Syftet med denna studie är att kartlägga gymnasieelevers användning av datorer i skolarbetet med olika ämnen på ett yrkesprogram och två högskoleförberedande program. Kontext för studien är en centralt belägen kommunal gymnasieskola, i en mindre kranskommun gränsande till en storstadsregion i Mellansverige. Datainsamlingen består av en kvantitativ fallstudie med enkät som datainsamlingsmetod. Det empiriska underlaget omfattar 50 enkäter och respondenterna är elever i gymnasiets årskurs tre, från några av den undersökta skolans olika gymnasieprogram. Studien avser jämföra vad elever på ett fordonsprogram, ett samhällsvetenskapligt program och ett tekniskt program använder datorer till i olika skolämnen, däribland svenska, engelska och matematik. Centralt för studien är också elevernas sökstrategier på internet samt i vilka situationer de anser att datorn är till störst nytta för dem skolarbetet. Resultaten visar att elever på de högskoleförberedande programmen använder datorn i större omfattning i de flesta situationer än eleverna på yrkesprogrammet. Yrkeseleverna upplever dock en större nytta av datorn i förhållande hur mycket de använder den. Datorn är överlag till störst nytta för eleverna i språk, samhällsorienterande ämnen samt i kurser knutna till respektive gymnasieprogram. Den används nästan inte alls i matematik som skolämne. Resultaten visar också att det finns samband mellan den omfattning eleverna fått undervisning i att kritiskt granska och värdera källor på internet och deras val av strategi vid informationssökning.

Syftet med denna studie är att kartlägga gymnasieelevers användning av datorer i skolarbetet med olika ämnen på ett yrkesprogram och två högskoleförberedande program. Kontext för studien är en centralt belägen kommunal gymnasieskola, i en mindre kranskommun gränsande till en storstadsregion i Mellansverige. Datainsamlingen består av en kvantitativ fallstudie med enkät som datainsamlingsmetod. Det empiriska underlaget omfattar 50 enkäter och respondenterna är elever i gymnasiets årskurs tre, från några av den undersökta skolans olika gymnasieprogram. Studien avser jämföra vad elever på ett fordonsprogram, ett samhällsvetenskapligt program och ett tekniskt program använder datorer till i olika skolämnen, däribland svenska, engelska och matematik. Centralt för studien är också elevernas sökstrategier på internet samt i vilka situationer de anser att datorn är till störst nytta för dem skolarbetet. Resultaten visar att elever på de högskoleförberedande programmen använder datorn i större omfattning i de flesta situationer än eleverna på yrkesprogrammet. Yrkeseleverna upplever dock en större nytta av datorn i förhållande hur mycket de använder den. Datorn är överlag till störst nytta för eleverna i språk, samhällsorienterande ämnen samt i kurser knutna till respektive gymnasieprogram. Den används nästan inte alls i matematik som skolämne. Resultaten visar också att det finns samband mellan den omfattning eleverna fått undervisning i att kritiskt granska och värdera källor på internet och deras val av strategi vid informationssökning.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate new knowledge about how children search for library material and which strategies they use, and if the latest research gives any answers whether we should adapt systems and services or teach information seeking in a better way. In this thesis knowledge is understood as research publications but also results from projects in library practise, and studies concerning children 6 to 18 years old are included. The method used is a knowledge survey. We have gathered and evaluated documentation from different sources like citation and reference databases within the field of library and information science. The result implicates that there are, both in old and new documentation, three main search strategies children use in their search for information in a library context; they browse, they search in library catalogues and they use some sort of reference service. There is however no clear paradigm amongst researchers of the best way to help children find what they seek. What can be seen is that a method appreciated by many researchers today, is to engage the children themselves in the development of services and systems. To have an interdisciplinary approach is also valuable, and many things can be learned from disciplines other than library and information science when it comes to knowledge about children and their search behaviour and needs. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to investigate how librarians solve difficult reference questions. The aim is to discuss the nature of reference work – do librarians make conscious decisions regarding search strategies or do they rely principally on their instincts, or simply chance. The thesis is a qualitative study. The main material consists of 36 actual reference transactions that were gathered using the observation method during a five week period at two public libraries in 1994-95. Since the study was undertaken before “the Internet revolution” its main focus is on manual searches. To gain a deeper understanding of the reference process and the librarians’ views on search strategies five interviews with a selection of the observed librarians were also performed. This empirical material was then used to compare with the reference process as described in theory by – mainly – William A. Katz, Denis Grogan and Marcia J. Bates. The study shows that answering difficult reference questions can be a highly creative task and that the approach favoured by Grogan and Bates, which consists of search strategies and tactics rather than detailed charts, is the most consistent with actual practice. The study further shows that librarians’ views on whether or not they consciously use search strategies vary greatly and that either way they have a difficult time expressing these strategies.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how academic librarians seek information for themselves and for others, and what differences exist. The terms self-generated and imposed information seeking is used to describe the two different types of information seeking. Step 2 – define and understand the problem, step 3 – choose a search system and step 4 – formulate a query of Marchionini’s information-seeking model forms the basis of the theoretical framework, which is supplemented with Soergel and Katz. Qualitative interviews with eight academic librarians were conducted and analyzed in order to gather empirical facts. The results show that the greatest differences between self-generated and imposed information seeking lie within the definition and understanding of the information problem. The library user’s information need is specified through the reference interview; a process often seen as somewhat problematic by the librarians because of the difficulties involved in trying to understand another person’s needs. Librarians tend to approach imposed information seeking in a structured and pedagogic manner because of their desire to instruct the library user in the use of various databases and search techniques. The Internet is the most used information source during self-generated information seeking, while the library catalogue is the primary source during imposed information seeking. The results also show that only small differences exist in the way librarians use search strategies and search tactics during the two different types of information seeking. / <p>Uppsatsen skrevs under den tid då Växjö universitet hade ett samarbete med Högskolan i Borås, dvs. utbildningen gick i Växjö, men Borås examinerade.</p>

