To retrieve the past : a study of archaeologists and their information behaviour

The thesis of this work has been to investigate the information behaviour of archaeologists. Interviews were made, between March-September 2002, with ten archaeologists, employed in one Swedish organisation, conducting rescue archaeology. The archaeologists were all experienced in working positions as project leaders. Our thesis could be expressed in following questions: - Which sources of information did the archaeologists use in their work? - Which external and internal factors had influence on the information behaviour? The results of this study have been analysed within a theoretical framework of T.D Wilson, Lars Seldén, Lars Höglund and Olle Persson, among others. The results of two user studies of physicians and psychologists have also been of great value. Our results show that the archaeologists were using a great number of sources in their everyday work. Characteristical for the examined group was the continuous use of non-word oriented information sources such as pre-historical artefacts and finds. Laborative analysis, drawings, pictures and maps were also used along with the use of oral and written sources. Socially oriented information seeking was of great importance and was supported by the season and specialist character of the work. We found that the academical background had impact on their information behaviour as archaeologists. All together our interview material implied a difference in organisational as well as informational culture between the university archaeology and rescue archaeology. Eight of ten archaeologists were involved in academic research. The academic legacy had great impact on their everyday work as archaeologists and their information behaviour.Uppsatsnivå: