Information use: case studies in the humanities

The RIN will be undertaking a second series of case studies to provide a detailed analysis of how humanities’ researchers discover, use, create and manage their information resources.

This project will focus on the behaviours and needs of researchers working in a number of subject or disciplinary areas in the humanities. They follow the first round of case studies in the life sciences (November 2009).

The overall aim of RIN case studies is to:

• develop an in-depth understanding of humanities researchers’ approaches to discovering, accessing, analysing, managing, creating, refining and disseminating information resources;
• provide comparisons between the behaviours and needs of researchers in different subjects/disciplines, research teams or institutional contexts;
• identify barriers to more effective performance in using, creating, managing and exchanging information resources, and suggest how they might be overcome.

In January 2010, Oxford Internet Institute was appointed as contractor for the study.  Work is due to complete in November 2010.

Enquiries about the project should be directed to charlotte.daus@rin.ac.uk