Power/knowledge: The discursive construction of an author

This article reports the findings of a study examining the social/discursive construction of an author (Brenda Dervin) by an international community of researchers (information behavior researchers). A crucial conceptual starting point for the study was Michel Foucault's work on the discursive construction of power/knowledge. The study represents one attempt to develop a discourse analytic approach to the study of information behavior. The researcher carried out semistructured qualitative interviews, based in part on Dervin's "Life-Line" and "Time-Line" techniques, with fifteen information behavior researchers from eight universities in five countries in Europe and North America. The study's findings provide a case study in how discourse operates at the microsociological level. It provides examples of how community members engage with, accept, and contest both new and established "truth statements" and discursive practices. They demonstrate that both participants' formal and informal information behaviors are the product of discursive power/knowledge relations. © 2007 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved

Time is of the essence: Social theory of time and its implications for LIS research

Abstract: “Time,” like “information,” is a concept that has received a great deal of attention in some disciplines and is ignored or taken for granted in others. Traditional studies of information seeking have focussed on spatial issues – primarily, locating/ location of sources – to the neglect of temporal issues. This paper proposes that the social constructivist theoretical paradigm recently adopted by LIS researchers demands recognition of social time; that is, not absolute time, but another type of meaning constructed between people through their interactions. Attending to social concepts of time can have important implications for research into organizational and individual information behaviour. Information practices in organizations and work groups within organizations cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the multitude of times that exist within such groups. Studies of workplace information practices focus variously on organizations, project teams, task forces, crews, departments, etc. Each group has a different temporal existence based on its practices. For example, organizations, departments and communities imply longevity as well as duration. We describe a developing study of information practices in a limited-duration work group. Traditional studies of information seeking often consider individuals’ descriptions of their information seeking behaviour as transparent representations of underlying cognitive processes. A constructivist stance permits an analysis of the ways that accounts of information seeking can take discursive action: the ways that such accounts are structured and the ways they may be used to make claims about individuals’ general behaviour or competence, and to prescribe or proscribe certain sets of activities. The concept of “time” may then be used as a discursive resource by individuals in a social interaction. We report findings from a study of the ways that information seekers may use various representations of “time” in justifying certain kinds of information seeking behaviour

La conducta informativa de los físicos: un estudio cualitativo de usuarios

El propósito de este artículo es examinar la conducta informativa en el proceso de búsqueda y uso de la información de físicos que están en proceso o han concluido recientemente su tesis doctoral. Este estudio se realizó desde el abordaje del sense making centrado en el usuario. Se intenta explicar las situaciones comprendidas dentrodel proceso de búsqueda y uso de la información, en términos de elección de fuentes, criterios de juicio de relevancia utilizados, estrategias de organización, y estrategias de presentación de la información, tanto como los sentimientos de los físicos y la definición que dan de la información.The work analizes information seeking behavior of students who are in the process of getting a PhD in Physics or who have recently done so. The analysis was made within the sense making approach which is centered in the user. An attempt is made to explain situations in the seek and use of information in terms of the sources, the criteria used to determine its relevance, organizational strategies as well as information presentation strategies. The study also looks at the physicists feelings during the information seeking process and the way the idea of information evolves in their minds throughout their PhD.Esta investigación se desarrolla dentro de la programación UBACYT 1998-2000, TL 28, Procesos de búsqueda de información y modalidades e instancias de intervención, dirigido por Susana Romanos de Tiratel.Publicad

La conducta informativa de los físicos: un estudio cualitativo de usuarios

The work analyzes information seeking behavior of students who are in the process of getting a PhD in Physics or who have recently done so. The analysis was made within the sense making approach which is centered in the user. An attempt is made to explain situations in the seek and use of information in terms of the sources, the relevance judgment criteria, organizational strategies as well as information presentation strategies. The study also looks at the physicists feelings during the information seeking process and the way the idea of information evolves in their minds throughout their PhD

Cuatro tradiciones en la investigacion del usuario: user studies, information behaviour, information practice e information experience.

Despite the fact that user research constitutes a consolidated area of study with defined limits, it can entail terminological difficulties for researchers who are not familiar with it. This type of research can be traced, at least, under four different headings: user studies or information needs and uses studies; information behaviour or information-seeking behaviour; information practices and information experience. This paper presents a basic analysis of the founding theoretical and methodological features which help understand what is behind these headlines, why they came to be used and what kind of research can be found under these four headings. The aim is to facilitate the exhaustive retrieval of specialized bibliography, as well as critical reading, taking into account these theoretical and methodological consideration

Quattro approcci agli studi sull’utenza: user studies, information behaviour, information practice e information experience

