HotTopics: Scientists As Information Users – Product Innovation Is The Name Of The Game

Scientists, a key user group that Outsell has studied over the years, are all about the innovation that drives competitiveness. Understanding scientists' information needs, preferences, and behaviors is paramount for information providers that support this community of users, to ensure they create the tools that scientists need to drive innovation for the enterprise and for the nation. This HotTopics examines Outsell's latest research on this user population to understand their current relationship with, needs for, and practices around information, and considers the implications for the publishers and information providers that serve them. Based on interviews with about 260 scientists, it provides a current look at the changing needs of this information-hungry group of professionals. The data shows that scientists are big information users. They are independent seekers who like to find things on their own

- and opt more often for 'pull' than 'push' delivery methods. The Internet looms largest in their array of go-to places for information, and they value an information service that first and foremost provides desktop access to the content they need. As market forces increasingly drive research agendas, scientists cite a growing need for competitor and market information. They work in an imperfect information world, however, spending 22 percent of their time at work finding and using external information, but often not finding what they need or not having the money to pay for it. They have readily adopted handheld devices and many use them to receive a variety of content. The HotTopics closes with five essential actions for publishers and providers who want to develop innovative products to serve this market.