Accessing Information Use by Humanists and Social Scientists: a Study at the Universidad De Buenos Aires, Argentina

Accessing Information Use by Humanists and Social Scientists: A Study at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

by Susana Romanos de Tiratel

This study investigated the nglo-Saxon literature on library the literature to appear in (e.g., books or information-seeking behavior and information science (LIS) journals); (3) the rate of obsolescence of Apresents a considerable number the material they handle; (4) the degree of of Argentine humanities and of user/use studies describing the needs subject dispersion of the information they social science scholars and and behavior of humanities and social sci- need; and (5) the language they prefer the found no substantial ence researchers in their search for infor- literature to be in. Furthermore, the find- mation. In addition, reviews synthesize ings are compared to analogous research, differences between them and and integrate findings from these studies, principally in Anglo-Saxon countries. scholars in Anglo-Saxon listing the characteristics that describe LITERATURE REVIEW countries. Scholars in these and typify these researchers. For years, LIS professors in Latin America have In Argentina, no line of ongoing research two areas, regardless of provided their students with somewhat focuses on user/use studies. In the late country studied, have similar accurate portrayals of these scholars 1960s, at the Centro de Investigaciones information-seeking behavior. based on research in the United States and Bibliotecolo´gicas de la Facultad de Great Britain. Is it valid to apply the con- Filosofı´a y Letras (UBA), Gustavo F. J. clusions of these studies to scholars in Cirigliano studied the information-seek- countries with access to less developed ing of senior university students and re- cent graduates, regardless of discipline or library systems and services? Further- 3 more, does information-seeking behavior area of study. In 1977, Dominique Ba- bini investigated Argentine political sci- related to the conduct of research exist 4 despite a dissimilarity in resources readily entists, but it was not until 1995 that a available? Are there common traits that new user-study program was initiated (see characterize humanities and social sci- below), and further data on information ence researchers in how they access infor- seeking was gathered. mation, in what their preferences and in- User/use studies in the United States formative needs are? and Great Britain identify information us- Based on answers to these questions, ers and the characteristics of the information they rely on, their information needs this article, which is based on a three-year and uses, and the structure of the special- project (1995–1997), is the first longitu- ized literature they consult: its size, dinal study in Argentina to profile the growth, and composition. Table 1 offers a preferences and the information-seeking general comparison between the two ar- behavior of researchers at the Facultad de eas, whereas this section highlights each Filosofı´a y Letras, Universidad de Buenos area and literature from other countries. Aires (UBA), in nine disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences: phi- Humanities losophy, literature, classic languages and Rebecca Watson–Boone notes that: (1) literature, art, history, anthropology, edu- researchers have a limited need for devel- Susana Romanos de Tiratel is Directora at cation, geography and library science.1,2 oping or using general bibliographic the Instituto de Investigaciones The purpose of this study is to determine: tools; (2) they consult colleagues and ini- Bibliotecolo´gicas, Facultad de Filosofia y (1) how they found necessary information tial print source material for explicit and Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires, about the latest advances in their respec- implicit references to other works; (3) Buenos Aires, tive disciplines and that supports their re- book reviews and personal collections are ArgentinaϽ[email protected]Ͼ. search tasks; (2) their preferred format for the leading information sources; and (4)

346 The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 26, Number 5, pages 346–354 Table 1 Comparison of Characteristics Studied in Humanities and Social Sciences in Anglo-Saxon Bibliography Analyzed Aspects Humanities Social Sciences Access to information ● Limited use of bibliographic tools and ● Low use of bibliographic tools secondary information services ● Consultations with colleagues and experts ● Consultations with colleagues and experts ● Tracing of citations found in books and journals ● Tracing of citations found in journals ● Use of library catalogs to locate previously identified material Format ● Preference for book format to journal ● Equal preference for books and journals Obsolescence ● Inordinate age of the studied sources ● Intensive use of current material ● Critical/Theoretical literature valid for ● Average use validity of literature: nine 20 to 30 years years Use of periodicals: six years Subject dispersion ● Large size of subject matter used ● Significant number of citations from other fields ● High rate of autocitation within the whole of social sciences Language ● Important use of material in mother tongue ● Important use of material in mother tongue

