Information-seeking behavior of basic science researchers: implications for library services

Objectives:

This study examined the information-seeking behaviors of basic science researchers to inform the development of customized library services.

Methods:

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on a sample of basic science researchers employed at a university medical school.

Results:

The basic science researchers used a variety of information resources ranging from popular Internet search engines to highly technical databases. They generally relied on basic keyword searching, using the simplest interface of a database or search engine. They were highly collegial, interacting primarily with coworkers in their laboratories and colleagues employed at other institutions. They made little use of traditional library services and instead performed many traditional library functions internally.

Conclusions:

Although the basic science researchers expressed a positive attitude toward the library, they did not view its resources or services as integral to their work. To maximize their use by researchers, library resources must be accessible via departmental websites. Use of library services may be increased by cultivating relationships with key departmental administrative personnel. Despite their self-sufficiency, subjects expressed a desire for centralized information about ongoing research on campus and shared resources, suggesting a role for the library in creating and managing an institutional repository.

Highlights

• Basic science researchers rely on a small network of individuals in their institution and at other institutions to satisfy their information needs.
• Basic science researchers tend to ignore institutional boundaries when searching for information and do not necessarily view the library as the primary source of scholarly information.
• Basic science researchers use the interlibrary loan service regularly but otherwise rarely use traditional library services such as mediated literature searching and instruction.

Implications

• The library must establish a presence in researchers'' work environments, rather than expect them to seek out library resources and services.
• The increased emphasis by funding agencies on clinical translational science may impact the information needs of basic science researchers in the future.
• Libraries have an opportunity to capitalize on their positive reputation and basic scientists'' desire for more centralized information to create new information resources and services such as institutional repositories.

     

Information-seeking behavior of nursing students and clinical nurses: implications for health sciences librarians.

OBJECTIVES: This research was conducted to provide new insights on clinical nurses' and nursing students' current use of health resources and libraries and deterrents to their retrieval of electronic clinical information, exploring implications from these findings for health sciences librarians. METHODS: Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used to collect data from twenty-five nursing students and twenty-five clinical nurses. RESULTS: Nursing students and clinical nurses were most likely to rely on colleagues and books for medical information, while other resources they frequently cited included personal digital assistants, electronic journals and books, and drug representatives. Significantly more nursing students than clinical nurses used online databases, including CINAHL and PubMed, to locate health information, and nursing students were more likely than clinical nurses to report performing a database search at least one to five times a week. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Nursing students made more use of all available resources and were better trained than clinical nurses, but both groups lacked database-searching skills. Participants were eager for more patient care information, more database training, and better computer skills; therefore, health sciences librarians have the opportunity to meet the nurses' information needs and improve nurses' clinical information-seeking behavior.     

Information-seeking behavior and the use of online resources: a snapshot of current health sciences faculty

Objective:

The research assesses the information-seeking behaviors of health sciences faculty, including their use of online databases, journals, and social media.

Methodology:

A survey was designed and distributed via email to 754 health sciences faculty at a large urban research university with 6 health sciences colleges.

Results:

Twenty-six percent (198) of faculty responded. MEDLINE was the primary database utilized, with 78.5% respondents indicating they use the database at least once a week. Compared to MEDLINE, Google was utilized more often on a daily basis. Other databases showed much lower usage.

Conclusions:

Low use of online databases other than MEDLINE, link-out tools to online journals, and online social media and collaboration tools demonstrates a need for meaningful promotion of online resources and informatics literacy instruction for faculty.

Implications:

Library resources are plentiful and perhaps somewhat overwhelming. Librarians need to help faculty discover and utilize the resources and tools that libraries have to offer.     

Insights into Information-seeking and Communicating Behaviour of Academics

This paper discusses the information-seeking behaviour of academics in relation to the productivity of academics in South African Universities, with particular reference to the University of Zululand, through a survey of 105 academics. It was established that the nature of the discipline and the rank of the academic, which normally corresponds with the academic qualification, experience, exposure and research productivity level, largely determine the information-seeking behaviour. Academics mainly need information for career development, and occupational and professional needs. Furthermore, university libraries, which currently face budget cuts on acquisitions, still play a pivotal role in information access by the academics. It is confirmed that the use of “local environment” is dominant for intra- and inter-university information access network and system. It is recommended that avenues that work colleagues can use to interact should be supported, and career challenges that stimulate productivity by academics, such as research and publication, should be maintained and sustained.     

