INFORMATION FOCUS AND DATA SOURCES When Will They Lead to Use?

Information utilization was examined among 90 social service decision makers. Results indicated that propensity to use a particular type of information is relatively independent of the propensity to use a particular source from which the information is obtained. Moreover, the information type used by a decision maker is predicted in part by the type of decision needing to be made. In contrast, use of a particular source is related to the decision maker’s role. Suggestions for evaluators concerned with utilization of their information as well as for researchers developing theories of information use are offered. As information generators, social scientists have devoted con-~ siderable energy to the study of information utilization. We have learned from these studies that related to use are characteristics of the information such as timeliness and quality, characteristics of the user such as educational level, bureaucratic role or organizational context of the user such as timing of the decision and political AUTHOR’S NOTE: I would like to express appreciation to Mary Ellen Blevins Stepanich for important work on the content analysis and earlier drafts of the article. Thanks also to Reg Carter, Bob Boruch, Bob Rich, Nick Mullins, Bruce Spencer, and the anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier drafts. Finally, Anita Schroeder’s valuable assistance throughout data collection is acknowledged. These data were collected under OHD