INTRODUCTION
Identification of information needs is essential to the design of information systems in general and to the provision of effective information services in particular. The turbulent and changing information environment calls for continual research to ensure that the needs of the information users are satisfactorily met and that the information professionals acquire the required expertise to cope with the operational management of the information resources and plan for the future. To ensure this, there is an urgent need to understand and grasp the complex process of 'identifying information needs', which is a very vital link in the chain of operations from information gathering to dissemination. Further, one might spend a lot of time, effort and money mining the various information sources and gather a great deal of sound information that does not answer the key questions of the users' decision making/ action taking process. Hence before initiating, building and developing any information center/ system, the relevance of information to be gathered must be checked thoroughly, which in turn depends entirely on the 'identification of information needs'.
STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSING INFORMATION NEEDS OF AN ORGANISATION
GETTING PREPARED (INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL)
A very peculiar situation is faced perhaps only by the information professional. He cannot prescribe the needed information to the clientele in the way the other professionals like physicians, lawyers, architects and engineers prescribe, where such prescriptions have a final say and authority, and which are gladly accepted by the clients. The prescription is authoritative mainly because the clients of physicians and other professionals are seeking advice in a field which they themselves are ignorant of, whereas the clients of information professionals are mostly specialists in the areas they seek information and professional advice. This is also the reason for the difficulties experienced by the information professionals in distinguishing the wishes/ desires from the actual needs of the users. Hence the information professional has to prepare himself/ herself in such a way as to create confidence in the users about his/ her professional capabilities.
UNDERSTANDING SUBJECT FIELD OF ORGANISATION
The information professional have to study the subjects (discipline and sub-discipline) of interest to the organization, its core, peripheral and supporting areas. Definition of subject concerned collected from different authoritative sources bringing out the similarities and differences; scope of divisions and subdivision; scope of subject that are tools subjects applicable to the organizational development. It can be achieved with relevant sources as (primary periodicals, abstracting and indexing periodicals, handbooks, directories, review document, databases etc.) institutional and human resources (specialized) and information transfer process among the user of information.it will help the professional because he is now exposed to the technical terminology and structure of the organization’s field.
UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATION AND ITS ENVIROMENT
Having the profile of the organization and its environment is helpful to know the type of organizations, whether it is corporate office, business or industrial enterprise and whether it is a public or private sector, government or non-governmental organizations, profit making and not for profit making. So as to identify the different style of management and decision making processes which have bearing on the information needs. The overall objectives, functions and the factor that affect the function and the factor that affect the function of organization concerned. Therefore organizational charts, the function/activities chart, annual reports, project reports, internal reports and other publications of the organization will be studied. Also the professional can attend the organizational special training courses/orientations programs usually organized for the benefits of new employees/management trainees by organizations.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER (STAFFS, CUSTOMERS etc.) SPECIFIC ENVIROMENT
Study of the immediate environment of user is necessary to delineate the category of users (supervisor and above) whose information needs are to be known through careful acquaintance with the department/ unit of individual user before conducting any actual interview with the user for identifying his needs.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER (STAFFS, CUSTOMERS etc.)
Emphasis should be placed on the basic needs of the individual’s person rather than merely an enquiry. Attempting to perceive the user’s problem as holistic as possible by studying different sources of information services being used by users. This study is to bring out the relevance of different types of sources/ services, the frequency of use, availability, accessibility of sources/services, preference/ priority assigned it can be achieved through a modeled questionnaire.
FORMAL INTERVIEW WITH THE USER
At this stage the information professional is in position to draw up relevant questions to be asked, the clarification to be sought and such other points for discussion with each individual user.
CONTINOUS REFINEMENT AND UPDATING INFORMATION NEEDS
After data is collected it necessary to analyzed, evaluate and deduce from alternative responds to finally identify the information needs and proffer necessary measure to be taken. Also members of the organization can invited in a periodical small groups to ascertain the information service provided there problems and encourage to make necessary suggestions on providing solutions.
CONCLUSION
Diagnosing information needs of an organization is indeed tedious, time consuming and involve commitment, skill, creativity from the information professional but when achieved it will go a long way
in fostering organizational services and the above framework can enable an informational professional achieve his diagnosis processes.
REFERENCE
DEVADASON, F.J. and PANDALA, Pratap Lingam. A methodology for the identification of information needs of users. IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) Journal. Vol 23(1997); No. 1; pp. 41 - 51.