网络用户信息查寻行为模型构建

首先通过文献调查,分析网络用户信息查寻行为的特点。其次,对国外已有7个典型信息行为模型进行回顾,并从研究关注点、研究视角、研究方法等方面对这几个模型进行比较。再次,结合使用观察法和访谈法,对50名网络用户进行了调查研究,得出一些重要结论。最后,构建网络用户信息查寻行为过程的描述性模型,梳理网络用户信息查寻行为的一般步骤。     

网络用户信息查寻行为模型构建

首先通过文献调查,分析网络用户信息查寻行为的特点.其次,对国外已有7个典型信息行为模型进行回顾,并从研究关注点、研究视角、研究方法等方面对这几个模型进行比较.再次,结合使用观察法和访谈法,对50名网络用户进行了调查研究,得出一些重要结论.最后,构建网络用户信息查寻行为过程的描述性模型,梳理网络用户信息查寻行为的一般步骤.     

高校研究人员学术信息资源利用及信息查寻行为的调查与分析——以北京大学图书馆用户调查为例

通过对北京大学教师和研究生利用北大中心馆、院系分馆及校外其他图书馆构成的文献保障体系以及用户信息查寻行为的调查和研究,分析了不同身份和不同学科用户在广义的信息环境下的信息需求与利用的情况,提出了针对用户的需求,加强馆藏资源建设、提供更具有针对性的用户服务的建议。     

Imposed-inquiry Information-seeking Self-efficacy and Performance of College Students: A Review of the Literature

Information literacy is a constellation of skills related to information use, one of which is information seeking. Proficiency in information seeking alone is not sufficient, though, because having the procedural knowledge necessary to complete a task is irrelevant without the confidence to act on that knowledge. Despite its importance, researchers have only begun investigating information-seeking self-efficacy in the last few decades, and multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of information literacy instruction in developing self-efficacy. How and why self-efficacy changes are key questions in this line of research, and both require a reliable and valid method of measuring self-efficacy, as well as an objective, quantitative measure of performance. Multiple researchers have addressed this issue in their research, often in relationship with another topic, including the efficacy of different pedagogical approaches, the relationship between self-efficacy and performance, human-computer interaction with search systems, and the interrelationships between self-efficacy and multiple other variables. Although progress has been made, a great deal of research is required to properly understand the relationship between self-efficacy and performance, and the complex interrelationships with other factors, which would allow for the development of better information literacy instruction.     

Speech as process: Effects of experimental design

The traditional design for the study of language variables is a controlled message design in which one kernel message is manipulated to produce message variations that represent the language variable contrasts. Thus message content is the same across treatment conditions and hence crossed with the treatment factors. Jackson and Jacobs (1983) criticized this design on three grounds. They argued that messages should be natural rather than contrived, that messages should be nested within treatment conditions rather than crossed with treatment factors, and that each study should use as many messages as possible. Their paper has been used by reviewers as the basis for rejecting studies done using the traditional design. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the arguments presented in Jackson and Jacobs (1983) as well as subsequent papers by Jackson (1984) and Jackson and Jacobs (1987). The arguments are shown to contain both methodological and substantive errors. When the arguments are corrected, it is shown that nested designs and multiple messages should be used only when absolutely necessary. It is the traditional controlled message, crossed design and not the naturalistic message, nested design which is robust; robust against not only incidental but fundamental confounding, robust against message by treatment by message interactions, and relatively robust against Type II error. Taken together with meta‐analysis, the traditional single message, crossed design can detect and identify message by treatment interactions. On the other hand, the multiple message design makes it impossible to identify such interactions.     

Information-seeking behaviors of practitioners in a primary care practice-based research network (PBRN).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the information-seeking behaviors (e.g., information resource usage patterns, access to types of sources and to medical libraries, and use of particular information technologies) of members in a primary care practice-based research network (PBRN) to inform future efforts supporting primary care practitioners in their daily care of patients. METHODS: Every primary care practitioner who was a member of the Kentucky Ambulatory Network-including family practitioners, general practitioners, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants-was surveyed. The cross-sectional survey included twenty-six questions to investigate the information-seeking behavior of primary care practitioners. RESULTS: The response rate was 51% (59 of 116). Most practitioners (58%) stated they sought information to support patient care several times per week, and most (68%) noted they do this while the patient waited. Many practitioners (40%) never or almost never perform literature searches from online sources such as MEDLINE, although 44% said they did so a few times per month. A significant correlation between use of online sources and use of print sources suggests that those who seek online information more frequently than those who do not also seek information from print sources frequently, and vice versa. Access to medical libraries was also reported as high. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous studies, the primary care practitioners in this rural PBRN reported more frequent use of print and interpersonal sources compared to online sources. There appeared to be, however, a clear difference between those practitioners who are more likely to seek information, regardless of format, and those who are less inclined. Future interventions will need to address such barriers as time, cost, and information-seeking skills.     

