Transcript The Academic Library as a Counter

IS246 Information-Seeking
Behavior: An Introduction
Ethelene Whitmire
Assistant Professor
Department of
Information Studies
Definitions from Case (2002)
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Information – can be any difference you perceive, in your
environment or within yourself. It is any aspect that you notice in
the pattern of reality.
Information need - is a recognition that your knowledge is
inadequate to satisfy a goal that you have.
Information seeking – is a conscious effort to acquire information
in response to a need or a gap in your knowledge.
Information behavior - encompasses information seeking as well
as the totality of other unintentional or passive behaviors (such as
glimpsing or encountering information), as well as purposive
behaviors that do not involve seeking, such as actively avoiding
information.
Brief Historical Overview
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Beginning of the 20th century – focused on studies of information
channels/systems such as libraries and mass media
(newspapers).
1960s – focus on information needs and use by scientists and
engineers -- focus on the sources and how they were used.
Surveys were commonly used. Focus was on “serious”
information use related to work (ex. Tasks), health, politics, etc.
1970s – focus on the person as an information user and among
other interests there was a focus on gratifications in mass media
research.
1980s – focus on systems like online catalogs.
1990s – focus on the Internet.
Designing & Conducting
Ethnographic Research
Lesson 1
What is an Ethnography?
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Quite literally, it means, “writing about
groups of people.” More specifically, it
means writing about the culture of groups of
people.
Uses of Ethnography
To better understand a problem
 To illustrate what is happening
 To complement quantitative data
 To identify new trends
 Basically, to help clarify a situation
 Examples: HIV prevention, losing weight,
Anna from Rutgers
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Research Design & Ethnography
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Research design – formal plan of action for a
project.
Decisions about the choice of design are primarily
guided by three factors:
The questions the investigator is trying to answer
The resources (time, training, and money)
The characteristics, including the constraints, of
the research site or setting.
Initial Tasks
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Framing the research questions
Building the conceptual starting point, theory
(literature review)
Identifying characteristics of an appropriate
population to study and locating the population
Finding and obtaining access to an appropriate
research site
Initial Tasks (Continued)
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What: The specific issues and research questions related to
the problem area
Why: The reasons or rational for focusing on this area
Where: The place or site where the study can be conducted
With Whom: The categories of people with whom the
problem could best be studied
When: The time span needed to conduct the study
How: The way in which the information can be located and
collected
Who: Which people can provide access to the site, people, or
sources for information needed to answer the question.
Subsequent Tasks
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Develop a data collection plan
Design appropriate data collection methods
Establish analytic procedures
Develop ways of protecting the identity of research
participants and the confidentiality of the
information they provide and for treating them
ethically
Establish guidelines and procedures for
interpretation, dissemination, and utilization of
results
Data Collection Methods
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Observation
Tests and repeated measures
Population or sample survey
Ethnographic interview
Content analysis of secondary text or visual data
Focus group interviews
Spatial mapping, etc.
Importance of Triangulation
Qualities of a Good Ethnographer
(Characteristics)
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Adventurous
Resourceful
Enthusiastic
Self-motivated
Trustworthy
Risk-taking
Curious
Sociable
Qualities of a Good Ethnographer
(Skills)
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Observant
Communicative
Thinks conceptually
Cognizant of cultural issues and behavior
Reportorial
Remembers well
Separates strict observation from personal bias or
opinion
Works well with a team