PROJECT 1: USER NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND RESOURCE DISCOVERY

PURPOSE: This project provides an opportunity to analyze information needs and information seeking behavior of a particular user group and then to locate and evaluate a set of information resources for a particular client from the selected user group.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

1. User Needs and Resources: Analysis of Information Needs
Choose a user group (preferably an actual group with whom you are in contact). Create a user profile for this group based on an interview(s) with one or more typical respresentatives of this group. From the interview(s) determine:

• types of information typically needed
• types of questions typically asked
• user's resource environment
• typical information seeking behavior
• ways in which information needs of this person are met
• how this person evaluates information discovered or provided

2. Information Resources Environment:
Discover and investigate a set of information resources for this user group. Consider types of information resources commonly consulted and create an evaluative guide for yourself and other classmates of specific resources in this topic/subject area (web based or other electronic presentation; oral presentation to the class)

3. Information Searching:
Complete an information search for a specific user from the user group described in Part 1 (above). In order to distinguish this assignment from the work for Project 2, the information request for this project should be a request for a list of recommended readings that will meet the information need of the client/user or a set of factual answers that can be located and derived from information resources. It will be your task to locate, evaluate and recommend useful and appropriate resources or to present reliable and relevant facts to your user, but in contrast to Project 2 this assignment does not require analysis of the data or discovered research in the form of an evaluative report.

• Conduct a reference interview with the client to elicit the specific nature and boundaries of the information request
• Determine appropriate sources for fulfilling the request
• Locate and evaluate information that corresponds to the request
• Report back to the user; receive feedback from user on search results.
• Present search results to the user in a format appropriate to his/her needs

Be prepared to describe and discuss your search strategy and search results in class.

TO SUBMIT: Part a. due: 17 & 19 Feb; Part b. due: 19 Feb; Part c. due: 26 Feb

a. Written profile of the user group in the form of an analytic and evaluative report (use readings as models for types of questions to ask and for writing profile as well as the points listed under Part 1. above). Include a bibliography of readings consulted as background for this report. Be prepared to discuss your interview process and some of your findings with the class.

b. Oral presentation summarizing the nature and types of the information sources discovered for Part 2. above, with a web-based guide to share with class members.

c. The final report of search results presented to the user for Part 3. above. Be prepared to discuss search strategy and experiences with class members.

PROJECT EVALUATION:

Class feedback: Class members will be asked to comment on and add recommendations to the web-based information resource list and the information search report submitted to the user.

Instructor feedback:Instructors will provide comments and evaluation for each of the three project components, focusing on:

• Completeness of presentations and resource lists
• Quality of analysis and evaluation evident in both the user environment report and choices of resources
• Effectiveness of presentation format (usability) for submissions b. and c.