Identification of information needs is essential to the design of information systems in general and to the provision of effective information services in particular. The turbulent and changing information environment calls for continual research to ensure that the needs of the information users are satisfactorily met and that the information professionals acquire the required expertise to cope with the operational management of the information resources and plan for the future. To ensure this, there is an urgent need to understand and grasp the complex process of 'identifying information needs', which is a very vital link in the chain of operations from information gathering to dissemination. Further, one might spend a lot of time, effort and money mining the various information sources and gather a great deal of sound information that does not answer the key questions of the users' decision making/ action taking process. Hence before initiating, building and developing any information center/ system, the relevance of information to be gathered must be checked thoroughly, which in turn depends entirely on the 'identification of information needs'.
STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSING INFORMATION NEEDS OF AN ORGANISATION
GETTING PREPARED (INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL)
A very peculiar situation is faced perhaps only by the information professional. He cannot prescribe the needed information to the clientele in the way the other professionals like physicians, lawyers, architects and engineers prescribe, where such prescriptions have a final say and authority, and which are gladly accepted by the clients. The prescription is authoritative mainly because the clients of physicians and other professionals are seeking advice in a field which they themselves are ignorant of, whereas the clients of information professionals are mostly specialists in the areas they seek information and professional advice. This is also the reason for the difficulties experienced by the information professionals in distinguishing the wishes/ desires from the actual needs of the users. Hence the information professional has to prepare himself/ herself in such a way as to create confidence in the users about his/ her professional capabilities.
UNDERSTANDING SUBJECT FIELD OF ORGANISATION
The information professional have to study the subjects (discipline and sub-discipline) of interest to the organization, its core, peripheral and supporting areas. Definition of subject concerned collected from different authoritative sources bringing out the similarities and differences; scope of divisions and subdivision; scope of subject that are tools subjects applicable to the organizational development. It can be achieved with relevant sources as (primary periodicals, abstracting and indexing periodicals, handbooks, directories, review document, databases etc.) institutional and human resources (specialized) and information transfer process among the user of information.it will help the professional because he is now exposed to the technical terminology and structure of the organization’s field.
UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATION AND ITS ENVIROMENT
Having the profile of the organization and its environment is helpful to know the type of organizations, whether it is corporate office, business or industrial enterprise and whether it is a public or private sector, government or non-governmental organizations, profit making and not for profit making. So as to identify the different style of management and decision making processes which have bearing on the information needs. The overall objectives, functions and the factor that affect the function and the factor that affect the function of organization concerned. Therefore organizational charts, the function/activities chart, annual reports, project reports, internal reports and other publications of the organization will be studied. Also the professional can attend the organizational special training courses/orientations programs usually organized for the benefits of new employees/management trainees by organizations.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER (STAFFS, CUSTOMERS etc.) SPECIFIC ENVIROMENT
Study of the immediate environment of user is necessary to delineate the category of users (supervisor and above) whose information needs are to be known through careful acquaintance with the department/ unit of individual user before conducting any actual interview with the user for identifying his needs.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER (STAFFS, CUSTOMERS etc.)
Emphasis should be placed on the basic needs of the individual’s person rather than merely an enquiry. Attempting to perceive the user’s problem as holistic as possible by studying different sources of information services being used by users. This study is to bring out the relevance of different types of sources/ services, the frequency of use, availability, accessibility of sources/services, preference/ priority assigned it can be achieved through a modeled questionnaire.
FORMAL INTERVIEW WITH THE USER
At this stage the information professional is in position to draw up relevant questions to be asked, the clarification to be sought and such other points for discussion with each individual user.
CONTINOUS REFINEMENT AND UPDATING INFORMATION NEEDS
After data is collected it necessary to analyzed, evaluate and deduce from alternative responds to finally identify the information needs and proffer necessary measure to be taken. Also members of the organization can invited in a periodical small groups to ascertain the information service provided there problems and encourage to make necessary suggestions on providing solutions.
CONCLUSION
Diagnosing information needs of an organization is indeed tedious, time consuming and involve commitment, skill, creativity from the information professional but when achieved it will go a long way
in fostering organizational services and the above framework can enable an informational professional achieve his diagnosis processes.
REFERENCE
DEVADASON, F.J. and PANDALA, Pratap Lingam. A methodology for the identification of information needs of users. IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) Journal. Vol 23(1997); No. 1; pp. 41 - 51.
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