Dissertation Information for Barbara D. Farah NAME: - Barbara D. Farah
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Simmons College (USA) (1990)
ADVISORS: - Ching-chih Chen
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - None
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: The information-seeking patterns of academic computer engineers
Abstract: This study was undertaken to gain insight into the information-seeking patterns of academic computer engineers in the context of their working environment. The investigation included the identification of information providers both within the respondent's own institutional environment as well as formal and informal sources of information outside their institutions. The engineers' need for information to answer a question, make a decision, solve a problem, or understand something better were explored. Information-seeking patterns were analyzed by identifying information providers, the reasons and the criteria for their selection, and the methods engineers used to obtain information. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. The response rate was 69%. Computer engineers ranked their own academic libraries as the most used information provider to assist them with work-related information problems (20.24%). They also ranked their library the highest as being the most helpful (28.30%). When collapsed in a group, interpersonal information providers, however, were selected more frequently (52.93%), than either institutional information providers (34.63%) or personal information providers (12.44%). Prior experience or knowledge, by a considerable margin, was selected as their reason for selecting an information provider. Eight selection criteria for choosing an information provider were identified. It was found that accessibility, quality or accuracy of the information, timeliness, cost in terms of time, and ease of use were the strongest determinants for choosing an information provider. Timeliness of the information and cost in terms of time influenced the use of colleagues within the computer engineers' own institutions. The selection of colleagues outside an engineer's institution was determined by the quality and the comprehensiveness of the information these colleagues were perceived to have. A statistically significant relationship between the work-related situation of "finding a research topic" and the selection criteria "timeliness" was established (chi-square = 5.2374). Finally, the question of how computer engineers obtained information was explored by asking what methods they used to access the information they needed. In-person contact (25.12%), print (17.06%), professional meetings (14.22%), and E-Mail (13.27%) were the methods most frequently selected. Hypothesis testing established a statistically significant relationship between one work-related situation -- finding a research topic -- and accessing an information provider at either meetings or conferences or by direct in-person contact. Computer engineers used E-mail and personal communication to contact colleagues outside of their institutions to assist them with their work-related situations. No relationships between institutional information providers or colleagues within a computer engineer's own institutions were established.
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MPACT Scores for Barbara D. Farah A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:33:21
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