they use catalogs to find known, second- “Having retrospective coverage may be noticeably higher than most citation stud- ary source materials. It would seem that more important to the humanist than hav- ies in the humanities indicate. “For the 38 there is an inadequacy among access tools ing access to current material.”10 How- NHC [National Humanities Center] re- and that “secondary services may not be a ever, Watson–Boone states that most of search fellows in Special Humanities the matter of much concern to humanities re- the citations and primary and secondary requests for English language materials searchers. And what may be perceived as references have to do with material pre- were 82.3% of the total.”14 John Cullars, an attitude of indifference may instead ceding the past 20 or 30 years of the who studied the characteristics of cita- simply reflect a general lack of need.”5 research. This does not imply that older tions in French and German literary Ron Blazek and Elizabeth Aversa af- items are not used, but rather that a large monographs, shows similar percentages firm that humanistic researchers still pre- proportion generally falls within this pe- in reference to the respective mother fer the monograph to the periodical arti- riod. In other words, the theme of the tongues (75% for German and 84.4% for cle.6 Sue Stone, in an article summing up research will dictate the exact time span French).15 Elsewhere, he registers like research published between 1970 and (e.g., the older the subject is, the further amounts in the fine arts when analyzing 1982, states that books and journals were back in time the citation is likely to be).11 citations in the monographs of American cited as the most frequently used research Robert N. Broadus indicates that “The researchers: 70.2% are in English.16 material, noting that there was conflicting mean number of subjects per fellow, 26.3, evidence as to which is used more heavi- shows something of the remarkable Social Sciences ly.7 On this point, Watson–Boone con- breadth of interest” and this: In a review, Mary B. Folster identifies cludes that: different methods employed over the past . . . does suggest a need for reference librar- 30 years to study the kind of information Although the assumption holds true that ians to remind themselves of the widely- that social science researchers use and books play a greater role than do journals, it dispersed sources of information that may be needs to be tempered: the subjects and peri- how they utilize it. These methods in- useful to humanists. . . . The wide range of clude: citation analysis, questionnaires, a ods covered by the research topic determine subjects represented by these requests lends whether the scholar will use a greater or support to the view that, for humanities combination of questionnaire and inter- lesser percentage of articles, and whether the scholars, centralization is more practical.12 view techniques, or structured observa- monographic material will be the primary tion together with interviews.17 Folster works of the individual(s) under study or the Stone had already warned that it is affirms that: critical (secondary) literature.8 impossible for only one collection or li- Humanities researchers are likely to be brary to satisfy totally the needs of hu- social scientists place a high amount of importance on journals.” Furthermore, “most of interested in older works (e.g., dating manities studies. Thus, because of the their citation identification comes from jour- back 20, 40, or 50 years). Of course, if breadth of topics and the material a re- nals, a practice that has been referred to as one considers the “classics” in each field, searcher needs, interlibrary lending is es- ‘citation tracking’; . . . Informal channels, 13 interest can extend to items dating back sential to the humanities. Broadus states such as consulting colleagues and attending 2,000 or 3,000 years in time.9 Stone says, the percentage of items in English was conferences, are an important source of in-

