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Information Seeking Behaviours in the Digital Age: Historians in the United Kingdom

Information Seeking Behaviours in the Digital Age: Historians in the United Kingdom. Dr Ian Anderson Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute University of Glasgow. Overview. Sample Demographics Retrieval Strategies Search Methods Archival Implications. Introduction.

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Information Seeking Behaviours in the Digital Age: Historians in the United Kingdom

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  1. Information Seeking Behaviours in the Digital Age: Historians in the United Kingdom Dr Ian Anderson Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute University of Glasgow

  2. Overview • Sample • Demographics • Retrieval Strategies • Search Methods • Archival Implications Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  3. Introduction • How do historians locate primary source material? • What do they teach their students about locating primary source material? • What do archivists do to promote and educate their users about using electronic finding aids? Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  4. Introduction • 3 year project • Year 1. Surveys and interviews (historians) • Year 2. Surveys and interviews (archivists) • Year 3. Symposium (historians and archivists) ? Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  5. Sample • 166 UK HE Institutions • 118 teach history • Random stratified sample of 80 institutions • Split into two groups of 400 historians Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  6. Sample Phase 1: 400 historians • 200 Postal Surveys • 200 Electronic Surveys (web form) Phase 2: 400 historians • 200 Post Surveys • 200 Electronic Surveys (web form) • Telephone follow up of 200 non-respondents Response Rate • 105 (13.1%) Phase 3 • 24 face to face & telephone interviews Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  7. Demographics Gender of Historians in Sample & Returns Rank of Historians in Returns & by Percentage Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  8. Demographics Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  9. Demographics Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  10. Demographics UK History Staff According to Institutional Research Ranking Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  11. Demographics Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  12. Demographics • Average number of years teaching: 19.7 • Range of years teaching 1 – 40 Years Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  13. Retrieval Strategies Electronic Retrieval Strategies by Academic Rank Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  14. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  15. Retrieval Strategies Traditional Retrieval Strategies by Academic Rank Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  16. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  17. Retrieval Strategies Other Retrieval Strategies by Academic Rank Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  18. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  19. Retrieval Strategies Electronic Retrieval Strategies by Institutional Rank Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  20. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  21. Retrieval Strategies Electronic Retrieval Strategies by Years of Teaching Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  22. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  23. Retrieval Strategies Retrieval Strategies by Type of Source as Used Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  24. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  25. Retrieval Strategies Number of Retrieval Strategies Used by Type of Source Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  26. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  27. Retrieval Strategies Retrieval Strategies by Research Subject Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  28. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  29. Retrieval Strategies Retrieval Strategies by Geographic Area of Research Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  30. Retrieval Strategies Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  31. Search Methods • 41% used all three electronic library finding aids • 13% used all three electronic archival finding aids • 22% used two types or electronic library finding aid • 30% used two types of electronic archival finding aid • 78% used at least one form of electronic library finding aid • 71% used at least one form of electronic archival finding aid • 30% used 5 or 6 forms of electronic finding aid • 9% used only one form of electronic finding aid • 16% used no form of electronic finding aid Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  32. Search Methods • Used EAD • 64 No • 32 Not Sure • 3 Yes • 6 Blank Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  33. Search Methods Sources Used by Percentage Percentage of Respondents who Ranked a Source 1 Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  34. Search Methods • Diverse strategies • Evidence of some adaptation to source type, research area, finding aid provision • Preference for print search methods • Mediation • Context • How can electronic finding aids replicate this? Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  35. Archives • Additional information to be included on a repository website would be a complete catalogue listing, the identity of individual files rather than classification, and the provision of consistent results from the system. The subject had used electronic finding aids through the web, with varied success and noted that they could be more interactive. In directing a grant in an archive the most important actions would be to catalogue uncatalogued material and to retroconvert finding aids/catalogues. • The subject would find more folder-level descriptions useful on repository websites. • The subject would like to see more detail on the content of named collections. • In directing a grant in an archive, the subject would place most importance on adding more detailed item level descriptions. • In directing a grant, the subject would catalogue uncatalogued material, especially in Scotland. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  36. Archives • Greater detail, especially item level • Catalogues online (including retroconversion) • Indexing & cross referencing • Digitised & electronic sources • Sceptical about accuracy Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  37. Archives • 2 approaches • Extensive EAD indexing • Cross searching not at expense of item level description • 4 types of index supported • Re-think archival classification • New Zealand/Australian model • Classification along functional/jurisdictional lines not hierarchy/agency • Description not just about retrieval but creation and management • A continuum model • EAD just one possible output Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  38. Archives Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

  39. Further Issues • Mechanisms for bringing archivists and historians together • Perspectives on the significance of mediation in: • Accessions/deposit • Records continuum • Representation in finding aids • Role in historical methodology Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age

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