Modeling the Information Behaviour of Software Engineers Using a Work-Task Framework

Faced with the rapid proliferation of digital information resources within organizations, employees need targeted search systems in order to be effective in their jobs. The goal of this study is to develop a model of information behaviour within a work-task framework that can be used to inform the design of a workplace information search system. In a two-phase process, we conducted a series of studies using multiple methods to identify workplace characteristics and to understand how they influence the needs, search strategies, and information sources used by software engineers working as services consultants in a large high-tech company.