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A “Social” Approach to Social Science Information

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Abstract

Rush implies that when a social scientist has an information problem, he keeps it to himself. This is, indeed, what tends to happen. Unlike other scientists, social science researchers make relatively little use of secondary bibliographical tools such as abstracts, indexes, and their computerized equivalents. They also make little use of the people who are responsible for organizing these sources, namely, librarians. Instead, they try their own methods of problem solving, which are not always effective. It is inevitable that with such an individualistic and often haphazard approach to information seeking there is much waste of effort and resources.

“It is sometimes suggested that the social sciences are not scientific enough; as far as information is concerned, they do not appear to be social enough.” (Rush, 1974)

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References

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© 1983 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague, Boston, London

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Adam, R. (1983). A “Social” Approach to Social Science Information. In: Debons, A., Larson, A.G. (eds) Information Science in Action: System Design. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3479-5_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3479-5_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8057-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3479-5

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