1. Information Seeking Behaviours in the Digital Age: Historians in the United Kingdom Dr Ian Anderson Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute University of Glasgow

2. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age2 Overview Sample Demographics Retrieval Strategies Search Methods Archival Implications

3. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age3 Introduction How do historians locate primary source material? What do they teach their students about locating primary source material? What do archivists do to promote and educate their users about using electronic finding aids?

4. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age4 Introduction 3 year project Year 1. Surveys and interviews (historians) Year 2. Surveys and interviews (archivists) Year 3. Symposium (historians and archivists) ?

5. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age5 Sample 166 UK HE Institutions 118 teach history Random stratified sample of 80 institutions Split into two groups of 400 historians

6. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age6 Sample Phase 1: 400 historians 200 Postal Surveys 200 Electronic Surveys (web form) Phase 2: 400 historians 200 Post Surveys 200 Electronic Surveys (web form) Telephone follow up of 200 non-respondents Response Rate 105 (13.1%) Phase 3 24 face to face & telephone interviews

7. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age7 Demographics Rank of Historians in Returns & by Percentage Sample Population (%)Returns (%) Female205 (26)33 (31) Male595 (74)72 (69) Total800 (100)105 (100) Gender of Historians in Sample & Returns Lecturer (Fixed Term) Lecturer (Permanent) Senior or Principal Lecturer Dean or Head of Dept ProfessorProfessor (Personal or Chaired) OtherTotal 4 (4)24 (23)36 (34)7 (7)19 (18)9 (9)6 (6)105

8. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age8 Demographics

9. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age9 Demographics

10. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age10 Demographics UK History Staff According to Institutional Research Ranking RAE Institution Rank # Institutions Selected in this Study % Institutions Selected in this Study # Staff in the Study Population % Staff in the Study Population # Staff Survey Returns % Staff Survey Returns 0227111 3b4536533 3a11149111109 42835262333130 52835306384644 5*7998121413 Totals80100800100105100

11. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age11 Demographics

12. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age12 Demographics Average number of years teaching: 19.7 Range of years teaching 1 – 40 Years

13. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age13 Retrieval Strategies Electronic Retrieval Strategies by Academic Rank Rank of Respondent # of Respondents in Category Search Own OPAC Search Other OPACs Search Bibliographic Utilities Visit Repository Websites Use Web Search Engines Search ARCHON Lecturer2817 (61)19 (68)14 (50)21 (75)9 (32)3 (11) Senior or Principal Lecturer 3621 (58)25 (69)23 (64) 8 (22)13 (36) Dean or Head of Dept 76 (86)7 (100)6 (86)7 (100) 2 (29) Professor2813 (46)16 (57)14 (50)16 (57)7 (25)8 (29) Other63 (50)4 (66)3 (50)5 (83)2 (33) Totals10560 (57)71 (68)60 (57)72 (69)34 (32)29 (28)

14. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age14 Retrieval Strategies

15. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age15 Retrieval Strategies Traditional Retrieval Strategies by Academic Rank Rank of Respondent # in Category Leads in Printed Sources Printed Bibliogs Printed Documentary Editions Printed Repository Guides News Files Govt Docs NRA Lecturer2827 (96)20 (71)9 (32)17 (61)14 (50)11 (39) Senior or Principal Lecturer 3636 (100)29 (81)13 (36)25 (69)16 (44)19 (53) Dean or Head of Dept 77 (100)6 (86)5 (71)6 (86) 5 (71)4 (57) Professor2826 (92)24 (86)10 (36)14 (50)12 (43)15 (54)13 (46) Other66 (67) 5 (83)3 (50)2 (33) 3 (50) Totals105102 (97)85 (81)42 (40)65 (62)50 (48)52 (50)50 (48)

16. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age16 Retrieval Strategies

17. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age17 Retrieval Strategies Other Retrieval Strategies by Academic Rank Rank of Respondent # of Respondents in Category Visit Repository Telephone Repository Write to Repository E-mail Repository Follow Informal Leads Research Assistance Lecturer2828 (100)7 (29)11 (46)10 (42)25 (89)15 (54) Senior or Principal Lecturer 3636 (100)11 (31)14 (39)8 (22)24 (66)16 (44) Dean or Head of Dept 77 (100)2 (29) 7 (100)3 (43) Professor2828 (100)5 (18)9 (32) 25 (89)10 (42) Other66 (100)0 (0)3 (50)2 (33)4 (66)2 (33) Totals105 2539319546

18. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age18 Retrieval Strategies

19. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age19 Retrieval Strategies Electronic Retrieval Strategies by Institutional Rank Institutional Rank of Respondent # of Respondents in Category Search Own OPAC Search Other OPACs Search Bibliographic Utilities Visit Repository Websites Use Web Search Engines Search ARCHON 011 (100) 0 (0)1 (100) 3b31 (33)2 (66)3 (100)2 (66)1 (33)0 (0) 3a104 (40)5 (50) 6 (60)5 (50)3 (30) 43119 (61)20 (65)19 (61)21 (68)12 (38)6 (19) 54628 (61)35 (76)27 (59)35 (76)12 (26)16 (35) 5*147 (50)8 (57)5 (36)7 (50)4 (57)3 (23) Totals10560 (57)71 (68)60 (57)72 (69)34 (32)29 (28)

20. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age20 Retrieval Strategies

21. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age21 Retrieval Strategies # of Years Teaching by Band # of Respondents in Category Search Own OPAC Search Other OPACs Search Bibliographic Utilities Visit Repository Websites Use Web Search Engines Search ARCHON 0-320 (0) 2 (0)0 (0)1 (50) 4-92014 (70)17 (85)11 (55)16 (80)6 (30)4 (20) 10-192820 (71) 13 (46)7 (25) 20-292914 (48)18 (62)19 (66)18 (62)11 (38)8 (28) 20-392512 (48)16 (64)10 (40)16 (64)4 (16)9 (36) 40-4510 (0) Totals10560 (57)71 (68)60 (57)72 (69)34 (32)29 (28) Electronic Retrieval Strategies by Years of Teaching

22. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age22 Retrieval Strategies

23. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age23 Retrieval Strategies Retrieval Strategy UnpublishedPublishedGovernmentElectronic or Digital Sound Film or Video Material Print64 (70)80 (84)62 (84)12 (30)11 (55)7 (32) Online51 (59)67 (71)41 (55)40 (98)9 (45)8 (36) Visit79 (86)62 (65)51 (69)9 (22)15 (75)19 (86) Phone23 (25)17 (18)11 (15)4 (10)5 (25)4 (18) Write37 (40)20 (21)10 (14)3 (7)5 (25)5 (23) Email29 (32)17 (18)7 (9)7 (17)3 (15)3 (14) Informal43 (47)32 (34)20 (27)12 (29)8 (40)9 (41) Research Assistance 18 (20)12 (13)9 (12)5 (12)3 (15)2 (9) Retrieval Strategies by Type of Source as Used

24. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age24 Retrieval Strategies

25. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age25 Retrieval Strategies Number of Retrieval Strategies Used UnpublishedPublishedGovernmentElectronic or Digital Sound Film or Video Material One17 (18)16 (17)17 (23)22 (54)6 (30)5 (23) Two12 (13)23 (24)21 (28)5 (12)3 (15)9 (41) Three17 (18)25 (26)19 (26)8 (20)6 (30)6 (27) Four15 (16)14 (15)6 (8)3 (7)1 (5)0 (0) Five11 (12)5 (5)4 (5)0 (0) Six8 (9)3 (3)1 (1)0 (0) Seven7 (8)3 (3)2 (3)0 (0)1 (5)0 (0) Eight5 (5)6 (6)4 (5)3 (7)2 (10)2 (9) Number of Retrieval Strategies Used by Type of Source

26. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age26 Retrieval Strategies

27. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age27 Retrieval Strategies Retrieval Strategies by Research Subject Research Subject # of Respondents in Category Search Own OPAC Search Other OPACs Search Bibliographic Utilities Visit Repository Websites Use Web Search Engines Search ARCHON Biographical12 (11)7 (58) 5 (42)9 (75)5 (42)3 (25) Cultural17 (16)7 (41)12 (71)8 (47)11 (65)2 (12)0 (0) Economic9 (9)6 (66)7 (77) 4 (44)6 (66) Political25 (24)15 (60)17 (68)16 (64)17 (68)8 (32)7 (28) Social42 (40)25 (60)28 (66)24 (57)28 (66)15 (36)13 (31) Totals105607160723429

28. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age28 Retrieval Strategies

29. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age29 Retrieval Strategies Retrieval Strategies by Geographic Area of Research Research Subject # of Respondents in Category Search Own OPAC Search Other OPACs Search Bibliographic Utilities Visit Repository Websites Use Web Search Engines Search ARCHON Unknown8 (8)7 (88) 5 (63)4 (50)1 (13) Local9 (9)6 (66)5 (56)4 (44) 1 (11)2 (22) UK & Ireland51 (49)31 (61)37 (73)27 (53)34 (67)18 (35)20 (39) Rest of Europe 28 (27)10 (17)16 (57)14 (50)15 (54)5 (18)2 (7) North America 4 (4)3 (75) 2 (50) South America 1 (1)1 (100) 0 (0) Asia3 (3)2 (66) 3 (100) 2 (66) World1 (1)0 (0) 1 (100)0 (0) Totals105607160723429

30. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age30 Retrieval Strategies

31. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age31 Search Methods 41% used all three electronic library finding aids 13% used all three electronic archival finding aids 22% used two types or electronic library finding aid 30% used two types of electronic archival finding aid 78% used at least one form of electronic library finding aid 71% used at least one form of electronic archival finding aid 30% used 5 or 6 forms of electronic finding aid 9% used only one form of electronic finding aid 16% used no form of electronic finding aid

32. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age32 Search Methods Used EAD 64 No 32 Not Sure 3 Yes 6 Blank

33. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age33 Search Methods UnpublishedPublishedGovernmentElectronic or Digital Sound Film or Video Material 909677332153 Sources Used by Percentage UnpublishedPublishedGovernmentElectronic or Digital Sound Film or Video Material 8066 553840 Percentage of Respondents who Ranked a Source 1

34. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age34 Search Methods Diverse strategies Evidence of some adaptation to source type, research area, finding aid provision Preference for print search methods Mediation Context How can electronic finding aids replicate this?

35. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age35 Archives Additional information to be included on a repository website would be a complete catalogue listing, the identity of individual files rather than classification, and the provision of consistent results from the system. The subject had used electronic finding aids through the web, with varied success and noted that they could be more interactive. In directing a grant in an archive the most important actions would be to catalogue uncatalogued material and to retroconvert finding aids/catalogues. The subject would find more folder-level descriptions useful on repository websites. The subject would like to see more detail on the content of named collections. In directing a grant in an archive, the subject would place most importance on adding more detailed item level descriptions. In directing a grant, the subject would catalogue uncatalogued material, especially in Scotland.

36. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age36 Archives 1.Greater detail, especially item level 2.Catalogues online (including retroconversion) 3.Indexing & cross referencing 4.Digitised & electronic sources 5.Sceptical about accuracy

37. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age37 Archives 2 approaches Extensive EAD indexing –Cross searching not at expense of item level description –4 types of index supported Re-think archival classification –New Zealand/Australian model –Classification along functional/jurisdictional lines not hierarchy/agency –Description not just about retrieval but creation and management –A continuum model –EAD just one possible output

38. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age38 Archives

39. Information Seeking Behaviour in the Digital Age39 Further Issues Mechanisms for bringing archivists and historians together Perspectives on the significance of mediation in: Accessions/deposit Records continuum Representation in finding aids Role in historical methodology