on the information-seeking behavior of scientists have shown heavy reliance on informal communication and personal collections. Entry into the literature is often gained through references in journal articles and other primary literature. This paper discusses these behaviors and some reasons for their use. Improvements in reference services to the scientific user community must be based on an understanding of scientific communication, information-seeking behavior, and the information needs of the user. Examples of user-oriented reference service are given
Weblink: http://www.haworthpress.com/store/E-Text/View_EText.asp?a=4&fn=J120v23n49_07&i=49%2F50&s=J120&v=23
Wallis, J.C; Borgman, C.L; Mayernik, M. S.; Pepe, A; Ramanathan, N; Hansen, M (2007). Know Thy Sensor: Trust, Data Quality, and Data Integrity in Scientific Digital Libraries. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 4675; 380-391
Abstract:
For users to trust and interpret the data in scientific digital libraries, they must be able to assess the integrity of those data. Criteria for data integrity vary by context, by scientific problem, by individual, and a variety of other factors. This paper compares technical approaches to data integrity with scientific practices, as a case study in the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS) in the use of wireless, in-situ sensing for the collection of large scientific data sets. The goal of this research is to identify functional requirements for digital libraries of scientific data that will serve to bridge the gap between current technical approaches to data integrity and existing scientific practices.
Weblink: http://www.springerlink.com/content/4lk7w463371l0165/
Wilson, T.D. (2000). Human Information Behavior. Informing Science. 3 (2);
Abstract:
History and overview of the field of human information behaviour, including recent advances in the field and multidisciplinary perspectives. (There is a large focus on scientist and historical background. Instead of focusing on How is this person using the system to What is this person/org information need.)
Weblink: http://informationr.net/tdw/publ/papers/2000HIB.pdf
IS246 Science Research Team 