September 2000 347 formation; and . . . library resources, such as empirical components is determined by To that end, an interview guide was de- catalogs, indexes, and librarians, are not very the methodological courses of action. At signed and the data were tabulated to fa- 18 heavily utilized. the core lies the design of the object of the cilitate analysis and comparison. As Folster discusses, “social scientists research that consists of choosing a way A compilation of the publications by are very print-oriented. Their use of to delimit the object and to work on the the scholars under study, edited between 26 sources is limited basically to printed ma- defined data matrix system. Samaja sus- 1990 and 1996, yielded a total of 499 terials. Monographs and periodicals are tains that all of the data produced from articles and 11,379 references. A strati- most important in their first information scientific research in every discipline pos- fied sample was modeled after a subject sources.”19 Nonetheless, it must be kept sess an invariable structure that can be area criterion (language and literature, in mind that preference for one format or called a data matrix and that all scientific philosophy, art, history, anthropology, another varies among fields of disci- research contains data of diverse kinds and education). A random quantity selec- plines20,21 and that the studies discussed and levels of integration. There is not a tion—selected in proportion to the size of were conducted prior the advent of the single data matrix but rather a set of ma- the strata—produced a total of 128 arti- Internet and the World Wide Web had not trices that maintain a determined logical- cles, from which 3,449 cited biblio- 27 gained the prominence that it now has. At methodological relationship. graphic references were analyzed. The any rate, there is a concurrence that books There exist at least three hierarchical following variables were taken into con- are used just as often as journal articles. levels: (1) the central matrix at the an- sideration: subject matter, format, age, According to Tze-chung Li, chorage level on which the research is and language. Articles written by the re- focused, (2) the subunitary level matrix searchers were analyzed using solely the the general pattern is that current materials (components of the unit of analysis at the variable subject matter so as to establish are heavily used. The use of materials in the previous level), and (3) the supraunitary linkages with the subject of the references social sciences is, however, prolonged and level matrix (contexts of the units of anal- cited, as well as to detect an interdiscipli- often repetitive. . . Periodicals in the social ysis at the anchorage level). Matrices co- nary relationship between the articles and sciences on loan usually have a half-life of 3.5 years . . . ; but the spread in time of ordinated with the same hierarchy can the references cited. A relational database citations is greater than the loan demand . . . exist at the different levels. was designed with the EPI-INFO statisti- the half-life of social science citation, as a Samaja’s methodology proposal sus- cal processing program and several data whole, is nine years, and citations to social tains two original elements: on the one analyses and data syntheses were carried science periodicals six years.22 hand, the presentation of a four-part struc- out. ture of the data matrix that aggregates the Primary sources and secondary litera- As well, indicators or indicator schemes to the ture were disaggregated. Primary sources . . . self citation [sic], that is, social science above-mentioned three (unit of analysis, constitute the object of study or unit of citing social science items, accounts for variables, and values); and on the other, analysis of the research and those whose 58%, but that the self-citation of a particular the dialectic relationship that takes the findings are presented in the article under subdiscipline of the social sciences is gener- shape of the above matrices.28 analysis. Secondary literature is the rest of ally lower. Compared with literature use in In this research the anchorage level’s the literature cited; that is, other related science and technology, self-deprivation, unit of analysis is access to information research and the critical/theoretical body that is, social science citing items in other with the following variables: accessing pro- of literature. This attempted to establish fields contributing to the social sciences, is appreciably higher.23 cesses and formal and informal means of the percentage of sources cited in the hu- access. The unit of analysis of the suprauni- manities and in the social sciences with Nevertheless, the percentages vary by dis- tary level matrix is the research project in the expectation that the former were cipline. Social scientists make little use of the humanities or social sciences that gives greater because citation and reference co- foreign language works. Prior research a context to the access to information. A incide, as Ross Atkinson sustains.29 cited by Tze-chung Li sustain that the matrix was designed that was coordinated A subject analysis of the cited second- variation in the use of materials in English with the central matrix whose unit of anal- ary literature was made to compare it with (mother tongue of the subjects studied) ysis is the information of the research. The the analyzed articles and, thus, achieve a ranges between 87% and 99.3%.24 subunitary level is constituted by variables measure of its subject interrelationship. of the central matrix: format, obsolescence, This was expressed in complementary PROCEDURES subject dispersion, and language. Gathering percentages: discipline autocitation when In his book Epistemologı´a y metodologı´a and processing the data called for a meth- citing secondary literature from the same Juan Samaja identifies three components odological triangulation strategy combining discipline and discipline allocitation when of the scientific learning process: the ob- quantitative and qualitative techniques in citing from others. The conclusions, thus ject or product of the process, the research data gathering so as to enhance and expand obtained, were then compared using the actions or methods, and the means or con- the analysis and interpretation of the data. above triangulation strategy, which made ditions to carry it out. The first is scien- Based on the above factors, question- it possible to later verify and validate tific knowledge resulting from the combi- naire was drafted, pre-tested, and revised. them. nation of theoretical and empirical Structured interviews were conducted components. The second encompasses the with librarians in charge of the collections FINDINGS actions leading to the discovery and val- and services at the different research cen- idation of knowledge. And, finally, comes ters. Their viewpoints, it was felt, enrich Out of a total population of 180, 124 the technical and institutional resources the interpretation of the data obtained respondents in 18 institutes, sections, whereby research is conducted.25 from the survey of researchers and the and research centers of the school an- The combination of the theoretical and analysis of the citations in their articles. swered the questionnaires. The fields

348 The Journal of Academic Librarianship Table 2 Channels for Accessing Information Formal Channels Semiformal Channels Informal Channels Research Libraries: Specialized journals Consultations with colleagues ● Use of catalogs Publishers and bookshops ● Consultations with librarian ● Bibliographies Current awareness Bibliographies Specialized journals Consultations with colleagues Selective dissemination of information Publishers and bookshops Libraries Meetings/congresses Courses

