Thematic analysis of the value of Kuhlthau’s work for the investigation of information behaviour in creative workspaces in academic libraries

INTRODUCTION. Studies of information behaviour can inform the design of information systems, services and creative workspaces. Creative workspaces are associated with access to tools, expertise, guidance, innovation and constructivist learning. The work of Kuhlthau on information seeking, the information search process (ISP) model, zones of intervention, and later with third space(s) might hold value for the exploitation of creative workspaces in academic libraries. METHOD. A thematic analysis of a selection of key publications of Kuhlthau is presented focusing on the value for creative workspaces. ANALYSIS. Publications were analysed according to key characteristics of creative workspaces using makerspaces as an example: applicability to diverse contexts; provision of access to tools, expertise, and skills; the provision of safe spaces; providing an open environment for expression; space to support a hands-on learning environment for guided and constructivist learning; and providing a space to cultivate character traits important to collective creativity. These were compared with information behaviour themes noted in the work of Kuhlthau. RESULTS. Various issues in the work of Kuhlthau hold potential for creative workspaces; acknowledgement of uncertainty, complexity of tasks, the need for sense-making, and affective and cognitive experiences throughout information searching, seeking and other information activities encompassed by information behaviour. CONCLUSION. Kuhlthau’s work can inform information behaviour studies that guide the development of creative workspaces in academic libraries. Specifically, with reference to the phases of creation, information seeking, information searches, thoughts, feelings, the development of zones of intervention, and third spaces.http://informationr.net/iram2017Information Scienc

QEAT: Pergunta, Responde e Interage. Projeto de Comunicação de Nutrição na Web

A nutrição e a alimentação. Dois conceitos tão pessoais quanto públicos, que geram discussão e abrem espaço a mitos e crenças. O interesse coletivo nestes assuntos é causa e consequência da grande quantidade de informação, por vezes pouco rigorosa, outras contraditória, disponível online. Impõe-se portanto não só a transmissão de informação fidedigna, que reflita o estado atual da ciência, mas também a criação de espaços de diálogo, capazes de suscitar sentido crítico, num contexto de interação e comunicação online. Contextualiza-se assim a relevância do projeto QEAT, uma plataforma de comunicação de ciência, assente numa matriz de Envolvimento Público da Ciência ou Public Engagement with Science (PES), na sua expressão em inglês. O QEAT pretende ser um espaço de referência online, que promove o diálogo ao serviço da informação sobre alimentação e nutrição. Uma plataforma onde há espaço para o esclarecimento, a discussão e a participação, reunindo especialistas e não especialistas na mesma missão de comunicar nutrição. O modelo eleito seguirá um formato de rede social de pergunta e resposta (SQ&A), aproveitando a interatividade e a transversalidade destes canais de comunicação, abrindo aos diferentes públicos a possibilidade de participar na plataforma com perguntas, ideias, conteúdos. Desta forma, as ciências da nutrição e alimentação serão o tópico dominante das conversas, abertas a todos os interessados, instigadas e moderadas pelos gestores da plataforma. O canal QEAT será alimentado por conteúdos coproduzidos por nutricionistas, cientistas e diferentes profissionais da comunicação, no âmbito do projeto, a par de conteúdos produzidos pelos utilizadores (user generated contents), sujeitos a uma votação, ou seja, um controlo de qualidade. Todos os contribuidores vão construindo a sua reputação de acordo com a validade dos conteúdos que produzem. Uma gestão de conteúdos que permite por um lado monitorizar a qualidade e o rigor da informação, mas também perceber os tópicos que interessam aos utilizadores, bem como as suas dúvidas. A implementação deste projeto procura criar um espaço de referência online capaz de funcionar como um repositório dinâmico de informação sobre nutrição; e fomentar uma relação bidirecional entre os diferentes públicos do projeto. Da persecução destes objetivos, espera-se que resultem novas ideias, conhecimentos e direções dos caminhos a tomar no sentido de uma comunicação responsável na área da nutrição

Role of social networks in consulting engineers' collaborative information behaviour

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the role of social networks in the information behaviour of consulting engineers. Wilson’s (1999; 2000) encapsulating information behaviour definition, and the contribution other researchers made to it, was used to develop an information behaviour framework for the study. In an in depth literature review it was learnt that engineering work is about team work and that engineers rely on their personal knowledge and expertise, as well as the knowledge and expertise of other experts in the field. This was confirmed by the findings of the empirical study. Throughout the literature review it was shown that the interaction between elements in the context and the personal dimension gives rise to information needs, which in turn prompt certain information behaviour activities. Narrative inquiry, a relatively new information behaviour data collection and analysis technique, guided the study. Fifteen consulting engineers who are involved in building projects participated in the study. Two chapters were dedicated to data analysis where the engineers’ stories of an engineering project were re-storied to learn more about the context of engineering work and how engineers operate. The findings revealed that the team members of projects involving consulting engineers come from different organisations. It was found that consulting engineers collaboratively seek, gather, use, communicate and share information. Interdependency emerged as a prominent element in the effective structures of consulting engineers’ personal dimension and evidently plays an important role in collaborative information behaviour in consulting engineers’ team work. It serves as a contributing factor in the natural forming of their social networks, which proved to be important sources of engineering information. The findings contributed to the refinement of the information behaviour framework developed for the purpose of this study. The framework graphically illustrates consulting engineers’ information behaviour. This study contributes to an understanding of the important role social networks play in consulting engineers’ successful accomplishment of engineering projects in everyday lifeInformation ScienceD.Litt. et Phil. (Information Science

Microcollaborations in a Social Q&A Community

Most social Q&A sites are designed to support solo searchers who access the aggregated opinions of other users, and ask and answer questions of their own. The purpose of this paper is to show how users in one social Q&A community defy system constraints to engage in brief, informal episodes of collaborative information seeking called microcollaborations. A brief literature review is presented, suggesting a view of information seeking as a combination of problem-centered information seeking, technological affordances and constraints, and social and affective factors. The results of content and transaction log analyses of user interactions suggest that topics of collaboration share a common threshold of complexity and invite responses containing both fact and opinion. Analysis also revealed that key elements in predicting a collaborative instance involve social capital and affective factors unrelated to the topic of the collaboration. Suggestions for supporting future lightweight microcollaborations, and implications for future research, are discussed