Objective: Physicians clinical information-seeking behaviors have been a major target of investigation among the LIS, IS, and biomedical informatics professions for the past twenty or more years. Practicing evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become an expected standard in current health care with EBM curricula incorporated with the didactics in medical school education. This project focuses on the point where evidence-based medicine integrates with the delivery of information to the senior patient in a way that is meaningful to the patient. This study investigates the information-seeking behaviors that seniors primary care physicians exhibit in order to educate themselves about current consumer health information (reading materials, websites, news, educational narratives) and how they currently disseminate educational information to patients and their caregivers. Methods: A grounded theory framework was conceived to administer a multimodal method of data collection. Primary care physicians who see elderly patients primarily in a large urban academic setting were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews, a self-evaluative confidence scale, and an environmental office scan. Results: The consumer health information-seeking model indicates three information-seeking stages. Each stage is indicative of unique sets of events which occur 1 - prior to a patient visit when physicians exhibit self-study exercises such as reading journal and news articles, receiving web updates or listening to television or radio health news stories; 2 - during a patient encounter when the physician actively assesses the ability of the patient and/or caregiver to receive and assess information regarding a health topic; and, 3 - after the patient visit when the physician may refer a patient and caregiver to websites, written literature or to a follow-up appointment with another health clinician for further information counseling. Conclusion: The proposed model suggests that physicians of a similar demographic setting exhibit similar patterns of consumer health information-seeking behavior. This study proposes an ISB model of the series of behaviors of a specific group of physicians that suggests how they collect and distribute consumer health information to their elderly patients and caregivers.

The 1976 Act was the last general revision of U.S. copyright law and still forms the basis for our copyright law. The public policy development process that led to the Act lasted twenty one years, from 1955 until 1976. Librarians, including those involved with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), were one group amongst many that sought to influence the final form of the legislation. This is a historical analysis of the ARLs role in this process based on archival sources, the primary government documents, and the contemporary professional literature. I address four research questions. 1) How and why did the ARL develop the positions it took during this copyright law revision? What were those positions and how and why did they change over time? 2) How did ARL positions on copyright revision differ from those of other interest groups, both within librarianship and in the academic research community, and how did the Association work and conflict with those other interests to further its goals in the revision process? 3) How did the ARL, its members, and active representatives articulate their policy positions? 4) How effective was the Association in achieving its policy goals? Which goals were achieved fully, partially, or not at all? The role of the ARL in this effort changed over time as the context in which it occurred changed, and in turn this lobbying effort affected the ARL. The narrative is in three periods; 1955-1960 in which research librarians worked with the Copyright Office to organize themselves to be able to participate in revision, studied the issue of photocopying in libraries and arrived at a policy position; 1961-67 in which research librarians proposed and reacted to various forms of legislative language, and moved away from a specific library exemption towards a reliance on fair use; and finally 1968-1976 in which three interrelated strands of legislative, judicial, and interest group negotiation resulted in the drafting of §108 and final passage of the Act. Working in concert with other library associations and with other interest groups in education, the ARL was partially successful in influencing the final legislation.

Objective: This dissertation developed an automatic classification procedure, as an example of a novel tool for an informationist, which extracts information from published abstracts, classifies abstracts into their fields of study, and then determines the researchers field of study and level of activity. Method: This dissertation compared a domain experts method of classification and an automatic classification procedure on a random sample of 101 medical researchers (derived from a potential list of 305 medical researchers) and their associated abstracts. Design: The study design is a retrospective, cross-sectional, inter-rater agreement study, designed to compare two classification methods (i.e., automatic classification procedure and domain expert). The study population consists of University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (DOM) professionals who (1) have published at least one article listed in PubMed® as first or last author and/or (2) are the primary investigator for at least one grant listed in CRISP. Main outcome measures: Three outcome measures were derived from the domain experts versus automatic categorization procedure: (1) an abstracts field of study, (2) a researchers field of study and (3) a researchers level of activity and field of study. Results: Kappa showed moderate agreement between automatic and domain expert classification for the abstracts field of study (Kappa = 0.535, n = 504, p < .000). Kappa showed moderate agreement between automatic and domain expert classification of the researchers field of study (Kappa = 0.535, n = 101, p < .000). Kappa showed good agreement between automatic and domain expert classification of the researchers level of activity and field of study (Kappa = 0.634, n = 101, p < .000). Conclusion: The study suggests that an automatic library classification procedure can provide rapid classification of medical research abstracts into their fields of study. The classification procedure can also process multiple abstracts fields of study and classify their associated medical researchers into their field of study and level of activity and field of study. The classification procedure, used as a tool by an informationist, can be used as the basis for new services.

