Information Needs Analysis : Principles and practice in information organizations

ISBN-13: 9781856044844 / Angielski / Miękka / 2014 / 256 str.

Philip Calvert

Opis

Understanding your users' information needs is essential to providing effective services and building appropriate collections, but the challenge of conducting a research study may prove too intimidating. Here's a step-by-step guide specifically tailored for librarians and other information professionals to develop and execute an information needs analysis. Authors Calvert, Dorner, and Gorman show you how to plan and develop studies, gather and analyze information, and implement changes based on your findings. Filled with activities, illustrative examples, and helpful reading lists, librarians will find much of value in this hands-on, jargon-free approach to better serving users.

Spis treści

1. Background to needs analysis for information managers

• Introduction
• Information needs analysis rather than information needs assessment
• Understanding the concept of need
• Defining ‘needs’ in relation to ‘wants’ and ‘demands’
• Defining information needs analysis
• Types of information needs
• Reasons for conducting an information needs analysis
• Review of Chapter 1
• Further reading
• References

2. The importance of context in information needs analysis

• Introduction
• The cultural context
• Information needs awareness in context
• Purpose and perceived importance
• Determining the communities
• Making use of existing data
• Review of Chapter 2
• Further reading
• References

3. Models and types of information needs analysis

• Introduction
• The literature
• The system approach
• The target group approach
• The contexts of needs assessments
• Comparing the perspectives
• Information needs analyses in information management contexts
• Review of Chapter 3
• Further reading
• References

4. The stages of information needs analysis

• Introduction
• Four stages of needs analysis
• The recursive nature of INA research
• Qualitative and quantitative frameworks for data analysis
• The stages of ex post intervention
• Review of Chapter 4
• Further reading
• References
• Appendix 4.1: Gantt chart

5. Gathering data for information needs analyses

• Introduction
• How we have reached this juncture
• The primary research question
• The research population
• The data-gathering method
• Data analysis
• Validity and reliability
• Ethical considerations
• Practical issues to consider when choosing a method
• The main data-gathering methods
• Examples of data-gathering methods selected in INAs
• Review of Chapter 5
• Further reading
• References

6. Gathering data from existing sources

• Introduction
• The data
• External data
• Internally created data
• The methods
• Conclusion
• Review of Chapter 6
• Further reading
• References

7. Gathering data through surveys

• Introduction
• What is a survey?
• Planning for a survey
• Conducting a survey
• Preparing for data analysis
• Review of Chapter 7
• Further reading
• References

8. Gathering data through interviews

• Introduction
• Thoughts on managing qualitative data collection
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Observation
• Other qualitative methods
• Review of Chapter 8
• Further reading
• References

9. Analysing and integrating information needs analysis data

• Introduction
• Analysing and integrating information
• The information analysis stage in the INA process
• Qualitative data
• Quantitative data
• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics
• Review of Chapter 9
• Further reading
• References

10. Reporting on an information needs analysis

• Introduction
• The audience and its impact on the final report
• Validity and reliability
• The writing process
• The structure of an INA report
• The use of graphics
• Other means of communicating the results
• Review of Chapter 10
• Further reading
• References