European information users: Topics from a comparative analysis within the European Union

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present some results from research undertaken into the information behaviour of European Documentation Centre (EDC) users. It will reflect on the practices of a group of 234 users of 55 EDCs covering 21 Member States of the European Union (EU), used to access European information.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to collect the data presented here, five questionnaires were sent to users in all the EDCs in Finland, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal. In the remaining EU countries, five questionnaires were sent to two EDCs chosen at random. The questionnaires were sent by post, following telephone contact with the EDC managers.

Findings

Factors determining access to information on the European Union and the frequency of this access are identified. The information providers most commonly used to access European information and the information sources considered the most reliable by respondents were also analysed. Another area of analysis concerns the factors cited by respondents as facilitating access to information on Europe or, conversely, making it more difficult to access. Parallel with this, the aspects of accessing information on EU that are valued most by users will also be assessed.

Research limitations/implications

Questionnaires had to be used, as the intention was to cover a very extensive geographical area. However, in opting for closed questions, it is acknowledged that standard responses have been obtained with no scope for capturing the individual circumstances of each respondent, thus making a qualitative approach difficult.

Originality/value

This is the first piece of academic research into the EDCs and their users, which aimed to cover all Member States of the EU.

Citation

Lúcia Terra, A. (2010), "European information users: Topics from a comparative analysis within the European Union", New Library World, Vol. 111 No. 5/6, pp. 189-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074801011044061