covered the humanities: art, philosophy either area. However, on being questioned and literature; and the social sciences: “With the exception of two about consulting bibliographies, the large anthropology, education, geography, interviewees in the humanities majority of researchers referred to consult history, and library science. Fifty-three and another two in the social citations in books or journals, and not to researchers in the humanities (13 in phi- use formal accessing tools for specialized losophy, 30 in literature and 5 in art) sciences, all stated having used literature. This was corroborated in the and 61 social science researchers (24 the library as a source of questionnaire: The majority of research- anthropologists, 12 librarians, 8 special- information.” ers did not mention any title when asked ists in education, 8 geographers, and 9 to list the bibliographic tools they had historians) were surveyed. used. To a lesser degree, the subsequent preferences for both fields were distrib- Twenty-nine percent of the humanities With the exception of two interviewees uted in publishers’ lists and catalogs, scholars surveyed hold a doctorate, in the humanities and another two in the courses, and workshops and only 10.2% whereas only 13.7% hold a doctorate in social sciences, all stated having used the 33–35 library as a source of information. Even if consulted libraries. It can be deduced social sciences, even though many re- that the bibliographic reference works are searchers were in the process of obtaining both groups claimed to go once or twice a week, this percentage is higher in the hu- not all that common to either field, even it. Both areas show a high percentage of less so in social sciences than in human- the respondents who speak two foreign manities (66%) than in the social sciences (49.8%). Although 32.5% in social sci- ities, and that both disciplines practically languages (English and French). In the dismiss them as a tool for current aware- humanities, 44.8% of those in literature ences registered a frequency of less than once a week, humanities measured ness. are fluent in four languages (English, 12.1%. A total of 5.3% in social sciences These responses were confirmed dur- French, Italian, and Portuguese). Respon- did not know or answer how often they ing the interviews with librarians. Re- dents tend to work in research teams, and visited the library against 18.9% in hu- searchers turn to the library for material they included directors, assistants, grant- manities who go three or four times a recommended by colleagues or cited in ees, and researchers. week. Humanities scholars exhibit a more journals, but generally ignore the library catalogs or available bibliographic tools Accessing Information intensive use of the library. How do interviewees access the infor a subject search. The most important formation for their research projects? obstacles that researchers in the human- The questionnaires differentiated be- ities and social sciences admit to con- tween the search for information that is The majority consult colleagues and specialized literature. No differences fronting are not only the lack of a suf- necessary to conduct research and ficient stock of books and journals but that which is essential for being up-to- were detected in the use both groups make of formal bibliographic tools for also the loss of material (e.g., theft, date. Importance was given to establish- mutilation, and destruction). In the third ing a differential nuance between the their research. It is a question specifi- cally of retrospective searches to initiate place, humanities researchers signal the formal and informal channels because and update the state-of-the-art of the amount of time between the request for such information-seeking behavior as topic under analysis. The majority of material and its reception. Fourth comes consulting a colleague is not tantamount either area do not use bibliographies finding and obtaining books and jour- to tracing citations in specialized jour- (72.7% for humanities and 77.1% for nals. For social science researchers the nals, attending congresses, browsing social sciences).30–32 Humanities spe- third obstacle is misplaced books fol- through bookshops, or examining the cialists prefer to examine journals and lowed by overdue material (see Table catalogs of publishers. Table 2 provides then to consult with colleagues for cur- 3). a classification of the formal, semifor- rent awareness purposes. The inverse Format of the Material mal, and informal channels of accessing holds true for social scientists, first col- information as indicated by the human- leagues and then periodicals. This section is based on three data ities and social science researchers sur- Bibliographies play an intermediate sources: the researchers (according to surveyed. role in the current awareness process for veys), the librarians (according to the in-

September 2000 349 Table 3 Means of Accessing Information Humanities Social Sciences Research ● Consultations with colleagues ● Consultations with colleagues ● Reading and scanning journals ● Reading and scanning journals Current awareness ● Reading and scanning journals ● Consultations with colleagues ● Consultations with colleagues ● Reading and scanning journals Use of library Main purpose: To obtain previously identified Main purpose: To obtain previously identified material material Frequency: three to four times a week, 18.9% Frequency: three to four times a week, 8% one to two times a week, 66% one to two times a week, 52% less than once a week, 12.1% less than once a week, 35% no answer, 3% no answer, 5.3% Use of bibliographies and 27% 23% secondary services Barriers to access ● Lack of sufficient stock of books and ● Lack of sufficient stock of books and journals journals ● Loss of material ● Loss of material ● Lengthy delay between request and ● Misplaces books and journals reception of material ● Serious difficulties in locating and ● Excessively long home loans of material obtaining material

