Information Seeking Patterns: Social Sciences

Some of the major studies that have been done in the information-seeking behavior of social science researchers are reviewed and the implications of the findings for the development of services for this group of clientele are discussed.

Abstract

In the last three decades, there have been a number of studies that have explored the information-seeking behavior of social science researchers. Over the years several themes have remained constant. Journals remain the preferred source of information and rank above most every other source. References to relevant materials are identified through following the citations from journals in hand rather than utilizing indexing and abstracting services. Libraries and librarians are not viewed as a primary, or in some cases, even an important source of information. This article will review some of the major studies that have been done in this area and discuss the implications of the findings for the development of services for this group of clientele.