Desktop information systems and services: a user survey in a pharmaceutical research organisation

A survey of scientist users of information systems and services in a pharmaceutical research organisation was conducted, primarily by semi-structured interview, with the primary aim of assessing, and where possible quantifying, the changes in information-related behaviour resulting from the provision of desktop information systems. Difficulties were encountered due to the great difference in the nature of work which has occurred simultaneous with, and to a degree due to, improvements in the information environment, where information tools are now central to scientific work. The results cast light on the changing nature of information handling in the new environment, and on specific issues of the `information gatekeeper', information overload, and information literacy. A cluster analysis of the results showed three distinct groups of users, `perfectionists', `pragmatists' and `positivists', the grouping likely to result from personality factors.

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