Task-based information searching views a user''s task
as a central factor for understanding information-
seeking behaviors. To investigate the role of tasks
in information searching, particularly in the
business domain, this book analyzes the database
selection process used by librarians from the
perspective of users'' tasks. The first part of the
study developed an inventory of 30 business tasks
and 144 associated questions through content
analysis of Harvard Business School cases and other
materials. The second part conducted a survey
among 29 business librarians in academic
institutions. A database selection
process was modeled to describe how five
task-related criteria - company size, company type,
industry sector, geographical setting, and business
stage - influence database selection. The findings
should be useful for academic business librarians
for database selection for a specific query or for
collection development or information science
researchers who are interested in task-based
information searching.
as a central factor for understanding information-
seeking behaviors. To investigate the role of tasks
in information searching, particularly in the
business domain, this book analyzes the database
selection process used by librarians from the
perspective of users'' tasks. The first part of the
study developed an inventory of 30 business tasks
and 144 associated questions through content
analysis of Harvard Business School cases and other
materials. The second part conducted a survey
among 29 business librarians in academic
institutions. A database selection
process was modeled to describe how five
task-related criteria - company size, company type,
industry sector, geographical setting, and business
stage - influence database selection. The findings
should be useful for academic business librarians
for database selection for a specific query or for
collection development or information science
researchers who are interested in task-based
information searching.