A Delphi study composed of three rounds was carried out by polling 200 specialists in library/information studies and gerontology on the question, "How should the information needs of the aging be met?" The first round, an open-ended query of the research question, was followed in Round 2 by a 40-item questionnaire assessing importance of activities or applications suggested. Round 3 resubmitted the questionnaire with feedback on the mean and interquartile range for each item from Round 2, with the participants given the opportunity to reassess their previous responses in the light of this new information. This study was primarily a heuristic application of the Delphi technique, with discovery of opinion foremost and convergence of opinion a scondary, but important, consideration. Ninety-three panelists in four areas of responsibility remained through all three rounds: 25 library/information specialists, 21 educators/researchers in gerontology, 32 policy-level administrators at the state and regional levels in gerontology, and 15 service providers in area agencies on aging. / Four types of analysis were carried out on the data: (1) interpretation of change from Round 2 to 3; (2) comparison of response by the four groups of participants; (3) an item-by-item analysis; and (4) summary analysis of the grouped data. The different responses by the four subgroups suggested that occupational background was a large determinant toward the way the research question was perceived. With minor variations, however, the panel was agreed that informational need was best met by better transportation, interagency outreach programs, more one-to-one contact through existing structures, and better training for workers with the aged. The component agencies of the governmental network on aging were recognized as the best means of information dispersal to the aging; library/information professionals were not perceived by the other three subgroups as important sources of information for the aging. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-12, Section: A, page: 3742. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74978 |
| Contributors | HALES, CELIA ELAINE., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 269 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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