| Computer scientists' behaviour as they seek and use information in their research was studied in order to identify personal characteristics in information management. The central research questions were: (1) How does a computer scientist manage the information that he or she uses in research and teaching? (2) What implications do personal and environmental characteristics have for the way individual computer scientists handle scholarly information? (3) What are the implications of personal information management for the provision of scholarly information to researchers in computer science?;The most important findings are that an analysis of the participants' information behaviour has led to a typology, in matrix form, of different modes of information behaviour. This matrix combines explicit and implicit information needs and internal and external information seeking into four sets of criteria: explicit needs/external seeking, explicit needs/internal seeking, implicit needs/external seeking, and implicit needs/internal seeking.;The participants' information management is focused on satisfying implicit information needs through internal information seeking. Information provision to researchers like the participants must support this kind of information behaviour. My study has also shown that the participants prefer colleagues over printed sources. Conference proceedings are the preferred printed sources. I have also found that the participants filter information input by exposing themselves only to the most relevant material.;In order to adequately provide scholarly information to computer scientists like the participants, support for informal, internal information seeking and wide exposure to information should be developed. Methods for input filtering; evaluation support, and flexible access are required to facilitate personal information management geared to meet the implicit information needs that dominate in this user group.;Qualitative research methods were chosen as the most suitable for assessing factors critical for information-seeking behaviour. Nine computer science researchers in a Swedish university were studied. Each participant constituted a case. Information management was analyzed from the individual user's perspective. The study belongs to what Dervin and Nilan call the "alternative paradigm" of information needs and uses research (ARIST 1986). Interviewing was the main instrument for data collection. |
