INLS 180 Day 4 Notes

January 30, 2003

 

1. One minute papers  (note from 2 weeks ago..see last week’s notes)

Main Points

Questions

 

2. Project Ideas

 

3. User Needs

  1. Assessing User Needs
    1. Library of Congress NDL Project  http://ils.unc.edu/~march/revision.pdf

                                                               i.      Reading room interviews and observations

                                                             ii.      Day-care center questionnaire

                                                            iii.      Document analysis

    1. Bureau of Labor Statistics Project http://ils.unc.edu/~march/blsreport/mainbls.html

                                                               i.      Expert critiques

                                                             ii.      Interviews (staff)

                                                            iii.      Focus groups (users)

                                                           iv.      Email content analysis

                                                             v.      Usabilty tests

                                                           vi.      Transaction log analyses

 

4. Readings discussions

 

A note about questions. 

Question development, question execution, and question answering are central to human problem solving and scientific progress on the general side as well as the practice of most professional activities on the practical side.

 

Notes on Tannen, Chatman, and Rogers (how they fit in the course, the specific discussions will be next week in class)

 

Tannen is meant to stimulate discussion about interaction/communication styles and roles.  Gender is but one example of such styles/roles that seem to influence both senders and receivers.

 

Chatman pioneered studies on information poverty.  She applied social network analysis to study how many underprivileged  groups seek information.  This represents another way that personal situation affects information seeking (and communication practices).  Chatman was a professor at SILS for many years and moved to FSU a few years before her death last year.

 

Rogers is the classic work on diffusion of innovation.  You will see him referenced widely.  His notions about early adopters and laggards and the s-shaped adoption pattern are played out again and again in many different settings.

 

 

Roloff (the optional reading) makes a strong case for self-interest as the basis for communication.  There is no communication without some inherent self-motivation (and he gives a set of types).  This readings used to generate strong reactions from the class—many people argue for altruism as part of human nature.

 

Discuss readings on Context

            Tannen: Tom Tolleson:

            Chatman: Claire Eager

Discuss reading on Diffusion

            Rogers: Renee Siconolfi & Catherine Stanwyck:

Discuss readings on user needs

            Belkin: Rachel Dickey & Evelyn Dorenkamp:

            Taylor: Rich Gruss:

 

5. Read for next meeting:

 

Dervin, B., & Nilan, M. (1986). Information needs and uses.

Marchionini, G. (1995). Information Seeking in Electronic Environments. pp 27-60. (Note: this item is not in the reading packet, and may instead be found on reserve in the SILS library. The book is located behind the reference desk.)  http://www.ils.unc.edu/~march/isee_book/Chapter_2.pdf

 

6. One-minute paper

What was the big point you learned in class today?

What is the main, unanswered question you leave class with today?