Publication
Title
Information behaviour in a scientific-technical environment: a survey with innovation engineers
Author
Abstract
A small written survey with innovation engineers in a large company is discussed, giving some figures on both behaviour and attitudes with respect to 1) information gathering, 2) information production/dissemination and 3) information storage and management. Most results confirm the trends in other research with R & D engineers: the use and management of information is rather improvised with low levels of sophistication. High tech information techniques (databases, online...) are only marginally important in this high-tech environment. Only younger engineers do some structured efforts. The general attitude is to rely mostly on oral, personal and occasional information sources. By combining positive attitudes and behaviour aspects towards information in the job, a measure of 'information-orientation' was constructed, which can be seen as an extension of the classical concept of 'gate-keepers' in a company. A few questions to reconstruct a 'critical incident' with respect to information problems reveal that information situations can be very time- and money-consuming but again solutions depend on occasional and unstructured information work. However the restricted written approach did not prove to be a good one for this kind of analysis. More in-depth interview-techniques will be necessary for analysis within the 'critical incident theory'-frame.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Scientometrics: an international journal for all quantitative aspects of the science of science and science policy. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : 1992
ISSN
0138-9130 [print]
1588-2861 [online]
DOI
10.1007/BF02016850
Volume/pages
25 :1 (1992) , p. 101-113
ISI
A1992JU16400006
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 15.10.2009
Last edited 04.03.2024
To cite this reference