Donald O. Case

The Collection and Use of Information by Some American Historians: A Study of Motives and Methods.

Previous literature on the information needs and uses of historians has tended to focus on the use of libraries and specific types of materials, rather than on the motivations for, and results of, such use. Yet understanding this prior process of historical inquiry might help us to develop improved services and facilities for scholars. A study of twenty American historians was conducted in order to better understand the nature of research in history. Respondents were asked about their choice of research topics, specific projects in progress, use of archives, categorization of materials collected, writing habits, and use of computers. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using standard, qualitative techniques. The results are discussed in the light of previous investigations of historians and the published statements of classification experts regarding the organization of historical knowledge. Suggestions for future study of historians are offered, and implications for libraries are explored.

Conceptual Organization and Retrieval of Text by Historians: The Role of Memory and Metaphor.

As electronic text files increase in number and diversity, the problem of devising a more effective information retrieval interface grows more important. Future designs may draw upon cognitive theories at categorization and metaphor to understand how users interact with text—both paper and electronic. Relevant literature in cognitive psychology and information science suggests the importance of the users physical environment in thinking about abstract entities, such as categories of documents. Empirical studies have established a basis for understanding how we think about, file, remember, and locate text. Results from a study of 20 historians—an exemplary group in terms of their close studies of texts and the broad scope of their inquiries—imply the importance of metaphors for storage and retrieval of documents. The study found that metaphors and subjective categories were frequently applied to documents collected and created by these scholars. Two physical factors—spatial configuration and document form—were often considered before topic in determining document storage locations in the office. Developers of information systems should consider qualitative aspects of cognition in their designs. System developers might also consider segmenting the audience for computer interfaces, as well as designing generic tools that apply to all users.

Genomics—the perfect information–seeking research problem

ABSTRACT The intersection of the genetics era and information age poses unique and daunting challenges for health consumers who may not have the health literacy to keep pace. While rapid advances in genetics research promise enhanced care, the inherent complexities and individualistic nature of genetic information have resulted in a challenging information environment. The technical possibilities for acquiring genomic information are increasing at an exponential pace, as are the scientific advances relating to it. Furthermore, societal reactions to genomics, and possible privacy and discrimination issues, may constitute significant constraints. The health care infrastructure also has its limits, given the severe shortage of qualified cancer genetic counselors and general practitioners who are unprepared to address genetics, creating a demand for creative approaches to service delivery. The combination of individual salience, low health literacy, the consumer movement, and important policy problems, then makes genomics the perfect information seeking research problem.

Collection and organization of written information by social scientists and humanists: a review and exploratory study

The literature on the information needs and uses of social scientists and humanists tends to ignore the stage of research in which the scholar collects and organizes written informa tion, i.e., the period between locating information and using it. This article reviews literature on information storage in the humanities and social sciences and describes an exploratory study of the content and organization of personal files. In the study, thirty-six professors in a major private university were each interviewed twice during a five month period. During the interview sessions, the scholars were asked to describe the way in which they organize their files. In addition, certain measure ments were taken in their offices: the linear feet of books, journals and other printed material on shelves; the number of filing drawers maintained; and the number of stacks of printed material on surfaces within the office. The findings are de scribed and discussed in the light of previous research. Finally, the article identifies ways in which such research could be used to develop superior information products and services and a better understanding of the process of scholarship.

Serial Collecting as Leisure, and Coin Collecting in Particular

The collecting of things for pleasure is an almost universal human experience. Psychological studies tell us that it is deeply connected to the development of the self and of relations with the world and other people. This article explores collecting as serious leisure, reviews explanations of collecting behavior, and focuses on coin collectors as one example. The types and organization of numismatic literature are explored. A participant observation study of coin collectors in both face-to-face and electronic meeting places finds that they are motivated by the potential for self-development, social interactions with other collectors, and financial gains, and at times by compulsive collecting.

The social shaping of Videotex: how information services for the public have evolved

“Videotex” was an early incarnation of what have been more recently called “end-user information services.” This article considers the origins and historical development of videotex over three decades, comparing various nationally sponsored and private systems in Europe and North America, and discussing reasons given for the “failure” of videotex. The influence of nontechnical factors on videotex and perceptions of critical problems and acceptable solutions are described. According to this interpretation, the development of videotex faced four “bottlenecks” at once: the determination of transmission channels; the choice of a display device; agreement on coding standards; and the marketing of the resulting services. In how it accommodated these problems, videotex provides an example of how social, political, and economic elements are inseparable from technical constraints in the development of new information technologies.

The design and evaluation of a front-end user interface for energy researchers

We report on a two‐year project funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a set of microcomputer‐based training and assistance programs to support end user access to the Energy Database on the DOE information retrieval systems. We studied the information needs and information‐seeking habits of energy researchers and then designed a set of programs tailored to their skill levels and needs. The software was developed in several iterations, with laboratory testing after each cycle. We learned that it was possible to construct a 10‐ to 15‐minute instructional program and an automated assistance program that would allow most of the experimental users to conduct a reasonable search. However, the searches tended to be overly complex and problems with term selection remain. We discuss the issues in development, evaluation, and the study of user behavior in designing an interface tailored to a special population.

Online access to knowledge: system design

The project Online Access to Knowledge (OAK) has developed a computer intermediary for selected users of the Department of Energys DOE/RECON and BASIS online information retrieval systems. Its purpose is to enable people who have little or no training or experience in bibliographic searching to conduct their own searches, without the assistance of a trained librarian, hence permitting the user to work in both a place and time of his or her choosing. The purpose of this article is to report on the design and the rationale for the design. OAK software consists of both a tutorial and an assistance program. The latter does not employ a command language, hence obviates the need for a searcher to learn the formal language usually associated with an online database search service. It is central to our approach that this system does not supplant the users ultimate primacy in knowing what he or she is looking for, nor in judging the results.

What's the use? Measuring the frequency of studies of information outcomes

Several prominent scholars suggest that investigations of human information behavior or “information needs, seeking, and uses” rarely measure how received information is applied or its effects on the recipient, that is, its outcomes. This article explores this assertion via systematic analysis of studies published in journals between 1950 and 2012. Five time periods and four journals were sampled, including 1,391 journal articles, 915 of which were empirical studies. Based on these samples, the percentage of studies of information outcomes climbed from zero in the 1950s and 1960s, to 8% in recent research reports. The barriers to studying information outcomes and possible future research on this topic are explored.

Enthusiasts, deregulators, guardians, and skeptics : Contrasting policy viewpoints on the National Information Infrastructure

Abstract Passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and events leading up to it, brought to public attention a proposed National Information Infrastructure (NII) that would connect homes, businesses, universities, schools, and government offices. The policy discourse surrounding the Act reveals a variety of perspectives among stakeholders, including the Clinton administration, federal agencies, Congress, telephone companies, the computer industry, broadcast and cable TV companies, educators, and other interest groups. While there are many reports and commentaries on the NII, few authors have tried to characterize the political viewpoints behind the public discourse. This article reviews more than 80 NII-related documents, published from 1988 through 1997, and classifies their views and authors according to a two-dimensional typology by policy analyst William Dutton. Comparisons are made between those advocating Public versus Market leadership in NII development, and between Promotional and Restrictive statements regarding NII policy.