Project INISS Revisited - information and tasks in a professional bureaucracy

Professor Tom Wilson

Some historical noteslibrary surveys from 1920sreadership studies from the 1930sscientific information studies from late 1940sconsumer surveys from the 1950slibrary use studies in the 1960sinformation requirements for information systems

Positivist methodologiessurveys or censusescounting instances of usecounting types of userscounting kinds of material useddescription rather than analysis

Methodological position

an action research modelorganizational communication perspectivea work-life perspective

Research methodsstructured observation

unstructured observation“conversation”

structured interviews“experimental” projects

evaluation

Research processgaining entryobservingdata analysis

qualitative analysis

questionnaire designquestionnaire analysisproject definition

evaluation

Findingsinstrumentality of information usemodel of information-seeking behaviourmodel of research methods

Instrumentality of information useprofessional competency

in professional bureaucracies information is instrumental in maintaining professional competency - this issue is not always formally recognized

bureaucratic administrationin professional bureaucracies information also serves bureaucratic admin. ends

Results reflecting instrumentality - 1Information Type Modal Response %

Legal Weekly 33ProceduralNames, addresses, etc.Training informationCentral govt. statisticsInternal statisticsClient recordsPersonnel/financialNews of developmentsResearch

Ideas and experience

WeeklyDaily

< Monthly< Monthly< Monthly

Daily< Monthly

< MonthlyWeekly

Monthly 36404833535050488035

Results reflecting instrumentality - 2No. %

Client groups 2353 40.3 Children (11.7)

Families( 6.0)Elderly( 5.9)Others(16.7)

Community organizations 76 1.3Social services staff, etc. 1502 25.7Social services departments 1272 21.8Local authorities 288 4.9Other 348 5.9

Total 5839 100.0

Social work services 1586 27.1Management services etc. 4144 71.0Other 109 1.9

Total 5839 100.0

Results reflecting instrumentality - 3

Written information types No. %

Legal 25 2.0Procedural 100 7.9Training information 21 1.7Central govt. statistical 9 0.7Internal statistical 44 3.5Client records, etc. 266 21.0Internal personnel/financial 274 21.7News of developments 133 10.5Research in social work 30 2.4Reports of experience/ideas 69 5.4More than one type 188 14.9Other 105 8.3

Total 1264 100.0

Model of information-seeking behaviour

personal, social, environmental driverscognitive and affective needsrole of information service provision

barrierspersonalsocialenvironmental

Model of research methodsprimacy of observation

all other modes are substitutes for observation - this fact is common in all science

role of structure“imposed”“emergent”

Illustration of research methods

Domain of Interest Observation

Direct observation

Indirect observation

'Emergent structure'Participant observation

'Imposed structure'Structured observation

'Emergent structure''Unstructured interviews'Organizational documentationBiographies

'Imposed structure'Self-completed questionnairesStructured interviews'Diaries'