Looking Hard at JASIS&T: Results of a Series of Surveys, Focus Group Interviews and Other Studies

• Published in: Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science 2004-04, Vol.30 (4), p.12-15
• Main Authors: Case, Donald O., Allard, Suzanne L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Associations; College Faculty; Communications; Computers; Digital libraries; Electronic Equipment; Electronic Journals; Electronic Libraries; Exact sciences and technology; Focus groups; Information and communication sciences; Information industry; Information Management; Information processing; Information professionals; Information retrieval; Information Science; Information science. Documentation; Information technology; Interviews; Knowledge management; Library and information science; Library and information science. General aspects; Mail Surveys; Online Surveys; Periodicals; Polls & surveys; Professional aspects; R&D; Reading Habits; Research & development; Research and Development; Sampling; Science Programs; Sciences and techniques of general use; Special libraries; Trends; Usability
• ISSN: 0095-4403; 1931-6550; 1550-8366; 2163-4289
• DOI: 10.1002/bult.317

What is the role of JASIS&T in the life of the Society? JASIS&T is a flagship for the Society. Most practitioners are proud of it but few of them read much of it. JASIS&T is perceived as a highly technical, research publication, but with limited value to practitioners and most of the membership. Most do not want to see JASIS&T changed but they'd like to receive a different kind of publication in addition, even if only in electronic form. What parts of JASIS&T do members actually read? Relatively few practitioners read JASIS&T articles, unless they are part of a Special Topics issue of particular interest. Some read book reviews and letters to the editor, which they find to be in plain language and more applicable. They do see JASIS&T as covering the right topics, simply at more theoretical level than they can use.