Information needs, information seeking behaviour and information use behaviour of researchers at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria and how these needs are being met by the information support delivered by the Jotello F Soga Library

Abstract

Higher education institutions in South Africa are pressured to produce high quality and quantity research output. In order to produce research, information is needed. Very little research has been done on the information needs of veterinary science researchers and the role and services of veterinary libraries. The aim of this study was to determine what the information needs, information seeking behaviour and information use behaviour of veterinary researchers are, and how these needs are being met by the library. Researchers and information specialists at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, were used as a case study. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected by means of questionnaires, focus group interviews, a citation analysis and LibQual results (only as additional information). Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. The study found that the information needs of researchers are influenced by the research environment, they need access to information and information resources and prefer electronic information sources. Although many of the information needs are addressed by current library services, a number of potential areas of improvement were identified. These include technical support with accessing online collections, support with research methodology and publishing, improved collection building practices and dedicated library spaces for researchers. Findings revealed a considerable gap between researchers’ expectations from information specialists and their own perceptions of roles to fulfil. Researchers are often not aware of the information organising skills and expertise of information specialists. It is recommended that information specialists need to make researchers aware of their skills and expertise. The study contributes to the limited literature on the information behaviour of veterinary researchers and libraries supporting their needs.