Full Description
If you want to provide an information service that truly fulfils your users' needs, this book is essential reading.
Analysing and assessing the information needs of clients is key to the provision of effective service and appropriate collections in both face-to-face and virtual library services. The importance of information needs analysis is widely recognized by information professionals, but currently there is little substantive, detailed work in the professional literature devoted to this important topic.
This new book is designed to fill that gap, by supporting practitioners in developing an information needs analysis strategy, and offering the necessary professional skills and techniques to do so. It will offer guidance to team leaders and senior managers in all areas of library work, especially those involved in collection management, service provision and web development, and is equally applicable to the needs of academic, public, government, commercial and other more specialized library and information services. The text adopts a hands-on, jargon-free approach, and includes relevant examples, case studies, reader activities and sources of further reading. Key areas covered include:
what is information needs analysis?
how is needs analysis conducted?
what are the varieties of needs analysis?
how are analyses evaluated and reported?
Readership: The book will be essential reading for library and information practitioners, team leaders and senior managers. It will also be a core text on course reading lists in departments of library and information studies.
Contents
1. Background to needs analysis for information managers
Introduction
Information needs analysis rather than information needs assessment
Understanding the concept of need
Defining 'needs' in relation to 'wants' and 'demands'
Defining information needs analysis
Types of information needs
Reasons for conducting an information needs analysis
Review of Chapter 1
Further reading
References
2. The importance of context in information needs analysis
Introduction
The cultural context
Information needs awareness in context
Purpose and perceived importance
Determining the communities
Making use of existing data
Review of Chapter 2
Further reading
References
3. Models and types of information needs analysis
Introduction
The literature
The system approach
The target group approach
The contexts of needs assessments
Comparing the perspectives
Information needs analyses in information management contexts
Review of Chapter 3
Further reading
References
4. The stages of information needs analysis
Introduction
Four stages of needs analysis
The recursive nature of INA research
Qualitative and quantitative frameworks for data analysis
The stages of ex post intervention
Review of Chapter 4
Further reading
References
Appendix 4.1: Gantt chart
5. Gathering data for information needs analyses
Introduction
How we have reached this juncture
The primary research question
The research population
The data-gathering method
Data analysis
Validity and reliability
Ethical considerations
Practical issues to consider when choosing a method
The main data-gathering methods
Examples of data-gathering methods selected in INAs
Review of Chapter 5
Further reading
References
6. Gathering data from existing sources
Introduction
The data
External data
Internally created data
The methods
Conclusion
Review of Chapter 6
Further reading
References
7. Gathering data through surveys
Introduction
What is a survey?
Planning for a survey
Conducting a survey
Preparing for data analysis
Review of Chapter 7
Further reading
References
8. Gathering data through interviews
Introduction
Thoughts on managing qualitative data collection
Interviews
Focus groups
Observation
Other qualitative methods
Review of Chapter 8
Further reading
References
9. Analysing and integrating information needs analysis data
Introduction
Analysing and integrating information
The information analysis stage in the INA process
Qualitative data
Quantitative data
Descriptive statistics
Inferential statistics
Review of Chapter 9
Further reading
References
10. Reporting on an information needs analysis
Introduction
The audience and its impact on the final report
Validity and reliability
The writing process
The structure of an INA report
The use of graphics
Other means of communicating the results
Review of Chapter 10
Further reading
References
