Dissertation Information for Nancy L. Herron NAME: - Nancy L. Herron
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- University of Pittsburgh (USA) (1986)
ADVISORS: - Sara Fine
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - E. Blanche Woolls - Allen Kent - Ellen Detlefsen - Barbara Jeanne Smith
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: INFORMATION-SEEKING BEHAVIOR AND THE PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION CHANNELS BY JOURNALISTS OF TWO DAILY METROPOLITAN NEWSPAPERS
Abstract: In the last decade the large metropolitan newspaper has undergone an extensive transformation from a largely manual operation to a fully automated system where display terminals link departments and personnel. Although most publishing processes have been transformed via computer applications, often the newspaper library has been the last department to experience change. In order to develop in-house information systems to be used by newspaper journalists for information retrieval in the course of their day-to-day work, planners require data about the information-seeking behavior of different types of journalists and how they search for, use, and verify information available to them from inside and outside the newspaper organization.
This study was undertaken to provide descriptive data about how newspaper journalists perceive information channels and the source types within them in the course of producing copy for the daily newspaper.
Data was collected from the staffs of the two daily metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, newspapers by survey questionnaire, and data analysis centered around four major variables. Frequency of use, the pivotal variable established information use patterns for the six area of journalistic specialty, and the three source performance variables, (a) ease of use, (b) degree of reliability, and (c) degree of accessibility were examined from the perspective of channel use and use of the source types within formal and informal information channels.
The findings revealed that the newspaper journalists surveyed preferred informal channel use over formal channel use two to one, and that personal communication especially with colleagues was the most important factor across all six areas of journalistic specialty. While journalists were relatively consistent in their use of the various source types, there was diversity in the way different types of journalists look for and use information sources.
Although reliability of channel and source types use was perceived to be important to journalists, ease of use and accessibility tend most to affect frequency of use.
Future developments involving the library as intermediary between electronic networks and the newspaper organization offer promise for in-house system designers as a solution to problems of accessiblity and ease of use.
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MPACT Scores for Nancy L. Herron A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:22:59
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