LIS_608 Biographers
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Transcript of LIS_608 Biographers
Biographers
Fall 2010LIS 608 Human Information Seeking Behavior
Lauren OrsoEmily FaireyCaitlin Arndt
People Seeking People
Defining Biography
Biography
as
History
Biography
as
Popular Literature
Biographers
Our Research Question
When scholarly biographers research their topics,
are they searching in the same ways and using the same resources
as their more popular counterparts?
Biographers
Literature Review
Biographers
Tibbo (2003)
The study focuses on U.S. History scholars
and their access to primary source materials
According to Tibbo’s breakdown, it’s clear that biographical historians make use of a
wide variety of resources
(digital, print or otherwise).
Tibbo suggests that history scholars actually want digital resources, not necessarily technophobes.
BiographersTibbo, H.R. (2003). Primarily history in America: How U.S. historians search for primary materials at the dawn of the digital age. American Archivist 66(1), 9-50.
Tibbo (2003)
What needs to be done?
More directed study of biographical historians
How can archives better serve the biographer’s need for primary source material?
Biographers
Dalton & Charnigo (2004)
A study of historians that analyzes:
andexamines the use of electronic
materials.
“…which materials historians consider to be the most important and how they discover them.” (p.400)
BiographersDalton, M. S., & Charnigo, L. (2004). Historians and their information sources. College & Research Libraries, 65(5), 400-25.
Dalton & Charnigo (2004)
When historians were asked to name their most important primary and
secondary sources a few stood out:
Biographers
Top Primary Sources:1.Archives2.Manuscripts3.Books4.Newspapers
Top Secondary Sources:1.Books2.Journal Articles3.Dissertations4.Websites
Seven of the historians surveyed listed websites as an important primary source!
Dalton & Charnigo (2004)
They also assert that historians are lone wolves.
Why?
Because they rarely co-author publications…
Biographers
Dalton & Charnigo (2004)
What needs to be done?
Are historians really anti-social?
With such a wide range of desired materials,
how can librarians and archivists provide for them?
Biographers
Historian / Biographer
Miller (2005) doesn’t view their methods as notably different
Lee (2009) suggests that the methods of popular
biographers are much more akin to investigative journalism.
Biographers
Lee, H. (2009). Biography: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Miller, R. (2005). Biographical research methods. London: Sage.
Identifying key concepts
Technology Use
Import of Personal Contacts
Use of Archival Collections
Biographers
Is there a methodological divide?
Our Study
Methodology• IRB•Surveys with Survey Monkey
•Getting the survey to reflect the research question •paring it down to 10-15 minutes•striking a balance between open ended and "option-selecting" questions. •Allowing the possibility for future contact
•Interviews•Creating questions that complement and parallel the survey.•Future Suggestion: Group Interview
•Coding of participants•Record Keeping with recorder and with transcriptions •Modifying Questions to fit group context
Biographers
Data Collection
• Pilot• Invitation letter– Identity, Incentive, Confidentiality
• Contacting participants: Methods:– List-serves– Facebook– Direct Emails– Personal Acquaintances– Journals of Biography– Societies of Biography
• Survey Monkey Automatic Collection• Telephone Interview transcription
Survey Results
Biographers
In addition to the 85 % who plan to publish in book form,
there are also several different modes used by a 1/7 minority,
such as journal articles, theses, instruction, and even
websites.
Goal of Research
Academics
Size of circles relate number of responses to number of respondents
Biographers
Survey Results
Biographers
Conversely, popular biographers think primarily of book publication,
with a small percentage (28%) aiming to publish in
magazines.
The overall majority of book publication
is significant.
Goal of Research
Popular
Size of circles relate number of responses to number of respondents
Biographers
Survey Results
Surprise! Scholars like to talk with one another!
Survey Results
3 respondents added comments emphasizing the importance of interviews
Interview Analysis• Development of looser question approach • “Inner voice” of subject : The search modes• Diversity in Academic publication formats • Existing publications vs. primary sources• Searching before and after internet: a history• “Internal” vs. External resources • Problems: Archival, digitial and human failure
Biographers
Interview Models: “Wider and wider concentric circles of searching” and “Putting out the fishing
line and seeing what you get—where does that lead you next?”
Limitations
Biographers
Practical Implications
Biographers
Biographers need most...
• a strong personal network• a reliable Internet connection • unlimited time, money and
access.
Some Quick Demographics
57% female
(8 respondents)
43% male
(6 respondents)
average age: 52youngest: 27
oldest: 75
Tech Habits:
• 42% check e-mail "constantly," or 16+ times per day
• 14% (2 respondents) check e-mail 3 times or less per day.
Most have been writing professionally:
• mean=14 years• mode=10 years
Biographers
Conclusions
Biographers
Motivated to PUBLISH!
Goals of Research(combined)
Publication (book) (58%)Publication (periodical) (15%)Instruction (11%)Thesis/Dissertation (11%)Personal Website (5%)
Future WorkBiographers outside the conventional realm
of written histories may benefit most
from new research regarding their habits. These include:
• children's nonfiction writers• documentary filmmakers
• students
Reliability and Usability of:
• personal sources• Internet information Biographers
Questions?