Information seeking behaviors of music students

Abstract

Purpose -This paper seeks to explore how and via what tools music students are identifying, locating, and accessing music materials -specifically scores and recordings -for use in their music studies. It also aims to examine similarities and differences in the information seeking behavior of students in various music sub-disciplines and students at different points in their academic tenure. Design/methodology/approach -The study employed survey and focus groups methodologies. Findings -It was found that students use myriad library and non-library tools to discover and access scores and recordings. It identified the frequency and specificity with which students seek scores and recordings. There are more similarities between performers and music educators than musicologists or other areas, and graduate and upperclass students have different behaviors than underclass students, who are more likely to use library resources. This study also identified some of the reasons students become frustrated in searching for music materials and from where they seek help.Research limitations/implications -The response rate to this survey was only 11 percent and surveys are not the best indicator of actual behavior. While the use of focus groups did offset this to a degree, a more widespread survey and user studies would be merited to understand any wider patters of music student behaviors. Practical implications -With the findings from this study libraries serving music students can tailor their instruction and marketing efforts. They can also focus their collections and resources appropriately for the various types of patrons served by their library. Originality/value -Little previous research has been done on the general information seeking behaviors of music students. Other work has focused on music faculty, specific sub-disciplines in music, or on issues specific to finding music in library catalogs.

“YouTube Has Changed Everything”? Music Faculty, Librarians, and Their Use and Perceptions of YouTube

“…The complexities involved in describing musical works in library catalogs also make searching for music in any form challenging to users. 10 Newer formats also present challenges for libraries. Ongoing access to online digital media poses concerns related to file format migration and delivery over time.…”

Theoretical and Applied Issues on the Impact of Information on Musical Creativity

“…Today, music information not only constitutes every musician's matter but also every musician has the opportunity to access a wide range of music information including both national and international resources that are available in print or digital format. Accordingly, many of those engaged with music information have adjusted their information seeking behavior in order to incorporate electronic or digital tools and information resources (Laplante & Downie, 2006;Dougan, 2012;Lavranos, Kostagiolas, & Papadatos, 2015c). Research further suggests that the rapid progress in the information and communication technology applications in the past few years has affected significantly musicians' information seeking behavior (Liem, Müller, Eck, Tzanetakis, & Hanjalic, 2011;Liem et al, 2012), a change which requires the development of effective information retrieval skills and techniques on different music online information retrieval systems (Lavranos et al, 2015c).…”

Information behaviour of humanities PhDs on an information literacy course

“…Other studies have referred to the wide variety of source material and the often complex nature of humanities research, for example Toms and O'Brien (2008), Puckett (2010), Rimmer et al (2008), Barrett (2005). An examination of subject-specific studies reveals the diversity of information practices across the humanities, for example music research was examined by Dougan (2012) and Brown (2002), information practices in art history by Larkin (2010) and Beaudoin (2005), and the research of historians by Tibbo (2003) and Rhee (2012). Although Catalano's (2013) review study could not find agreement on consistent information behaviours among humanities researchers, Barrett (2005) has suggested that humanities graduate students do share common approaches to research and 'tend to initiate research projects in haphazard, serendipitous ways ' (p. 330).…”