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An Exploratory Study of Natural Scientists' Information Seeking Behavior When Writing a Research Proposal

자연과학분야 연구자들의 연구계획서 작성을 위한 정보추구행동의 탐색적 연구

  • Received : 2023.02.10
  • Accepted : 2023.02.26
  • Published : 2023.03.30

Abstract

This study aims to explore information seeking behavior of natural scientists when they are writing a research proposal for applying to funding. It focuses on understanding their information needs and information seeking behavior, and factors influencing the behavior. Based on the conceptual framework of task-based information seeking, qualitative research methods including in-depth interviews and diary study are used. The results reveal that a variety of communicative subtasks take place in the process of research proposal writing. Also, the scientists tend to need information related funding opportunities and to research design, and access sources including human resources, documents, online databases and websites to meet their information needs. Finally, the study shows that the scientists' information seeking behavior when writing a proposal is influenced by personal, task-related, and sociocultural factors. This study will be helpful to design effective information services and strategies to assist science scholars applying to research funding.

본 연구는 자연과학분야 연구자들이 펀딩을 획득하기 위해 연구계획서를 작성할 때 발생하는 정보요구 및 정보추구행동과 이러한 정보행동에 영향을 미치는 요소를 파악하는 것을 목표로 한다. 정보행동의 하위분야인 과업중심 정보추구행동을 바탕으로, 질적연구방법인 심층면담과 다이어리 연구를 통해 연구자들의 정보행동에 대해 조사하였다. 연구결과로 자연과학분야 연구자들의 연구계획서 작성과 관련된 구체적인 하위업무가 드러났는데 커뮤니케이션 관련 업무가 제일 활발히 수행되었다. 그리고 펀딩 지원 관련, 연구 설계 관련 정보요구가 발생하였고 정보요구 해결을 위해 인적자원, 문서, 온라인 데이터베이스, 웹사이트가 주된 정보원으로 이용되었다. 이러한 정보행동에는 개인적 요소, 과업관련 요소, 사회문화적 요소가 영향을 주고 있는 것으로 드러났다. 본 연구의 결과는 연구자의 펀딩 확보 활동에 관련된 정보행동에 대한 이해를 높이고 연구자의 펀딩 지원을 돕기 위한 정보서비스 전략 수립의 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

Keywords

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