This thesis reports a research work whose objective was to derive a grounded model of the user education domain, which was identified as pertaining to subject librarians' expertise, using a knowledge elicitation approach in the field of agricultural sciences. The knowledge elicitation framework adopted was that which sees knowledge acquisition as a process of modelling expertise, and the models derived as qualitative in nature. Accordingly, the main methodological approach involved was based on qualitative research and use of grounded theory methods. The research design was divided into three studies, all based on interview data. The research started by studying the role of subject librarians in academic libraries in the UK (Study One), which identified the area of user education for further study. Study Two proceeded to elicit information seeking practices and user education processes from academics and librarians. Finally, Study Three elicited information seeking practices of students who were engaged in library research. A model of the user education domain in the field of agricultural sciences in a Brazilian university was derived from the combination of the analysis of Study Two and Three. The model describes the library research process of individuals as happening in discipline specific contexts, influenced by the world at large. The process takes place through a series of information-seeking tasks and task-related strategies, which are employed to search external knowledge sources and satisfy an information need. During this interaction, internal knowledge sources are used and modified according to the tasks and strategies being carried out. If these internal knowledge sources are deficient for effective use of external knowledge sources, mediation strategies by an expert can help readjust the information-seeking process and alter the state of related internal knowledge sources The model proposed is used to derive recommendations for the design of user education programmes, subject librarians' work, and domain modelling using grounded theory.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Carolina, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-98).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.129-146).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 117 p. : ill (some col.), col. map. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 110-113).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-211).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Also available in print.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração, Contabilidade e Ciência da Informação e Documentação, Departamento de Economia, 2014. / Submitted by Ana Cristina Barbosa da Silva (annabds@hotmail.com) on 2014-10-20T16:49:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_AlvaroDutraHenriques.pdf: 593713 bytes, checksum: 2ae6923993df5a1ce7135a15fde75268 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Tania Milca Carvalho Malheiros(tania@bce.unb.br) on 2014-10-20T17:59:08Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_AlvaroDutraHenriques.pdf: 593713 bytes, checksum: 2ae6923993df5a1ce7135a15fde75268 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-20T17:59:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_AlvaroDutraHenriques.pdf: 593713 bytes, checksum: 2ae6923993df5a1ce7135a15fde75268 (MD5) / O rent seeking é o processo no qual firmas alocam recursos na redistribuição de renda ao invés da produção. Este pode ocorrer de múltiplas formas, com ou sem a presença do governo, como também manifestar seus efeitos por diversos meios de extração e distribuição de renda econômica que resultam na perda da competitividade na economia dado que a possibilidade lucrativa de se extrair renda contrapõe e desincentiva investimentos produtivos, porém arriscados, feitos pelas firmas. Este trabalho procura estimar as consequências do rent seeking no desempenho inovador das firmas e na busca por eficiência econômica por meio da adoção de novos processos produtivos. Busca-se evidências de que as barreiras ao comércio internacional, a concessão discricionária de crédito subsidiado, a instituição de inúmeras normas regulamentares sobre a produção, a política de incentivos fiscais e demais frutos do rent seeking exercido sobre o governo se tornam contra incentivo sao esforço inovativo das empresas já que, obtendo estas rendas econômicas, não há razão para se incorrer no risco inerente às atividades inovativas. É utilizada a base de dados em inovação da PINTEC para construir um painel por meio do qual é possível separar os diversos setores da economia e mensurar o impacto dos fatores relacionados ao rent seeking apontados acima na busca por novos processos produtivos e adoção de novos produtos pelas firmas. Os resultados encontrados indicam que as altas tarifas de importação e agrande presença de financiamentos públicos subsidiados, em grande parte decorrentes da ação de grupos de interesse, levam as firmas a uma menor busca por eficiência econômica e competitividade. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / The rent seeking is a process in which companies allocate resources in redistributing incomeinstead of productive activities. This can occur in multiple ways, with or without thepresence of government, as well as manifest their effects by various means of extractionand distribution of economic rent that result in loss of competitiveness in the economysince the lucrative possibility to extract income opposes and discourages productive investments,though risky, made by firms. This paper seeks to estimate the consequences ofrent seeking in the innovative performance of firms and their search for economic efficiencythrough the adoption of new production processes. We search for evidence that the barriersto international trade, the discretionary grant of subsidized credit, the institution ofnumerous regulations on production, the policy of tax incentives and other consequencesof rent seeking exerted on the government turns to be disincentives to innovative effortsof companies since, as a firm get these rents, there is no reason to incur the risk inherentin innovative activities. This paper uses the database available on PINTEC’s survey tobuild a panel through which you can separate the different sectors of the brazilian economyand measure the impact of the factors related to rent seeking noted above in thefirms’s efforts for new production processes and adoption of new products in the market.The results indicate that high import tariffs and the large presence of public funding subsidized,largely resulting from the action of special interest groups, lead firms to a smallersearch for economic efficiency and competitiveness.

Uncertainty is woven into the fabric of human experience. All types of experiences involve some degree of uncertainty. Given the pervasiveness of uncertainty in daily life, individual differences how people think, behave, and feel about uncertainty matters. Some respond to uncertainty with fear and anxiety while others respond to uncertainty with curiosity and interest. The current project focused on two responses to uncertainty: intolerance of uncertainty and curiosity. The three main aims were to examine the relationship between these constructs directly, to investigate their unique contributions to outcomes of wellbeing and general psychological distress, and to examine cognitive appraisals associated with proximate outcomes of worry and interest. A large online adult sample (N = 413) completed self-report measures of IU, curiosity, personality, well-being, and general psychological distress symptoms. Participants also completed a novel vignette-based task of hypothetical future scenarios that varied in degree of uncertainty and pleasantness. IU was inversely associated with only some of the hypothesized curiosity dimensions. After accounting for personality traits, trait IU explained an additional 15% of the variance in general psychological distress, and trait curiosity explained an additional 16% of the variance in wellbeing. Each reflects a small but noteworthy additional contribution to these outcomes. For uncertain situations only, coping potential demonstrated a modest moderation effect of the appraisal of uncertainty on worry and interest, in support of project hypotheses. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.