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to describe in part the public library users’process when deciding which books to borrow. Focus is on the library users’experience of the process and how literature exposure can support them intheir choice of book. This study seeks to find out to what extent choices arespontaneously made at the library, which elements of exposure that the userfinds helpful in the process and which factors usually influence the user infinding new things to read.The data was gathered through 100 structured interviews with public libraryusers. To analyze the result a modified marketing research theory was used,providing a comprehensive view. The decision-making process can beunderstood as a combination of the orientation or attitude of the libraryuser, the behavior or tactics of the library user and the library environment.The results of the study show four examples of behavior patterns related tolibrary user orientations. The patterns are then linked to different aspects ofmediation of literature in the library environment. The study also presentsstatistics on spontaneous loans and divides these loans into three types. Byexamining the variety of library users’ behavior patterns and searchstrategies, this study contributes to further developing the literatureexposure of public library collections. / Program: Bibliotekarie

The purpose of this thesis is to examine how academic librarians seek information for themselves and for others, and what differences exist. The terms self-generated and imposed information seeking is used to describe the two different types of information seeking. Step 2 – define and understand the problem, step 3 – choose a search system and step 4 – formulate a query of Marchionini’s information-seeking model forms the basis of the theoretical framework, which is supplemented with Soergel and Katz. Qualitative interviews with eight academic librarians were conducted and analyzed in order to gather empirical facts. The results show that the greatest differences between self-generated and imposed information seeking lie within the definition and understanding of the information problem. The library user’s information need is specified through the reference interview; a process often seen as somewhat problematic by the librarians because of the difficulties involved in trying to understand another person’s needs. Librarians tend to approach imposed information seeking in a structured and pedagogic manner because of their desire to instruct the library user in the use of various databases and search techniques. The Internet is the most used information source during self-generated information seeking, while the library catalogue is the primary source during imposed information seeking. The results also show that only small differences exist in the way librarians use search strategies and search tactics during the two different types of information seeking. / Uppsatsnivå: D

<p>This master thesis states the following questions: Is it easy or difficult to retrive information from a mobile phone manual? How can the search process be described among user for a mobile phone manual? What similarities and differeces can be identified between users? Arhe there any variables that affect search performance such as reading skills or technical domain knowledge? Eight mobile phone users participated in an empirical observation and the scope was to find information in a paper version of a mobile phone manual according to given tasks. The results shows that some users has problems to retrieve information due to that the correct page in the mobile phone manual could not be located. The results show that the user is using several search strategies, for example the table of contents and the index, when trying to locate information. The results also revel that the user initiates multiple search steps before the correct information can be located. The thesis discusses how a manual could be designet to make information easier to find.</p>

<p>Utifrån teorierna inom det naturalistiska beslutsfattandet beskrivs hur människor fattar beslut i dynamiska situationer under tidspress. Syftet med undersökning en är att ta reda på hur människor söker information för att kunna fatta ett beslut som är tillräckligt bra för att accepteras, och därigenom kunna formulera guidelines för programmerare av intelligenta agenter till olika informations- och beslutstödsystem.</p><p>En kvalitativ undersökning har genomförts med hjälp av observation och tänka högt-protokoll. Resultatet ger inget entydigt svar på frågan hur människor söker information. Den tendens som kan noteras är att en objektivt värderad risk ger en inriktning mot bredden först-sökning. Människan vill ha reda på vilka alternativ som finns för att kunna fatta ett beslut som är tillräckligt bra för att accepteras med hänsyn till dynamiken och tidsbegränsningen i beslutssituationen.</p>

This master thesis states the following questions: Is it easy or difficult to retrive information from a mobile phone manual? How can the search process be described among user for a mobile phone manual? What similarities and differeces can be identified between users? Arhe there any variables that affect search performance such as reading skills or technical domain knowledge? Eight mobile phone users participated in an empirical observation and the scope was to find information in a paper version of a mobile phone manual according to given tasks. The results shows that some users has problems to retrieve information due to that the correct page in the mobile phone manual could not be located. The results show that the user is using several search strategies, for example the table of contents and the index, when trying to locate information. The results also revel that the user initiates multiple search steps before the correct information can be located. The thesis discusses how a manual could be designet to make information easier to find.