Abstract

TABOSA, Hamilton Rodrigues; PINTO, Virgínia Bentes  and  LOUREIRO, José Mauro Matheus. Analysis of methodological regularity in Brazilian research on information user behaviors. Investig. bibl [online]. 2016, vol.30, n.70, pp.249-267. ISSN 2448-8321.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibbai.2016.10.011.

This paper examines the contributions of Brazilian researchers in the field of information use and users, through an analysis of methodologies employed in twenty‐two research paper and four theses published in the last decade, while also examining their results. By identifying the frequency of the methodological approaches employed, we attempt to find evidence of methodological standardization in the field of Information Science (IS) research. Moreover, by gathering the results of these surveys, our aim is to facilitate the methodological and theoretical construction of IS. This paper introduces the concept of methodology and methodological aspects of the construction of Information Science as a social science. Results indicate consistency in methodological choices of the sample works and regularities in the adoption of methods and techniques habitually employed in the social sciences, such as the preference for qualitative research, use of interviews, questionnaires and case studies. Moreover, the research finds regularities in certain conclusions regarding the thesis regarding search behavior and use of information.

Keywords : Information Science - methodology; Information Science - research; Seeking behaviors and use of information; Study users.