terviews), and the citations (data derived preference for books over articles in pe- study has confirmed a similar trend. It is from their analysis). The preference of the riodicals in both disciplines: humanities, important to clarify, though, that among researchers for books and journals was 62% versus 22.2% and social sciences, the citations to study the age of the ma- questioned indirectly as the survey asked 47.1% versus 30.4% (see Table 4). The terial, the sources, that is the primary doc- how they would distribute the budget for citation of primary sources is important, uments that are the objects of the re- library acquisitions. The allotted percent- independently of the format in which it is searchers’ analysis and study, were ages reflect the greater or lesser impor- registered. For the humanities, the citation omitted. tance given to each format. So, 43.1% in of sources is 35.7% of the total references Citations of secondary documents the humanities prefer books to journals; cited and social sciences is 21.3% (see (other research and theoretical and critical 23% favor journals; and 33.9% declare Table 5). contributions) are concentrated largely in equal preference. Meanwhile, social sci- the 20th century and the rest in the 19th Age of the Material ences percentages show 31.4% for more century. This is verified in two periods: books, 40.5% for more periodicals, and Use studies highlight that material uti- 1900 through 1949 and 1980 through 28.2% for equal preference. lized by humanities scholars are older 1995. Taking each period as a whole, The citation analysis evidences a wide than that used by social scientists. This there is a greater percentage of humanities

Table 4 Format of Material Used Total Format Humanities Percent Social Sciences Percent Total Percent Books 497 62.0 1,143 47.1 1,640 50.8 Articles in journals 178 22.2 738 30.4 916 28.4 Newspapers 44 5.5 139 5.7 183 5.7 Conference presentations 15 1.9 114 4.7 129 4.0 Reports 24 3.0 46 1.9 70 2.2 Other 43 5.4 245 10.1 288 9.0 Total 801 100.0 2,425 100.0 3,226 100.0

350 The Journal of Academic Librarianship Table 5 50.7%. All of the disciplines near this Source-Bibiographic Relationship in Material Cited measurement, save ethnolinguistics that is 82% (see Table 8). Sources Even discipline allocitations pertain to Sources Bibliography Total (%) the humanities and social sciences fields, Humanities 317 572 889 35.7 indicating a strong interrelationship. Cer- tain fields of anthropology (e.g., archeol- Social Sciences 546 2014 2560 21.3 ogy, biological anthropology, and medi- Total 863 2586 3449 25.0 cal anthropology) constitute special cases as citations refer to other natural sciences. Language of the Material Table 6 Respondents claim to be fluent in for- References Cited by Period (in percentages) eign languages: from two to four in humanities and two in social sciences. With- References Cited without out doubting the veracity of these data, Total References Cited Sources the analysis of the citations evidenced a Humanities Social Sciences Humanities Social Sciences preference for Spanish: humanities 76.5% and social sciences 73.4%. The second Before 1900 6.1 14.5 0.7 2.0 language varied by discipline: Italian and 1900–1949 29.2 10.2 12.5 7.0 French for the former and English for the 1950–1979 28.2 25.0 36.3 29.5 latter (see Table 9). 1980–1995 36.5 50.3 50.5 16.5 DISCUSSION Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Unlike the humanists, social scientists make less use of the library. This is un- derstandable considering the other techniques social scientists employ to compile citations in the former, whereas the latter specializations within the same program. data outside of the library (e.g., field- percentage is higher in the social sciences. Five were encompassed in the social sci- work). Nevertheless, over 70% of both In between, 1950 through 1979, percent- ences: anthropology, embracing sociocul- groups consider that libraries make an ages remain relatively even in either area tural anthropology, archeology, biological important contribution to their work (see (see Table 6). anthropology and folklore; history, education; as well as two hybrid fields,36 Table 3). Cited Subject Matters ethnohistory and ethnolinguistics. Be- The subject analysis of the references cause of the very nature of the last two explored the frequency of citations of the cases, autocitations in the former were “Unlike the humanists, social same discipline (percentage of discipline based on those from ethnohistory and autocitation) and of others (percentage of from anthropology and history, whereas scientists make less use of the discipline allocitation). To examine the the latter were based on those from eth- library.” subject matter of the cited references, cer- nolinguistics and from anthropology and tain decisions had to be made: first, to linguistics. utilize general subject categories; and sec- Generally, discipline autocitation is The most serious obstacles to access- ond, to determine the specialties to be more prevalent in social sciences. Hu- ing information, such as the dearth of included in each area. Three were consid- manities shows an average of 38.7%. Phi- books and journals, are derived from bud- ered in the humanities: art (fine arts, per- losophy represents the highest percentage getary deficiencies. But the remaining forming arts, and music), philosophy, and whereas art amounts to the lowest. Liter- problems (e.g., material on loan to faculty language and literature. Literature and lin- ature is in between (see Table 7). Disci- for lengthy periods, and the time lag be- guistics were grouped together as both are pline autocitation in social sciences is tween request and reception) originate in

