Information Needs, Information Seeking Behaviour and Users

User studies are starting to be recognised as an important part of the information package. Information providers like the library need to be aware of their users’ information requirements as well as their information seeking and information retrieving methods in order that they might be able to provide better services. A lot of research has been done to find out the information needs and information seeking behavior of various categories of users of information systems. This book is an attempt at understanding the whole phenomenon of user studies. It starts by trying on explain the terms ‘information’, ‘information needs’, ‘information seeking’ and ‘the user’, and then goes on to find out who needs what type of information for what purpose. The other chapters are on studies on technology transfer, the impact of information on the quality of life and user education. This is a book aimed at the students, teachers and practitioners in the field of library and information science, although it might be found useful to people from other fields as well.