Information practices of disaster preparedness professionals in multidisciplinary groups

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This article summarizes the results of a descriptive qualitative study addressing the question, what are the information practices of the various professionals involved in disaster preparedness? We present key results, but focus on issues of choice and adaptation of models and theories for the study. METHODS: Primary and secondary literature on theory and models of information behavior were consulted. Taylor's Information Use Environments (IUE) model, Institutional Theory, and Dervin's SenseMaking metatheory were used in the design of an openended interview schedule. Twelve individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with disaster professionals drawn from the Pennsylvania Preparedness Leadership Institute (PPLI) scholars.Taylor's Information Use Environments (IUE) model served as a preliminary coding framework for the transcribed interviews. RESULTS: Disaster professionals varied in their use of libraries, peerreviewed literature, and information management techniques, but many practices were similar across professions, including heavy Internet and email use, satisficing, and preference for sources that are socially and physically accessible. CONCLUSIONS: The IUE model provided an excellent foundation for the coding scheme, but required modification to place the workplace in the larger social context of the current information society. It is not possible to confidently attribute all work-related information practices to professional culture. Differences in information practice observed may arise from professional training and organizational environment, while many similarities observed seem to arise from everyday information practices common to non-work settings.

The information environment and information behaviour of the Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) in the context of safety and emergency response: An exploratory study

“…Filtering is much more difficult in an emergency [11] and the phenomenon of acceleration of information processing [49] that takes place during an emergency can result in a greater tendency to satisfice [48], which can result in the use of incomplete information and therefore have significant consequences in terms of maintaining safe operations during an emergency. Therefore at times when the consequences of poor or incorrect information are at their greatest, there is the greatest likelihood that individuals will be less likely to use the best approaches to its acquisition and use.…”

“…Such systems facilitate the development of situational awareness; however, there are issues surrounding the use of systems for this purpose, with Endsley [46: 4] suggesting ‘the problem with today’s systems is not a lack of information, but finding what is needed when it is needed’, a problem that is well known to the LIS community and one that is considered by Saracevic and Wood [47] in the theory of information consolidation. Equally the problem of satisficing has been reported [48], when the effectiveness of such systems is undermined by time constraints, leading to the use of information that is incomplete. Similarly the issue of information filtering plays a role in the offshore environment, especially during an emergency response situation.…”

Seeking information in circles: The application of Chatman’s life in the round theory to the information small world of Catholic clergy in northern Nigeria

“…Following Chatman, other information scientists have tried to explore the small world of various groups or populations [9][10][11]. According to Pettigrew, Fidel, and Bruce, Chatman's conceptual frameworks are emerging as contributing frameworks for information behavior research, and "it is expected that her frameworks will be tested widely in a variety of settings" [12, p. 57].…”

Information seeking, use, and decision making

“…We do this by focusing on a context where tasks are dynamic, complex, uncertain, and time pressured: the initial stages of emergency response to major incidents or disasters. This provides an environment for study where individuals are involved in particularly information‐intensive activities (Folb, Detlefsen, Quinn, Barron, & Trauth, ) and is also one in which fully understanding information behavior has proved to be an intractable problem.…”