Table 7 Discipline Autocitation and Allocitation in Humanities Discipline Discipline Discipline Autocitation Discipline Allocitation Total Discipline Autocitation Percent Allocitation Percent Total percent Art 52 21.1 195 78.9 247 100.0 Philosophy 72 58.5 51 41.5 123 100.0 Language and Literature 181 43.3 237 56.7 418 100.0 Total 305 38.7 483 61.3 788 100.0

September 2000 351 Table 8 Discipline Autocitation and Allocitation in Social Sciences Discipline Discipline Discipline Autocitation Discipline Allocitation Total Discipline Autocitation Percent Allocitation Percent Total Percent Anthropology 617 52.2 564 47.8 1,181 100.0 Ethnohistory 55 52.9 49 47.1 104 100.0 History 195 46.2 227 53.8 422 100.0 Ethnolinguistics 51 82.3 11 17.7 62 100.0 Education 180 45.6 215 54.4 395 100.0 Total 1,098 50.7 1,066 49.3 2,164 100.0 the libraries own organizational defects ences. This does not tacitly indicate which graphs. Therefore, researchers, either in- and can easily be rectified. Indeed, neither format is favored because books and jour- dependently or through research subsi- area shows substantial differences in ac- nals fulfill diverse functions. That books dies, acquire recently published books cessing modes, either in researching or in are cited to a greater degree than journals and do not subscribe to journals. Refer- current awareness actions and the meth- does not mean that the latter are used less ence to these is carried out in the research ods coincide with those described in other often, but rather that they satisfy other library and results in librarians’ impres- studies.37–40 There exists a marked pref- needs: tracing citations and current sions and the preference by researchers. erence for informal and semiformal chan- awareness. However, the citation analysis confirms a nels, and the library is used as a recourse marked leaning to the book format over to obtain material that is unavailable else- the article when it comes time to writing a where. paper. Although the respondents manifested a “...researchers, either It can be deduced that the journal preference for the book format or equal independently or through mainly serves as a source of current preference in the humanities, respondents research subsidies, acquire awareness and bibliographic tool in hu- in the social sciences favored periodicals. recently published books and manities and social sciences because it However, humanities scholars and social can be used to trace relevant citations in scientists cite books over articles in jour- do not subscribe to journals.” the articles and the section on book re- nals in their papers although a small dif- views. Nonetheless, this major use of ference exists: less than one-fourth of the periodicals need not necessarily be re- citations in humanities refer to articles in Nonetheless, librarians corroborate a flected in the citations, where books journals, whereas slightly over 25% do so greater use of periodicals. This is because have proven to hold a predominate role. in social sciences. At the same time, the libraries tend to prioritize the acquisition Once again, data derived from citation primary sources of the object of study are of journals over books. This has led to a analysis must be taken with great cau- used more in humanities than social sci- core of updated periodicals but not mono- tion before deciding on library acquisi- tions41 because these studies do not take into consideration the diverse purposes Table 9 for which the study and research mate- Language of Material rial is being used. With respect to the age of material, Language Humanities Percent Social Sciences Percent Total both disciplines are concentrated in the Spanish 671 76.5 1,879 73.4 2,550 1980 to 1995 period: 50.5% in humanities and 61.5% in social sciences. The English 50 5.7 450 17.6 500 other half (or somewhat less in social French 63 7.2 109 4.3 172 sciences) is distributed practically en- Italian 70 8.0 40 1.6 110 tirely within the 20th century, with a large concentration in the second half Portuguese 1 0.1 27 1.1 28 and diminishing substantially in the German 10 1.1 19 0.7 29 first. Even if the differential percent- Multilingual 5 0.6 5 0.2 10 ages amount to 10%, it could be said that critical/theoretical literature is Latin 4 0.5 4 0.2 8 more applicable in humanities. These Greek 2 0.2 0 0.0 2 data will be critical when the Facultad Other 1 0.1 24 0.9 25 de Filosofı´a y Letras (UBA) libraries define their weeding, preservation, and Total 877 100.0 2,557 100.0 3,434 conservation policies.

