Nordic Research School in Library and Information Science

Information access in context

Purpose of the course:
Actors’ context influences significantly on their ways of interacting with information and information systems. Tasks performed by actors are main factors shaping their information needs, search goals and actions and the use of the information found. Tasks of human actors vary from work tasks to leisure time activities. Also organizational factors like provision of access mechanisms or information resources may influence on how actors interact with information.

The course focuses on how various contextual factors, tasks in particular, are associated with human information behavior (information needs, searching and use) and how information behavior in task performance can be supported by creating tools for information access and use. These tools range from supporting articulation of information needs via improving retrieval methods and results to enhancing use of information in documents found.

The course consists of senior researchers’ lectures and doctoral students’ reports on their research work for feed back. The students are required to acquaint themselves of literature in the reading list provided.

Main responsible person:
Professor Pertti Vakkari (University of Tampere, Finland) (Pertti.Vakkari@uta.fi) (http://www.info.uta.fi/vakkari/vakkari.html)

Lecturers:
Professor Ann Blandford (University College London, UK) (A.Blandford@ucl.ac.uk) (http://www.uclic.ucl.ac.uk/people/a.blandford/)

Academy Professor Kalervo Järvelin (University of Tampere, Finland) (Kalervo.Jarvelin@uta.fi) (http://www.uta.fi/~likaja/)

Associate Professor Elaine Toms (Dalhousie University, Canada)
(etoms@dal.ca) (http://informatics.management.dal.ca/people.htm)

Time:
2006, May 8 – May 12

Location:
University of Tampere, Department of Information Studies, Finland. Street Address Kanslerinrinne 1A 4th floor. +358 3551 111, http://www.info.uta.fi/

The course will take place at University of Tampere, Pinni B-building, lecture hall B3111 (3rd floor).

Accomodation:
Hotel Iltatähti
http://www.hoteliltatahti.fi/

Rooms at the local youth hostel will be reserved for participants.

Application deadline:
2006, March 1

The applicants will be informed about the decision by March 10 by email.

Credits:
NORSLIS recommends 5 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) for our research courses.
Note: Final credits are decided by the person in charge of the local Ph.D. program.

How to apply:
Research students are required to submit an extended abstract (approx. 2000 words) of their PhD research topic, including research questions and the methodological issues of the research project. The application should also include a brief CV. This information will be used for selection purposes.

The application should be electronically submitted by March 1, 2006 in either Word or RTF-format to Pertti Vakkari (Pertti.Vakkari@uta.fi).The application must contain the following information:

Name of course/workshop:
Last name:
First name:
Birth date:
Male/female:
E-mail address:
Estimated travel costs:
Name of supervisor:
Supervisor's e-mail address:

Participation is primarily reserved for Ph.D. students registred at one of the 15 NORSLIS departments. Provided that there is room for more participants, Ph.D. students from outside the NORSLIS departments, as well as researchers and lecturers at the NORSLIS departments, may participate. However, travel and accommodation costs cannot be financed by NORSLIS for these two groups.

Reimbursement of travel and accomodation costs

Link to the program of the course/workshop