Information Needs Analysis: Principles and Practice in Information Organizations

Citation

Eva Hornung (2015), "Information Needs Analysis: Principles and Practice in Information Organizations", Library Review, Vol. 64 No. 4/5, pp. 402-403. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-03-2015-0024

When you work in one-person library, you find that you are always looking for quick references to help you solve a problem. Information Needs Analysis (INA) by Dorner, Gorman and Calvert is such a gem for someone in this situation as well as for larger information organisations.

INA is distinct from information needs assessment in that INA is more suited to information-related contexts and that it is more focussed and can be applied to a wider range of situations, according to Dorner and his co-authors. Their target group is not only practitioners, however. Their combined experiences as educators shines through as this guide is also intended for students of library and information studies with its jargon-free language and short chapters.

The authors have created a structure which they urge readers to follow. Chapters 1-4 look at the theoretical aspects of an INA, including context, the fundamental elements and different models and types of information needs analysis. By skipping them, one would miss out on essential background information. The rest of the book is a guide to how to undertake an INA taking into account different circumstances and types of libraries or information situations.

Chapter 5 looks at data gathering methods. This is an overview of the main aspects, such as formulating a research question, ease of collecting data, access to data and ethical considerations. Therefore, it is somewhat an introduction to the next three chapters, which look in more detail at different ways of gathering data. Chapter 6 considers existing data, which are one source we do not think about; we usually have a stronger awareness of collecting new data. There is much value in historical data, which often reveals a lot about the organisation itself. Both quantitative and qualitative data play a role in INAs, depending on the problem under investigation. Chapter 7 concentrates on surveys, while Chapter 8 not only focuses on interviews but also mentions diaries and usability testing. These, however, are only short synopses, and interested parties are being referred to other resources, many of them are classic texts on data collection and, hence, widely available. The authors also provide annotated lists of websites, which they have reviewed and which add a peer-reviewed quality to the bibliography. Chapter 9 deals with analysing and interpreting the data gathered, and Chapter 10 with reporting to different stakeholders. These last two sections bring the project to a conclusion.

Real-life “scenarios” are practical examples of how to perform each of these steps. INA is being put into practice in all types of information environments and the short case studies given reflect that reality. “Further reading” sections point to specific chapters in selected works, which is very reader-friendly, particularly for novices to the research process. Reviews of each chapter summarise the main points, making this an accessible text. The authors also constantly refer back and forth to other parts of the book, thus emphasising critical points to remember.

This volume encouraged me to try my hands at an INA. The authors describe it as “a straightforward type of applied research” (p. 13). Being able to conduct a short piece of applied research should be part of the skill set of any (aspiring) information professional. Hopefully, many colleagues will be inspired by it. This manual will help them do it.