352 The Journal of Academic Librarianship The findings of the subject matters Despite the quality and quantity of re- but available at Instituto de Investigacio- cited may help to guide the centralization sources and dissimilar working environ- nes Bibliotecolo´gicas (Facultad de or decentralization policies of research li- ments, there is a common trait to human- Filosofıá y Letras, UBA). braries’ collections in the humanities and ities and social science researchers alike. 4. Dominique Babini, “Polı´tica Nacional de social sciences as Broadus recommends. It is how they access information, their Informacioń,” PhD Dissertation. (Buenos Given the physical dispersion of the re- preferences and informative needs, inde- Aires: Universidad del Salvador, 1982). 5. Rebecca Watson–Boone, “The Informa- search libraries of the Facultad de pendently of where they develop their tion Needs and Habits of Humanities Filosofıá y Letras, it would be advanta- tasks and the material that is available to Scholars,” RQ 34 (Winter 1994): 213. geous for researchers to find the collec- them. This characteristic reflects the cur- 6. Ron Blazek & Elizabeth Aversa, The Hu- tions under one roof that would thereby rent trend in the user/use studies within manities, 4th ed. (Englewood, CO.: Li- facilitate interdiciplinary consulting. This the constructivist/cognitive approach. In braries Unlimited, 1994), p. 4. would also help to overcome the logistical turn, this raises the following questions. Is 7. Sue Stone, “Humanities Scholars: Infor- inconveniences of inter-institute lending. it correct to seek profound differences mation needs and uses,” Journal of Doc- Setting up a network registering the col- between individuals because of their as- umentation 38 (December 1982): 296. lections of the diverse centers may re- sociation with one discipline or group? 8. Watson–Boone, “The Information solve the problem of intellectual access to No, to the contrary. Information-seeking Needs,” p. 212. the documents, but not the physical access behavior forms part of a broader process 9. Blazek & Aversa, The Humanities,p.4. to them. in which information is perceived as a 10. Stone, “Humanities Scholars,” p. 296. 11. Watson–Boone, “The Information The percentages on language prefer- social construction created by the interac- 42 Needs,” p. 213. ences are quite similar to Li’s 87% for tion of individuals and messages within 12. Robert N. Broadus, “The Range of Sub- social sciences, and Cullars’s 78%43 for diverse social and organizational con- 44 ject Literatures Used by Humanities humanities. This corroborates research- texts. As Dervin and Nilan affirmed, the Scholars,” Collection Management 12 ers’ preferences for material written in answers lie not in the system, but rather in (1990): 63, 67–68. their mother tongue or translated into it. the understanding that each user’s infor- 13. Stone, “Humanities Scholars,” p. 303. In brief, data can guide acquisitions of the mation need is unique. 14. Robert N. Broadus, “Information Needs units of information. Libraries must buy of Humanities Scholars: A Study of Re- primary sources in their original language NOTES AND REFERENCES quests Made at the National Humanities Center,” Library & Information Science or bilingual editions (when available), and 1. The research team includes: Susana Ro- critical, theoretical or historic material Research 9 (1987): 127. manos de Tiratel, director; Marıá Cristina 15. John Cullars, “Citation Characteristics of preferably in Spanish or good translations Cajaraville, Virginia Garrote y Estela To- from foreign languages. French and German Literary Mono- losa. The project, Modos de Acceso y Uti- graphs,” Library Quarterly 59 (1989): Despite the fact that citations may vary lizacioń de la Bibliografıá en el Campo de 317. from field to field, discipline allocitations las Humanidades y las Ciencias Sociales 16. John Cullars, “Citation Characteristics of was subsidized by and incorporated into are generally greater in humanities than in Monographs in the Fine Arts,” Library the Programa de Investigacioń UBACYT social sciences where autocitation and al- Quarterly 62 (1992): 336. 1994–97 (FI172). locitation are balanced. At any rate, 17. Mary B. Folster, “Information Seeking 2. The academic structure of the school is though this may not be the objective of Patterns: Social Sciences,” The Reference constituted by: nine departments respon- Librarian 49/50 (1995): 83–93. this article, this point should be fine-tuned sible for teacher-training and licentiate de- 18. Ibid., p. 90. by analyzing the discipline citations grees, a Postgraduate Degree Secretary within the humanities and social sciences (PhD’s, Master’s Degrees, specialization 19. Tze-chung Li, Social Science Reference as a whole (including citations from other and continuing education); and 20 re- Sources, 2nd ed. (New York: Greenwood, humanistic or social disciplines). Alloci- search institutes that elaborate and carry 1990), pp. 11–12. tation may be exogenous with respect to out projects and research programs, The 20. Ibid. information centers consist of a Central 21. William H. Webb, Sources of Information its own discipline but it could be endog- in the Social Sciences, 3rd ed. (Chicago, enous within a broader field. Library with collections that serve, funda- mentally, undergraduate and graduate IL: American Library Association, 1986), studies, and 18 Research Libraries housed p. 10. in the institutes that handle the respective 22. Li, Social Science Reference Sources,p. 12. “The findings of user/use specialized collections. 3. Gustavo FJ Cirigliano, La Conducta In- 23. Ibid., p. 12. studies in countries having formativa en Universitarios Argentinos: 24. Ibid., p. 13. more advanced information Investigacioń sobre la Habilidad y Ca- 25. Juan Samaja, Epistemologıá y Metodo- pacidad de los Jo´venes Graduados Uni- logıá: Elementos para una Teorıá de la systems and services can be versitarios para Manejar y Utilizar las Investigacioń Cientı´fica, 2th ed. ampl. applied to developing countries Fuentes de Informacioń Bibliogra´fica, In- (Buenos Aires: Eudeba, 1994), pp. 5–8. such as Argentina.” vestigaciones No. 1 (Buenos Aires: Cen- 26. Howard D. White, “Reference Books, Da- tro de Investigaciones Bibliotecolo´gicas, tabases, and the Repertoire,” in For Infor- Facultad de Filosofıá y Letras, Univer- mation Specialists: Interpretations of Ref- CONCLUSION sidad de Buenos Aires, 1971). This re- erence and Bibliographic Work,by search was followed by another project, Howard D. White, Marcia J. Bates, & The findings of user/use studies in coun- Investigacioń sobre la Capacidad de los Patrick Wilson (Norwood, NJ: Ablex, tries having more advanced information Estudiantes Avanzados de las Univer- 1992), pp. 27–78. The author applies the systems and services can be applied to sidades Estatales Argentinas para la In- concept of data matrix to the analysis of developing countries such as Argentina. vestigacioń Bibliogra´fica, unpublished the structure of references.

