A Qualitative Study of Information Seeking among Members of an Academic Community: Methodological Issues and Problems

Abstract

The information-seeking activities of thirty-one members of the Stanford University academic community were examined over two-week periods during the 1990-91 academic year. The set of 2,050 information-seeking incidents gathered through informant tape recordings was supplemented by interviews and other textual data. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to examine the information needs in relation to perceived environment, source use, personal characteristics, and satisfaction with the result of information seeking. The data reveal information seeking to be embedded in day-to-day tasks and relationships and triggered both by articulation of need and availability of information. The article describes the methodological approach of the study, the use of ETHNOGRAPH and SPSS/PC+ software to facilitate data analysis, and the issues and problems that arose in the processes of using both quantitative and qualitative analytical methods.

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