网络环境下高校科研人员信息查寻行为与创新行为关系研究

良好的信息查寻行为能够帮助科研人员在科研过程中提高科研创新能力。分析了高校科研人员在参考文献的查阅、检索工具的选择、学术信息的来源、信息的获取途径、信息的查寻与利用习惯五个方面的信息查寻行为与创新行为的关系。研究发现,参考文献的查阅、学术信息的来源、参加学术会议和与同行交流、信息查寻与利用习惯都对科研人员的创新行为有显著影响。     

基于标准化流程设计的口述档案真实性保障研究

针对口述档案真实性保障问题,设计更加标准的口述档案采集流程。将口述档案标准化流程分为项目选题、立项、采集准备、采集实施、采集整理、采集归档六大模块,选取主题与采访对象、初步调查、可行性分析等17个具体步骤。通过降低各环节口述档案真实性影响因素对于其真实性的影响程度,保障口述档案真实性,维护口述档案的“档案”身份。     

日本大学电子图书馆数字资源建设概况与分析

本文对日本大学电子图书馆数字文献资源建设的内容、系统设计方针、著作权处理等几方面进行了介绍与分析，希望能对今后大学图书馆数字资源建设提供一个参考与思路。     

中国传媒产业市场结构、行为与绩效分析

据摩根斯坦利全球投资报告的统计分析,建立起世界级有竞争力的大企业,传媒业仅需要8年时间,远远快于医药业、银行、电力、能源等行业。可以说,传媒业已经成为继电子信息、制造业、烟草业之后我国排名第四的国家支柱产业,对其产业状况进     

Ban Chiang bronzes: manufacturing techniques and restoration

Abstract

Original protective renderings have been the focus of numerous studies in recent years. Relevant literature, archival research and archaeological findings reveal that a number of mortar mixes or liquid substances were brushed on to protect and colour-unify the exterior ashlar-stone of many historic buildings. These coatings were of two types: common mortars, particularly improved with organic additives, and water-resistant filmforming substances. Economic cost, local supply, traditional practices and technological development are vital to an understanding of regional preferences for one mortar mix or material over another. The Cathedral of Leon is a mediaeval gothic temple from the thirteenth century, profusely remodelled throughout its history. In the sixteenth century, a new design of the courtyard partially enclosed a fifteenth-century exterior wall. Samples from the enclosed and exposed parts of this wall were examined. Analytical research suggests that the stone surface of this element received a treatment based on gypsum with organic additives. These organic products were fatty materials of the lipid type (tallow or lard) which reacted to form an insoluble, hydrophobic soap, at the same time providing the stone with its yellowish colour. The exceptional amount oflime registered in samples from the enclosed section has been considered a component of this surface treatment.     

科技查新档案管理系统分析、设计与实现

论文介绍了东南大学图书馆科技查新档案管理系统的开发和功能实现。     

Organizing the process of processing,storing, presenting,and searching electronic resources in a university library

The functioning properties of a university library in regards to its provision of electronic service to readers have been studied throughout extensive experimental exploitation. Additionally, the evolution of the automated library information system of the N.E. Bauman Yauza library at MSTU is considered. Requirements are proposed to achieve an effective automated system for the processing, storing, and searching of electronic information resources in a university’s library based on certain identified properties. The following key principles necessary for this type of system to function are developed: the stream typology for the completion of a modern university library, a uniform model of electronic information resources, the architecture of a subsystem for presenting and searching electronic resources, organizational methods for processing the most commonly received types of incoming documents for a library with the purpose of organizing effective electronic service for readers.     

The tin-mercury mirror: its manufacturing technique and deterioration processes

Abstract

Mirrors made of glass backed with a reflective coating of tin amalgam first came into general use in the sixteenth century. Production ceased around 1900. The mirrors were made by sliding glass over tin foil flooded with mercury. The mercury reacts with tin to form a layer of crystals containing about 19wt% of mercury alloyed with the tin. The voids between the crystals are filled with a fluid phase containing about 0.5% tin in mercury. This two-phase reflective coating changes with time: the crystals grow larger and cover a greater proportion of the glass surface, while mercury slowly evaporates. In time, tiny voids appear between glass and amalgam. The fluid phase also migrates to the bottom of the mirror. Corrosion of the amalgam produces tin dioxide and tin monoxide and releases liquid mercury from the solid phase. Amalgam mirrors contribute a few micrograms of mercury per cubic metre of air in a room. Measured values have all been far below the official toxic limit of 50μgm^?3. The frames often contain drops of mercury and special precautions are necessary for safe transport, repair and disposal of the mirrors.