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Source selection among information seekers: Ideals and realities

  • Dalhousie University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a study examining the information behaviour of nine individuals in daily life contexts over 10 weeks, participants were asked to identify ideal sources of help for the questions and issues they faced. The data show how people's expectations of the usefulness of information sources vary by the information seeker's gender and the source characteristics such as accessibility, trustworthiness, and reliability. Usefulness of sources has both cognitive and affective aspects. Further, discrepancies between participants' stated ideals, and the sources actually used, are analyzed. The study results suggest ways to encourage use of formal information systems and services.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)X-18
JournalCanadian Journal of Information and Library Science
Volume25
Issue number1
StatePublished - Apr 2000

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