The research on "Records, The Truth Commission, and National Reconciliation: Accountability in Post Apartheid South Africa" was prompted by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (SA TRC) was initiated by President Nelson Mandela's post-apartheid government. The aim of the commission was to collect as much information as possible about apartheid transgressions in order to use it for national reconciliation. In order to carry out its mandate the commission established three committees, namely, the Human Rights Violations Committee, the Amnesty Committee and the Reparation and Rehabilitation Committee. In line with its mandate the South African TRC collected millions of records and consigned them to the National Archives for maintenance. The transfer of all truth commission records to the National Archives in Pretoria presented this researcher with an opportunity to investigate the two research questions of this study, namely, "How has the National Archives of South Africa managed the records of its truth commissions," and "What problems and challenges have the South African National Archives experienced in preserving and making its TRC records in all media accessible to the public?" Using a historical case study method to answer both research questions this study found out that the South African National Archives has had little problems in managing the paper and audiovisual records of the truth commission. On the contrary, the South African National Archives has experienced major problems managing its truth commission's electronic records. This brings us to the second research question dealing with problems and challenges faced by the National Archives in preserving and making accessible the SA TRC records. This research found that the National Archives of South Africa is not able to provide full access to the TRC records basically because of six problems discussed in detail in this dissertation. The problems of access to TRC records have long term repercussions for accountability in South Africa. However, the true contribution of TRC records to accountability can only happen once the records have been processed and made available to the people.

The primary goals of this research were to: 1) determine how amateur users of images in web environments self-categorize their interactions with images according to four proposed categoriesinformation seeking, illustrative activity, social activity, or leisure, and; 2) identify which search strategies users rely on to find images online according to motivation. The sample consisted of 28 volunteers drawn from the School of Information Sciences. The study was conducted in a research lab in the University of Pittsburghs Information Sciences building, where subjects were asked to complete a pre-questionnaire, five tasks using a web browser to locate and view images, and a post-questionnaire. They were also subsequently asked to complete a blog diary of their image retrieval activities over a period of three days. The data collected included pre- and post-questionnaires, video log transcripts, and diary data. The data was analyzed using quantitative analysis, descriptive statistics and probability values. Findings of the study show that: 1) information as a motivation is the overriding reason amateur users engage in image retrieval; 2) the other motivations vary in importance and are not always clearly delineated categories unto themselves, illuminating more about the various contexts of each motivation, and; 3) search strategy is relatively even across motivation. The research indicates that the context of the motivation may be shaped by whether an image is being sought purposefully (information and illustration) or less purposefully (social purposes and leisure) and whether it is being used as data or as an object, especially for information and illustration as motivations and to a lesser degree for social purposes and leisure. A spectrum of search strategy was uncovered ranging from illustration with the most directed, focused search strategy to leisure, the most undirected of motivations in terms of search strategy. A schematic was developed to illustrate the dynamic relationship between the motivations and their contexts. It offers a way of conceiving how the motivations appear on axes of purposeful versus less-than-purposeful image retrieval and data versus object. The schema will make an important contribution by charting what is an otherwise completely unknown area of image retrieval.

Social tagging systems in the Web 2.0 era present an innovative information seeking environment succeeding the library and traditional Web. The primary goals of this study were to, in this particular context: (1) identify the general information seeking strategies adopted by users and determine their effectiveness; (2) reveals the characteristics of the users who prefer different strategies; and (3) identify the specific traits of users information seeking paths and understand factors shaping them. A representative social tagging system, Douban (http://www.douban.com/) was chosen as the research setting in order to generate empirical findings. Based on the mixed methods research design, this study consists of a quantitative phase and a qualitative phase. The former firstly involved a clickstream data analysis of 20 million clickstream records requested from Douban at the footprint, movement, and track levels. Limited to studying physical behavior, it was complemented by an online survey which captured Douban users background information from various aspects. In the subsequent qualitative phase, a focus group gathered a number of experienced Douban users to help interpret the quantitative results. Major findings of this study show that: (1) the general strategies include encountering, browsing by resource, browsing by tag, browsing by user/group, searching, and monitoring by user/group; (2) while browsing by resource is the most popular strategy, browsing by tag is the most effective one; (3) users preferring different strategies do not have significantly different characteristics; and (4) on users information seeking paths these exist two resource viewing patterns continuous and sporadic, and two resource collecting patterns lagged and instant, and they can be attributed to user, task, and system factors. A model was developed to illustrate the strategic and tactic layers of users information seeking behavior in social tagging systems. It offers a deep insight into the behavioral changes brought about by this new environment as compared to the Web in general. This model can serve as the theoretical base for designing user-oriented information seeking interfaces for social tagging systems so that the general strategies and specific tactics will be accommodated efficiently.

This study is the first to explore empirically the relationship between appraisal practice and user studies as well as the utilization of users and use as an appraisal factor. Both of these topics have been questioned in the archival community for several decades. This study investigated the current utilization of user studies in U.S. state archives and records management programs. It used the findings, along with participants¡¯ attitudes toward such practices, to consider the potential relationship between appraisal practice and user studies. A paucity of information on this research topic and on the target population necessitated three preliminary studies, conducted from 2006 through 2008, which facilitated the development of the survey questionnaire and three interview protocols. These tools were tested in a 2009 pretest study. In 2010 the full research study employed an online survey and in-person and phone interviews. Forty-seven eligible state archivists and records managers from thirty-three states participated, and interviewees involved twenty-eight participants from twenty-one states. This full study analyzed data at four levels (individual, group, program, and state), and it used SPSS software and NVivo8 software for data analysis. According to the results of this study, the user study is the least frequently utilized user/use information source for appraisal practice, even though many participants consider users and use as an appraisal factor and collect user/use information from several different sources. Participants from only seven programs utilized results of user studies in their appraisal practice, and then only irregularly and unsystematically. Nevertheless, this study indicates the relationship between appraisal practice and user studies is likely to continue developing for two broad reasons. First, most participants have positive attitudes toward the feasibility and value of utilizing user studies in appraisal practice; participants who have done so proved the feasibility and value. Second, developing information technology helps conduct user studies, and results of this study show that if a program conducts a user study, its results will probably be utilized in appraisal practice. Findings of this study informed recommendations for further research, recommendations for archival education and training, and implications and recommendations for practitioners.

