Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
What users want: Assessing government information preferences to drive information services |
| Authors: |
Burroughs, Jennie M.1 jennie.burroughs@umontana.edu |
| Source: |
Government Information Quarterly. Jan2009, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p203-218. 16p. 16 Charts, 2 Graphs. |
| Subject Terms: |
*Electronic information resource searching, *Database searching, *Information resources, Government information, ENGINE (Information retrieval system), Online information services |
| Abstract: |
Abstract: Access to government information has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. There are many indicators of information use, but it is challenging for service institutions to gain a current and comprehensive view of the research practices and preferences of their users. Information stakeholders must seek out current data to gauge the potential success of new initiatives and policies in order to meet user needs. To that end, a user study was conducted on the University of Montana campus in spring of 2006. The survey was sent to a random, stratified sample of the campus population. The instrument included questions on frequency of government information use, methods of locating and learning about government documents, awareness of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and service and format preferences. The results show that the majority of researchers are using government information at least quarterly and that they most often use general search engines to find it. Respondents indicate a strong interest in alerting services, tutorials, virtual reference, and topic-oriented assistance. Although some respondents prefer printed materials for specific types of information, users generally want to find and access government information online. The results offer current data for program planning, collection development, and information policy creation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier] |
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Copyright of Government Information Quarterly is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Education Research Complete |
