CITATION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Cite as: Vodeb, G. (2003). Študij uporabnikov in organizacija referalne dejavnosti [User studies and organization of reference services]. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Advisors, Jure Dimec and Jože Urbanija.
© Gorazd Vodeb (2003).
An electronic copy of this work can be obtained by contacting the author at the email address above.

ADVISORS:
Jure Dimec
Jože Urbanija

ABSTRACT:
The author conducted a qualitative user study of the information behaviors of graduate students involved in writing papers or theses. Using Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology as a theoretical framework, the author identified three primary information gaps—topic selection, insufficient knowledge about the chosen topic, and literature collecting. Moving through these gaps, the author identified a pattern in which searches become more focused, and relevance criteria for evaluating searches more determined. The two primary reasons identified for particular information behaviors were ease of deployment, and relevance. These criteria were applied both to the more commonly used habitual information behaviors but to newly acquired information behaviors as well. The resulting model exhibited similarity to Carol Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process model.

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See: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/AAauthors/authorlistvodeb.html