Factors affecting the preferences of industrial personnel for information gathering methods

Abstract A structured questionnaire was administered to professional personnel in industrial and government organizations, asking the subjects to rank eight information gathering methods according to their preference in given hypothetical situations. The subjects were then asked to rate the methods on a seven point scale according to (a) ease of use and (b) amount of information expected. The subjects were divided into two groups determined by their time spent in research or research related activities. The groups were designated “research” and “nonresearch”. A statistical analysis of the data from 96 subjects (52 in research, 44 in nonresearch) showed that no statistically significant differences were present in either the rankings or ratings between research and non-research personnel. A high significant correlation was found, however, between the preference ranking and the ease of use rating within both groups, whereas no significant correlation was found between the preference ranking and the amount of information ratings. The results of the study infer that the ease of use of an information gathering method is more important than the amount of information expected for information gathering methods in industrial and government environments, regardless of the research orientation of the users.