User-Librarian Negotiations and Information Search Procedures in Public Libraries: Analysis of Verbal Protocols. Final Research Report.

This study of negotiation processes between users and librarians in typical reference situations describes association patterns and search procedures in the information transfer process in terms of theoretical approaches, design, analysis, and findings. The thinking-aloud technique of cognitive psychology was adopted to the project, which involved exploratory recordings of communication and information searching, training 20 librarians and seven users in the technique, recording search processes of 13 librarians, and recording the communication and search procedures between three librarians and five users. Transcribing the recordings into protocols (text) included noting pauses, behavioral remarks, and materials used. Microanalysis of the protocols identified the relations between activities, thought processes, and information perceived by the subject during the problem solving process, while macroanalysis identified general problems in the search. Findings identify three basic mental attitudes which determine the nature of searches: open, fixed, and semi-fixed. Influence of knowledge structures on question negotiation processes and implications of the findings are also discussed. Eleven figures, four tables, and 67 sources are provided. (RBF)