Understanding Scientists’ and Engineers’ Information Use Habits, Preferences, and Satisfaction
This report is geared toward information management professionals who serve scientists and engineers - important information consumers who spend between one-quarter and one-third of their work week gathering and analyzing information. They continue to encounter problems accessing the information they need, and this report provides valuable insight into opportunities to improve information products, services, and environments in the enterprise. Outsell has tracked the information behaviors and preferences of scientists and engineers for eight years, and this report features our latest research on this user population. It analyzes their current information needs and habits, and considers implications for the IM functions that serve them. The report contains:
- An overview profile of scientists and engineers as information consumers, including how they use information, top information types used, and their satisfaction levels with major vendors;
- Data and analysis of scientists’ and engineers’ information habits and unmet needs;
- A detailed look at this group’s use of interactive media;
- Data and analysis on scientists’ and engineers’ priorities for IM functions and roles;
- Data and analysis of scientists’ and engineers’ information spending and purchasing;
- Imperatives for information managers.
Pub Date: July 20, 2009
Type: Briefing, Information Management Report
Segments: IM
Keywords: Users, STM Publishing
Pages: 26
Format: PDF 
We provide a link to download a PDF at the end of the purchase process.
Download PDF table of contents
Table of Contents
- Why This Market?
- Methodology
- Overview Profile of Scientists and Engineers
- Information Use and Behaviors
- Interactive Media
- Scientists’ and Engineers’ Priorities for IM Functions and Roles
- Spending and Purchasing
- Imperatives for Information Managers
- Table 1. Scientists and Engineers: How They Apply Information
- Table 2. Top Information Types Used by Scientists and Engineers
- Table 3. Views about Various Vendors and Products – Scientists
- Table 4. Views about Various Vendors and Products – Engineers
- Figure 1. Where People Go to Seek Information
- Figure 2. Time Spent Gathering and Analyzing Information
- Figure 3. Search Failure Rate
- Table 5. Problems Getting Information
- Table 6. Unmet Information Needs
- Figure 4.Handheld Device Usage
- Figure 5. Percentage of Scientists and Engineers Using Social Networking Sites
- Figure 6. Purpose for Using Social Networking Sites
- Figure 7. Priorities for IM Roles and Support
- Figure 8. Do Fee or Free Information Services Provide Higher Quality Information?
- Figure 9. Purchase Information as Independent Decision
- Figure 10. Preferred Pricing Model
- Figure 11. Median Annual Spending
- Figure 12. Disposition of Information Purchased by Individuals
- Figure 13. Individual Information Spending, by Format
- Table 7. Spending by Information Type – Scientists and Engineers
Tables & Figures