Describes a study conducted at the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) that examined reasons for defecting from Internet access. Topics include availability through institutional access; subject differences; e-mail and critical mass; information rich versus information poor; and suggestions for further research. (LRW)

Presents a case study of a pilot test of usability testing with farm instructions for applying pesticides. Discusses adapting usability testing to the field setting; selecting a topic, usability testing sight, and participants; developing the usability scenario and securing institutional review board approval; conducting usability testing in the…

Outlines research basics for technical communicators collecting qualitative information in a workplace environment. Discusses: developing researchable questions from workplace experiences; searching existing literature for credible research reports; using observation, artifacts, and interviews as sources of information for answering workplace…

This review provides a summary of the main theoretical arguments and empirical results available in literature dynamics. Discusses studies of growth, diffusion of information, epidemic theory, and fast-growing literatures. Deals with methodological problems of publication counts, the time factor, and converging indicators, and discusses two…

This column describes ways to streamline and optimize how a Web site works in order to improve both its usability and its visibility. The author explains how to analyze logs and other system data to measure the effectiveness of the Web site design and search engine.

Dutch faculty was surveyed as to their use of electronic journals. It was concluded that electronic journals have become indispensable for scientists and social scientists, and have a profound effect on information behavior, varying from methods of becoming aware of relevant articles to benefits on research.

Presents the results of a qualitative study that focuses on search patterns of college students and community users interacting with a digital image collection. The study finds a distinct difference between the two groups of users and examines the role of mental models in information seeking behavior in digital libraries.

Studies of teachers' use of mathematics curriculum materials are particularly timely given the current availability of reform-inspired curriculum materials and the increasingly widespread practice of mandating the use of a single curriculum to regulate mathematics teaching. A review of the research on mathematics curriculum use over the last 25…

A sample of 58 students in career and technology teacher education and training and development was surveyed to determine self-perception as to their competency in five constructs containing 43 elements related to personal computer knowledge and skills. In an analysis of all computer knowledge and skill elements combined, there was no…

This study was carried out in a Turkish university with 216 undergraduate students of computer technology as respondents. The study aimed to develop a scale (UECUBS) to determine the unethical computer use behavior. A factor analysis of the related items revealed that the factors were can be divided under five headings; intellectual property,…

Beyond collecting traditional circulation statistics, tracking in-house use of library materials is a significant measure of how patrons use our resources. In our pilot project, Lending Services staff members conducted nightly pick-ups of library materials left on tables, in carrels, in study rooms, as well as books cast aside in the stacks areas…

This paper evaluated the level of adoption of aquaculture technology extended to farmers in Imo State, Nigeria. To improve aquaculture practice in Nigeria, a technology package was developed and disseminated to farmers in the state. This package included ten practices that the farmers were supposed to adopt. Eighty-two respondents were randomly…

Students use the Internet for schoolwork in ways that reach far beyond what schools require or support, and they conceive of information literacy in paradigms different from those of adults. Recent surveys by the Pew Internet and American Life Project (Levin and Arafeh 2002) on the role of the Internet in schools suggest that there is a…

This study used classification tree analysis to examine who is and who is not willing to use online employer-provided retirement investment advice. Using data from the Retirement Confidence Survey (Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2004), the study focused on who was more likely to use online retirement investment advice when it was available…

This study provides a clearer portrait of the extent to which practicing history and social studies teachers, who explicitly expressed an interest in the potential of technology and advocate the use of primary sources within their teaching, are using Internet technologies to prepare students to learn to think historically and in turn participate…