Information needs analysis.pdf (183.06 kB)
Download fileA framework for understanding user requirements for an information service : defining the needs of informal carers
journal contribution
posted on 2008-10-10, 11:24 authored by Mark HepworthThe aim of this research was to develop a conceptual framework that would help to
collect and understand the information needs of a target community. Many information
behaviour frameworks already exist, however; although they share some features, they
tend to focus on different aspects of the person and their interaction with information. It
was proposed that a synthesis of these frameworks could lead to a comprehensive
framework. Previous research was analysed and an initial framework defined. This was
piloted and adapted and then applied to data on informal carers. This led to further
adaptation. Informal carers are people who care for another person, generally a relative,
for more than fourteen hours per week and are not paid for this. The data stemmed from
2
sixty interviews that were transcribed and coded. This paper presents the data on
informal carers and their information experience using the final framework. This serves
to demonstrate how the framework sensitizes the researcher to certain types of significant
data, enables the organization of the data, indicates the relationships between different
types of data and, overall, helps to provide a rich picture of the target community’s
information needs. In conclusion the paper discusses the differences and advantages of
the framework in relation to previous work and also the limitations of the study and
possible further research.
History
School
- Science
Department
- Information Science
Citation
HEPWORTH, M., 2004. A framework for understanding user requirements for an information service : defining the needs of informal carers. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 55 (8), pp. 695-708 [DOI: 10.1002/asi.20015 ]Publisher
© American Society for Information Science and Technology / published by John Wiley & SonsPublication date
2004Notes
This journal article was accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology [© American Society for Information Science and Technology], and the definitive published version is available at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117946195/grouphome/home.htmlISSN
1532-2882Language
- en