Despite the fact that user research constitutes a consolidated area of study with defined limits, it can entail terminological difficulties for researchers who are not familiar with it. This type of research can be traced, at least, under four different headings: user studies or information needs and uses studies; information behaviour or information-seeking behaviour; information practices and information experience. This paper presents a basic analysis of the founding theoretical and methodological features which help understand what is behind these headlines, why they came to be used and what kind of research can be found under these four headings. The aim is to facilitate the exhaustive retrieval of specialized bibliography, as well as critical reading, taking into account these theoretical and methodological considerations.SpanishA pesar de que la investigación del usuario constituye un área de estudio consolidada y con unos límites establecidos, su abordaje para aquellos investigadores no familiarizados con ella, entraña dificultades de tipo terminológico. Este tipo de investigaciones se pueden encontrar, al menos, bajo cuatro epígrafes distintos: estudios de usuarios o de necesidades y usos de la información (User studies o Information needs and uses studies), estudios de comportamiento informacional o comportamiento de búsqueda de información (Information behaviour o information-seeking behaviour), estudios de las prácticas de información (Information practices) y estudios de la experiencia de información (Information experience).  Este trabajo presenta un análisis de las coordenadas teóricas y metodológicas básicas a partir de las cuales comprender qué hay detrás de estas expresiones, por qué comenzaron a emplearse y qué tipo de investigación se puede encontrar bajo esos cuatro epígrafes. Se pretende facilitar a los profesionales e investigadores interesados en esta materia, la recuperación exhaustiva de la bibliografía especializada así como la lectura crítica atendiendo a esas consideraciones teóricas y metodológicas.EnglishDespite the fact that user research constitutes a consolidated area of study with established limits, it can entail terminological difficulties for researchers who are not familiar with it. This type of research can be found, at least, under four different epigraphs: user studies or Information needs and uses studies, information behaviour or information-seeking behaviour, information practices and information experience. This paper presents a basic analysis of the basic theoretical and methodological features from which to understand what is behind these expressions, why they began to be used and what kind of research can be found under these four epigraphs. The aim is to facilitate the exhaustive retrieval of specialized bibliography, as well as critical reading, taking into account these theoretical and methodological considerations.Nonostante il fatto che la ricerca sull’utenza costituisca un’area di studio consolidata e ben delimitata, l’approccio può comportare difficoltà terminologiche per i ricercatori che non abbiano familiarità con essa. Questo tipo di ricerca ricade perlomeno sotto quattro diverse intestazioni: studi sull’utenza o sui bisogni e usi dell’informazione; comportamento informativo o comportamento nella ricerca di informazioni; studi sulle pratiche informative e studi sull’esperienza informativa. Questo articolo presenta un’analisi di base delle caratteristiche fondanti, teoretiche e metodologiche, che permettono di capire cosa vi sia dietro a queste espressioni, perché siano entrate nell’uso e che tipo di ricerca possa essere identificata sotto ciascuna di queste esse. Lo scopo è di facilitare il recupero esaustivo di bibliografia specializzata, così come la lettura critica, tenendo conto di queste considerazioni teoretiche e metodologiche.

Cuatro tradiciones en la investigacion del usuario: user studies, information behaviour, information practice e information experience.

Despite the fact that user research constitutes a consolidated area of study with defined limits, it can entail terminological difficulties for researchers who are not familiar with it. This type of research can be traced, at least, under four different headings: user studies or information needs and uses studies; information behaviour or information-seeking behaviour; information practices and information experience. This paper presents a basic analysis of the founding theoretical and methodological features which help understand what is behind these headlines, why they came to be used and what kind of research can be found under these four headings. The aim is to facilitate the exhaustive retrieval of specialized bibliography, as well as critical reading, taking into account these theoretical and methodological consideration

Introduktion till informationsvetenskapen

Alkuteos: Tiedon tie : johdatus informaatiotutkimukseen (kääntänyt Katja Sandqvist)

La conducta informativa de los físicos: un estudio cualitativo de usuarios

The work analizes information seeking behavior of students who are in the process of getting a PhD in Physics or who have recently done so. The analysis was made within the sense making approach which is centered in the user. An attempt is made to explain situations in the seek and use of information in terms of the sources, the criteria used to determine its  relevance, organizational strategies as well as information presentation strategies. The study also looks at the physicists feelings during the information seeking process and the way the idea  of information evolves in their minds throughout their PhD.El propósito de este artículo es examinar la conducta informativa en el proceso de búsqueda y uso de la  información de físicos que están en proceso o han concluido recientemente su tesis doctoral. Este estudio se realizó desde el  abordaje del sense making centrado en el usuario. Se intenta explicar las situaciones comprendidas dentro del proceso de búsqueda y uso de la información, en términos de elección de fuentes, criterios de juicio de relevancia utilizados, estrategias de organización, y estrategias de presentación de la información, tanto como los sentimientos de los físicos y la definición que dan de la informació

Elfreda Annmary Chatman in the 21st Century: At the Intersection of Critical Theory and Social Justice Imperatives

Elfreda Annmary Chatman (1942-2002) is considered a pioneer library and information science (LIS) scholar for her theory development and ethnographic approach to understand information behaviors of understudied populations (e.g., female inmates, janitors, the elderly, poor people, female retirees, etc.). This article discusses the limited contemporary relevance of her contributions to information science research in the 21st century when subjected to an epistemological assessment from critical theory and social justice imperatives. Progressive scholars operationalize this intersection in terms of action-oriented and socially relevant outcomes achieved via information-related work to extend the LIS professions beyond its historical shackles. They also encourage community-engaged scholarship and community-wide changes via partnering with and providing programs to people on society’s margins. Scrutinizing Chatman’s legacy in terms of these attributes helps extend the discourse and identify its trajectory, especially relevant in the context of today’s political and cultural climate. Some factors that influenced Chatman’s work are traced within an emerging, yet narrow, trajectory and scope of information science research of those times. Select evidence and examples discussed in this narrative illustrate some of these perceived limitations while critiquing Chatman’s contributions and still valuing their significance. Pre-print first published online 3/28/202