MAGISTERUPPSATS I BIBLIOTEKS- OCH INFORMATIONSVETENSKAP VID BIBLIOTEKS- OCH INFORMATIONSVETENSKAP/BIBLIOTEKSHÖGSKOLAN 2003:112 Information overload and its implications for a corporate library: As perceived by eight researchers at AstraZeneca MAUD SALIM © Författaren/Författarna Mångfaldigande och spridande av innehållet i denna uppsats – helt eller delvis – är förbjudet utan medgivande av författaren/författarna. Engelsk titel: Information overload and its implications for a corporate library: as perceived by eight researchers at AstraZeneca. Svensk titel: Informationsbelastning och dess konsekvenser för ett företagsbibliotek: ur upplevelsen av åtta forskare på Astra Zeneca. Författare: Maud Salim Kollegium: Koll 4 Färdigställt: 2003 Handledare: Elena Maceviciute Abstract: The aim of the present study is to develop an understanding of how researchers perceive the role of the library in helping them to cope with information overload related to maintaining currency. AstraZeneca was chosen to conduct this study because the pharmaceutical industry is a very intensive information industry. Eight willing researchers were chosen via a contact person to participate in the qualitative interviews. Researchers work in different departments and their time of employments differs The results revealed that the problem of information overload is an individual approach and it is related to maintaining currency. To overcome the problem researchers have adopted individual coping strategies; specialization was the most useful strategy adopted by most of the researchers. Personal information management, as sorting and filing, seemed to play an important role in handling the current information. At the organizational level, the Information Science & Library was perceived as updated, professional and necessary. The library staff helps researchers to stay up-dated and to cope with information overload, by acting as information providers and as research assistants and by offering end-users’- education. Nyckelord: Informationsbelastning, läkemedelsindustri, Astra Zeneca, företagsbibliotek, Forskning och Utveckling, informationshantering. Content 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 2. Background.......................................................................................................................... 1 3. Problem, goal and objectives............................................................................................... 3 4. Definitions and limitations .................................................................................................. 3 4.1. Discussion of core concepts ....................................................................................... 4 Information management..................................................................................................... 4 Personal information management ...................................................................................... 4 Information overload ........................................................................................................... 4 Currency in Research and Development ............................................................................. 5 4.2. Limitations ................................................................................................................. 6 4.3. Literature search......................................................................................................... 6 5. Inforrmation overload: Earlier researches and theory ......................................................... 6 5.1. Historical background ................................................................................................ 7 5.2. Information overload as a research problem .............................................................. 7 5.3. Causes of Information overload ................................................................................. 8 5.4. Approaches to coping with information overload.................................................... 10 5.4.1. Individual- approaches ......................................................................................... 10 5.4.2 Organisational approaches ................................................................................... 12 5.5. The library role......................................................................................................... 13 5.5.1. Current Awareness Services................................................................................. 14 5.5.2. Implications of information overload for the library............................................ 15 6. The pharmaceutical industry.............................................................................................. 17 6.1. AstraZeneca.............................................................................................................. 18 6.2. The library at AstraZeneca....................................................................................... 19 7. Metod................................................................................................................................. 22 7.1. Interview................................................................................................................... 23 7.2. Analysis.................................................................................................................... 24 7.3. Problem with the application of the method ............................................................ 25 8. Results the empirical study................................................................................................ 26 8.1. Information overload at AstraZeneca....................................................................... 26 8.1.1. The researchers information tasks........................................................................ 26 8.1.2. Information sources and databases....................................................................... 26 8.1.3. Sources of information overload .......................................................................... 28 8.1.4. Information overload and currency...................................................................... 30 8.1.5. Other kinds of overload........................................................................................ 30 8.2. The researchers’ coping strategies ........................................................................... 32 8.2.1. Strategies to cope with information overload....................................................... 32 8.2.2. Personal information management....................................................................... 33 8.2.3. The researchers’ information literacy................................................................... 34 8.3. The library as perceived by researchers ................................................................... 35 8.3.1. The library services and currency ........................................................................ 35 8.3.2. The library role in countering information overload............................................ 36 8.3.3. General approaches to information overload ....................................................... 37 9. Analysis and discussion..................................................................................................... 39 9.1. The researchers’ experience of overload.................................................................. 39 9.1.1. Overload and maintaining currency..................................................................... 39 9.1.2. Other kinds of overload........................................................................................ 40 9.2. The researchers’ coping strategies ........................................................................... 41 9.2.1. Strategies to cope with information overload....................................................... 41 9.2.2. Personal information management....................................................................... 43 9.3. The perceived role of the library.............................................................................. 44 9.3.1. The library role and currency............................................................................... 44 9.3.2. The library role in coping with information overload.......................................... 45 10. Conclusion.................................................................................................................... 48 11. Summary ...................................................................................................................... 50 References ................................................................................................................................ 52 Unpublished references......................................................................................................... 52 Printed references, Unpublished .......................................................................................... 52 Printed references, published ................................................................................................ 52 Electronic references............................................................................................................. 55 Annex 1 ...................................................................................................................................