Information behavior and expectations of veterinary researchers and their requirements for academic library services

Abstract

Increased pressure for quality research at South African universities, and limited research done on the information needs of veterinary science researchers and the role of veterinary libraries supporting them,motivated a case study at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria (South Africa). The study aimed to determine what the information needs, information seeking behavior and information use behavior of veterinary researchers are, and howthese needs are beingmet by the library. Quantitative and qualitative datawere collected from researchers as well as information specialists by means of questionnaires, focus group interviews and a citation analysis. Findings and recommendations are based on descriptive statistical analysis of the quantitative data and thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The study found that the information needs of researchers are influenced by the research environment and expectations for research output. Most needs for information and support services aremet. Collection building practices, library space, and awareness of services offered by information specialists need attention. Findings reveal considerable gaps between researchers' expectations from information specialists and their own perceptions of roles to fulfil. The paper contributes to the limited literature on the information behavior of veterinary researchers and library services supporting their needs.