Social Science Information - The Poor Relation

Several characteristics make the social sciences less amenable to bibliographic control than the sciences: inherent instability of the subject matter, the lack of a terminology that is common over time and across countries, strong political and national biases, low penalties for duplication of research, and an apparent lack of interest on the part of social scientists in improvement of information services. A large body of research carried out 25 years ago shed much light on the information needs and uses of social scientists and indicated means of improvement, but led to no action. In an information world radically changed by the Internet, we need to carry out new studies into information uses and needs.