A Psychological investigation of researcher's perceptions of texts

Dillon, Andrew (1990) A Psychological investigation of researcher's perceptions of texts, in Feeney, M. and Merry, K., Eds. Information Technology and the Research Process, pages pp. 104-113. London: Bowker-Saur.

Abstract

This item is not the definitive copy. Please use the following citation when referencing this material: Dillon, A. (1990) Accessing information: a psychological analysis of researchers' perceptions of texts. In: M. Feeney and K. Merry (eds.) Information Technology and the Research Process, London: Bowker-Saur, 104-113. Abstract: An important aspect of any application of new technology is understanding how the proposed users of this technology conceptualise the task domain. In terms of the research process this requires an appreciation of researchers' practices and preferences. Only in this way is it possible to develop technology which will support the researcher. The present paper outlines work carried out within the academic community under the British Library funded Project QUARTET. It reports on research aimed at understanding human interaction with a variety of text-based information sources with a view to specifying user requirements for future technologies. By employing personal construct theory and repertory grid analysis it becomes possible to shed light on researchers' perceptions and uses of current sources of information. Results are presented and the implications of such findings for the development of information storage, retrieval and presentation systems will be discussed.