An outline of reference works on history is presented, with emphasis on those bibliographies which provide appropriate research tools and methodologies without restriction to a particular library. The guide is presented in six sections. Section I identifies guides to bibliographies and sources of bibliographies including standard historical…

A descriptive model of how scientists and engineers search for and obtain information directly from their colleagues is outlined. The model emphasizes (and case studies illustrate) three decisions which users make in such searches: (a) whether to store the information need in hopes of an accidental or working encounter, (b) whether to satisfy the…

The purpose of the report was to examine the readability of the Occupational Information Access System (OIAS) QUEST questionnaire and the validity of independent client use of the questionnaire as an information gathering device. Readability formulas rate the QUEST questionnaire "easy" or "fairly easy" and they rank the…

Information transfer requirements were investigated and analyzed for the time period 1970 to 1985. Demands for information transfer services were identified and isolated in the order of their apparent relative importance, using the market potential of a particular information need as a major criterion. Relative potential payoff, and functional…

Presents results from a study of the use of broadcast teletex where decoders in 50 locations were equipped with meters recording use patterns. The role of indexes in the way users move through the database, use of chained pages, and variations in use patterns during the day are analyzed. (MBR)

A study was conducted to identify uses of data from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of the National Center for Education Statistics and to determine the extent and variety of such use. In addition, the study attempted to determine research topics that have been studied through the SASS. Information was collected for the use categories of:…

Patrons of an engineering library have technical requirements and idiosyncracies which should be considered by library planners. The results of a survey made by the Mitre Corp. are discussed. (DH)

A survey of recent writings in the field of library research. (Editor)

The use of evaluation information in a large state agency was investigated through a case study approach. Utilization was measured through a scaling procedure considering the status of recommendations within a report and the extent of influence of the evaluation of the status. The scaling procedure, the equal-appearing interval method, used…

To determine consumer preference regarding four forms of mass communication, an 18-item questionnaire was devised that asked individuals where they sought information on national and world affairs, local events, entertainment, and shopping (advertising). Results from the 108 respondents in the random sample indicated the following: newspapers…

Approval and use of the 15 issues of the Review of Educational Research which appeared from June, 1965 to June, 1968 were determined for each issue separately and for all the issues as a set. The survey respondents, all members of the American Educational Research Association, were teachers, administrators, consultants, and researchers. Half had…

This report examines the problems in the flow of scientific and technological information in the Ceramic Industry. The research methodology used involved a panel of experts which defined the functions performed by ceramists and their corresponding information needs, listed sources of information available to ceramists, and defined problems and…

As part of a project designed to construct a mathematical model of the operation of an academic library, a research team determined the usefulness of a quantitative approach to making decisions about the number of copies of each item that a university library should provide. Using the reserve collection of the University of Lancaster Library as a…

In addition to factors analyzed in previous media research, the following three new validity checks were examined in a study of the audience's perceived uses and gratifications: the effect of time differences between administrations in a study, a comparison of respondents who claim to be gratified with those who do not, and the link between media…

With the increase in institutional research activity and the number of reports resulting therefrom, there is a growing need for better assessments of the impact of such reports. This paper proposes a framework for analysis of institutional research report impact. The three major dimensions identified are: (1) time (short-term, intermediate, and…