Information-seeking research in schools: opportunities and pitfalls

Much of the research conducted into young people's information seeking has taken place in schools. These organisations afford access to hundreds of diverse youngsters. They are accessible, and pupils are effectively pre-classified for the researcher. Factors within a school that may affect information-seeking behaviour can be explored. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to secure all appropriate permissions for the work. The timing of data collection can be problematic and the pupil population may not include all groups of interest. The investigator must also decide on the method(s) used for collecting data from the youngsters. Several lend themselves to developing an understanding of how far the individuals under scrutiny use particular sources, systems or organisations. Others are more effective for exploring the strategies inquirers employ when exploiting materials. The investigator must select the method that appears best equipped to deliver a satisfactory answer to the research question.