The practice of documentary editing is concerned with the publication of editions of letters, diaries, public papers, and other forms of documentary evidence. The materials contained within these editions are intended to function as historical and cultural evidence. In this role, documentary publications operate as surrogates for original sources. However, though these published reproductions are intended to function in the same way as the originating source, documentary editions are unique objects in their own right. Editors of these works make choices regarding the selection, presentation, and publication of the documentation. These choices determine the scope of these published collections, their physical form, and the reliability and authenticity of the materials that they contain. The choices that editors make have their basis in editorial theory and editorial method. Editorial theory consists of the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs that influence the procedures for editing texts. Editorial methods, guided by editorial theory, are the frameworks developed by editors, that when applied, determine how documents are edited, and the editions produced. Theory and method are the supporting elements of the practice of documentary editing. Though the practice of documentary editing within the United States dates to the 18th century, the foundations of the modern editing that defines current scholarship, can only trace its origins to the publication of Volume I. of Julian P. Boyds The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, a project articulated in 1943. This dissertation is an examination of these foundations. The period 1943 -1970 represents a formative period of modern historical documentary editing, which can best be defined as the early modern period of historical documentary editing. During this period, documentary editors were involved in the development of new approaches for creating documentary editions, were active the refinement and re-articulation of previous methods, and redefined the role and function of documentary editions. Through an examination of editorial thought and practice, published documentary editions, and editorial contexts, this study documents the currents of editorial thought that were present during the early modern period of editing and defines the nature of their influence on the process of documentary editing, and the creation documentary editions.

The relationships humans express when describing images have powerful, but poorly understood, effects on how visual information is represented, structured, and processed in information systems. This study evaluates the benefits and difficulties of using content analysis and ontological analysis as predictors of relationship instances and types occurring in image descriptions. A random sample of 36 documented reference transactions from the administrative files of the Pittsburgh Photographic Library is analyzed in light of three describing contexts: image searcher, curator, and cataloger. Through the qualitative and quantitative assessment of image descriptions, the research leads to several key findings and contributions. The most important findings vindicate the claim that recognition, capture, and classification of relationship instances can be empirically grounded utilizing content analysis and ontological tools and methods. Evidence comes in successfully ascertaining and capturing in a Corpus the existence of 1,655 relationship instances. Further, the analysis finds evidence of relationship types and subtypes of relationships whose members share certain recognizable properties in common. The study also brings useful, new insights to the capture of background information surrounding events using situation-templates, introduces methods for formulating case relations and image attributes as binary predicates, and it offers a new, finer-grained definition of relationship. Contributions of this study include a corpus of relationship instances, an ontology of relationship types, and a methodological framework that provides significantly better results than earlier studies in the prediction of relationships (the architecture of which is depicted in Figure 22 on page 102). There are a number of ways this research could be extended and corroborated. First, event analysis ought to be tied to a system of semantic frame analysis. Second, test the content analysis form against other texts, which will result in elaboration of the core ontology of relationship types. Third, expand image description analysis beyond the current domain to include image description in visual ethnography, art history and criticism, and photography practices. Fourth, test how inference engines reason over relationships in knowledge-based environments. Finally, to aid in the analysis of the meanings of relationships, more work is needed in formalizing the ontological concepts used in image descriptions.

Storytelling in its traditional form, with active participation by tellers and listeners, is a valuable model for contemporary library and classroom experiences. Digital storytelling expands opportunities for storytelling in libraries, and reflects a continuity of innovative library services for children and students. For this study, digital storytelling is defined as a short, multimedia presentation of a story, created by students, under the guidance of school librarians or teachers. Because much of the literature and practice of digital storytelling emphasizes the creator, or teller, this research examines the response of the listener-viewers to explore and support in a digital environment the interactions afforded to audiences of traditional, live storytelling. This research study is a mixed methods investigation centered upon participant-observation of digital storytelling in intermediate classroom and middle school library settings. The research findings show six prominent themes representing how students respond to and engage in digital storytelling, presented in the study in a conceptual model. The themes are Engagement, Action, Emotions, Learning, Similar Experiences, and Next Steps. Key components of digital storytelling as a classroom and school library activity are the self as a viewer of digital storytelling, formative and summative viewing practices, and how classroom teachers and school librarians teach and facilitate digital storytelling, including integration of technology and information literacies and collaboration.