September 2000 353 27. Samaja, Epistemologıá y metodologıá, pp. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Centro 38. Watson–Boone, “The Information 164–165. de Estudios Avanzados, 1995), pp. Needs,” pp. 206–209. 28. Ibid., pp. 166–192. 1–19. 39. Baxter, “A View of Academics’ Litera- 29. Ross Atkinson, “Humanities Scholarship 32. Patricia Hernańdez Salazar, Saray Co´rdoba ture,” pp. 421–424. and the Research Library,” Library Re- Gonza´lez, Ma. Cristina Pe´rez Giffoni, Su- 40. Folster, “Information Seeking Patterns,” sources and Technical Services 39 (1994): sana Romanos de Tiratel, & Martha Sabelli pp. 90–92. 79–84. de Louzao, Seminario Latinoamericano so- 41. Pedro Falcato, Evaluacioń Administra- 30. Susana Romanos de Tiratel, “Modos de bre Formacioń de Usuarios de la Informa- tiva de Publicaciones Perio´dicas: en Acceso y Utilizacioń de la Bibliografıá cioń y los Estudios de Usuarios (Me´xico: una Biblioteca Argentina Especializada, en los Procesos de Produccioń de Infor- Universidad Nacional Autońoma de Me´x- Multidisciplinaria de Investigacioń macioń,” in 29th Reunioń Nacional de (Buenos Aires: Centro de Informacioń y ico, 1997), pp. 14–24. Bibliotecarios. La Biblioteca y la Infor- Documentacioń, Instituto Nacional de 33. Romanos de Tiratel, “Modos de Acceso y macioń en la Transformacioń Social, Tecnologıá Industrial, 1993), p. 42. Econo´mica y Cultural (Buenos Aires: Utilizacioń de la Bibliografıá,” pp. 12–14. 42. Li, Social Science Reference Sources,p. Asociacioń de Bibliotecarios Graduados 34. Grupo de Estudio de Usuarios, “Modos de 13. de la Repu´blica Argentina, 1995), pp. Acceso a la Informacioń,” pp. 17–18. 43. Cullars, “Citation Characteristics of 51–56. 35. Hernańdez Salazar et al., Seminario Lati- French,” pp. 317–319; Cullars, “Citation 31. Grupo de Estudio de Usuarios, “Modos noamericano, pp. 19, 22. Characteristics of Monographs,” pp. 335– de Acceso a la Informacioń de los In- 36. Matei Dogan & Robert Pahre, Las Nuevas 336. vestigadores de la Universidad,” in 1° Ciencias Sociales (Mexico: Grijalbo, 44. Brenda Dervin & Michael Nilan, “Infor- Encuentro Nacional. La Universidad 1993), p. 79. mation Needs and Uses,” Annual Review como Objeto de Investigacioń (Buenos 37. Stone, “Humanities Scholars,” pp. 297– of Information Science and Technology 21 Aires: Universidad de Buenos Aires, 299. (1986), pp. 3–33.

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