Hi,
A comment/question on mediated/facilitated searching.
Bearing in mind the relatively recent emphasis on problem based learning in
medical higher education it is safe to assume a lack of information skills
among end users. Several studies have shown that undergraduates, in
general, leave University poorly equipped with information retrieval skills
and make little use of electronic sources. There therefore seems ample
scope for 'mediated searching' or 'facilitated searching'.
However the end user needs to see a need for these skills and appreciate
that they may not have these skills and value systematic use of information,
which may not be the case. Furthermore due to various pressures
intermediaries may not be able to offer either mediated or facilitated
searching.
What is required is more training of end users in information skills (either
as students, as an integral part of their courses, or later in the work
place) - rather than mediated/facilitated searching!?
Presumably this is what is taking place?
Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: "Frank Norman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: Definition required 'Mediated search' etc.
> I'd agree with Reinhard's view:
> > in my book A is a 'facilitated search' and B is a 'mediated search'.
>
> In a research environment such as ours all staff have easy access to
> networked bibliographic databases and use them very frequently to
> answer all kinds of enquiry. Sure, they have their place but even in
> the old days time-based charges if a user was really concerned about
> their search then I would ask them to sit in on it and help to guide
> the search based on what results we got.
>
> Actually I think even the concept of "a search" can be questioned.
> Checking for someone's address or checking details of a reference are
> quite different operations from retrieving everything ever published
> on topic X. Mediated searches have become much less common here.
>
> One factor weighing against the mediated search is that users cannot
> follow links from one record to another "related record", or to
> fulltext or data sources. With today's rich web interfaces I think
> the ability to follow related links is as important as getting the
> right search [Discuss!]. (I'm thinking of systems such as PubMed and
> Web of Knowledge here).
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Rowena Perry [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: 29 October 2003 09:35
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Definition required
> >
> > What do people understand by the term 'mediated literature search', is
it:
> >
> > A - where you sit down next to the person and do the search together
> > (so they end up having done the search but hopefully next time able to
> > do it for themselves)
> > B - where you take the details of the search they require then do it
> > yourself and send them the results (possibly contacting them again if
> > clarification is required)
>
> Frank Norman, Librarian. National Institute for Medical Research
> The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
> tel 020 8816 2227 fax 020 8816 2230 email [log in to unmask]
>
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