Information-seeking behavior of health sciences faculty : the impact of new information technologies

• Published in: Bulletin of the Medical Library Association Vol. 85; no. 4; pp. 402 - 410
• Main Authors: CURTIS, K. L, WELLER, A. C, HURD, J. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL Medical Library Association 01.10.1997
• Subjects: Academic staff; CD-ROM - utilization; Chi-Square Distribution; Computer Communication Networks - utilization; Computer User Training; Data Collection; Exact sciences and technology; Faculty; Faculty - statistics & numerical data; Faculty, Medical - statistics & numerical data; Faculty, Nursing - statistics & numerical data; Grateful Med - utilization; Illinois; Illinois University at Chicago; Information and communication sciences; Information science. Documentation; Information seeking; Information seeking behaviour; Information Storage and Retrieval - utilization; Information work; Library and information science. General aspects; Medical schools; Medicine; MEDLINE; MEDLINE - utilization; Online Systems - utilization; Sciences and techniques of general use; Surveys and Questionnaires; University libraries; USA; Use and user studies. Information needs; Illinois; Medicine; Faculty; Nursing; User training; Health; Information retrieval; University library; Information technology; User behavior; Hospital pharmacy
• ISSN: 0025-7338

This paper reports on an ongoing investigation into health sciences faculty's information-seeking behavior, including their use of new information technologies. A survey was administered to all faculty in medicine, nursing, and pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was similar to one administered to the same population in 1991. The survey asked about faculty's use of electronic resources, documented any shift from the use of print to electronic formats, and measured the utilization of library training. The response rate was 48.5% for medicine faculty, 45.0% for nursing, and 62.5% for pharmacy. The study found that use of the print Index Medicus among faculty was in transition: While 30.5% continued to use the print resources, 68.0% of faculty accessed MEDLINE through electronic means. Faculty preferred accessing electronic databases from their offices to doing so from the library. Health sciences faculty used a wide variety of databases, in addition to MEDLINE, to fill their information needs. Most faculty did not take advantage of either in-house or electronic training sessions offered by librarians. The study concluded that the training preferences of faculty need to be further explored.