Don't Go for Different! Developing Specialized Information Services for Researchers from Distinct Subject Areas

Digital library services are frequently designed for specific user groups with very specific usage needs. This article presents a qualitative comparative analysis of findings derived from six user and usability studies in four different specialized subject information services. Rather than postulati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cataloging & classification quarterly 2024-05, Vol.62 (3-4), p.432-447
Main Authors: Greifeneder, E., Bressel, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Digital libraries
disciplinary differences
information behavior
Information services
Information systems
interdisciplinarity
Specialized information services
usability
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Summary:Digital library services are frequently designed for specific user groups with very specific usage needs. This article presents a qualitative comparative analysis of findings derived from six user and usability studies in four different specialized subject information services. Rather than postulating hypotheses regarding variations in needs and behaviors among user groups, this article explores similarities among researchers' requirements for specialized information service portals. The findings suggest that distinct subject areas may no longer require separate information systems tailored to each field's specific needs. With the rise of interdisciplinary research, researchers increasingly favor the adoption of a unified system or multiple systems with consistent operation.
ISSN:0163-9374
1544-4554
DOI:10.1080/01639374.2024.2372311