Straddling the humanities and social sciences: The research process of music scholars

Brown, Christine

doi:10.1016/s0740-8188(01)00105-0

Cited by 62 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…We note that music information seeking in this everyday-life context is a topic different from the information seeking of music students (e.g., Dougan, 2012), musicians (e.g., Kostagiolas et al, 2015), and music scholars (e.g., Brown, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Music questions in social Q&A: an analysis of Yahoo! Answers

Hertzum

Borlund

2017

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Purpose -Social question and answer (social Q&A) sites have become a popular tool for obtaining music information. This paper investigates what users ask about, what experience the questions convey, and how users specify their questions.Design/methodology/approach -A total of 3897 music questions from the social Q&A site Yahoo! Answers were categorized according to their question type, user experience, and question specification.Findings -The music questions were diverse with (dis)approval (42%), factual (21%), and advice (15%) questions as the most frequent types. Advice questions were the longest and roughly twice as long as (dis)approval and factual questions. The user experience associated with the questions was most often pragmatic (24%) or senso-emotional (12%). Pragmatic questions were typically about the user's own performance of music, while senso-emotional questions were about finding music for listening. Notably, half of the questions did not convey information about the user experience but the absence of such information did not reduce the number of answers. In specifying the questions, the most frequent information was about the music context and the user context. Research limitations/implications-This study suggests a division of labor between social Q&A sites and search engines for music information retrieval. It should be noted that the study is restricted to one social Q&A site.Originality/value -Social Q&A sites provide an opportunity for studying what information real users seek about music and what information they specify to retrieve it, thereby elucidating the role of social Q&A in music information seeking.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Music questions in social Q&A: an analysis of Yahoo! Answers

Hertzum

Borlund

2017

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“…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).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information behaviour of humanities PhDs on an information literacy course

Madden

2014

Reference Services Review

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Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine whether an information literacy course/module is an appropriate intervention during the initial months of a humanities PhD, and if there is more that can be learned from the course participants that might provide a better understanding of their information behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was distributed to new humanities PhD students prior to their attending the course. A second questionnaire was distributed to those who had completed the course in full. Interviews were conducted with six participants to gain a richer understanding of how their information-seeking needs had evolved. Findings – Despite the relatively generic nature of the module, and the diversity of humanities research, the course had clear benefits for the participants. In their first year, scoping their topic and finding quality information can pose a challenge. The participants reported that the most appropriate time to attend the course is during the initial months. Some preferred to attend (or repeat) particular units later as workshops. The most valued elements were those that helped them bridge initial gaps. Face-to-face delivery is preferred. There is some potential for further one-to-one contact with librarians and additional follow-up workshops. Practical implications – This study can inform how librarians can better support PhD researchers in the humanities. Originality/value – The study is based around an established and accredited humanities PhD course that has already been adapted in various ways in terms of content and timing of delivery. Drawing on Kuhlthau's "Information Search Process", the study seeks a deeper understanding of a specific humanities group during the initial months of their PhD research

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“…Studies of music scholars' information seeking have shown that their work is based on a dialogue of different information types, such as music per se, notations and literature (Brown, 2002). However, the information notions used in these studies confine to textual information and they do not attempt to examine the interpretations of other information types.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When applied to empirical research, this typology produces new kinds of user behaviour F o r P e e r R e v i e w data, for which there is a demand in the fields related to music information-seeking behaviour (see e.g. Brown, 2001;2002;Lee and Downie, 2004;Hunter, 2006;Liew and Siong, 2006;Casey et al, 2008;Laplante, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A typology of music information for studies on information seeking

Rousi

Savolainen

Vakkari

2016

Journal of Documentation

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Purpose – A need to renew music-related information notions arises from both information-seeking models and literature of musical semiotics. The purpose of this paper is to create a music information typology, which aims at facilitating the examination of music information types at varying levels of abstraction in the context of information seeking. Design/methodology/approach – Literature of musical semiotics and information seeking are juxtaposed to develop a novel approach to music-related information. The grounding concepts are Bruner’s enactive, iconic and symbolic modes of representation. The modes of representation offer a universal scheme of knowledge that is applied to the domain of music by defining their content through Tarasti’s Theory of Musical Semiotics. Findings – This conceptual paper results in a music information typology ranging from the enactive music information representations to the abstract ones as follows. Music making as the first mode of enactive representations; music listening as the second mode of enactive representations; iconic representations of music; technological models of music as the first mode of symbolic representations; and ideological models of music as the second mode of symbolic representations. Originality/value – The present paper develops a music information typology that encompasses broadly different music information facets by categorizing music information sources according to their level of abstraction. When applied into empirical research, the typology opens a new window into the perceived roles of music information types in the context of information seeking.

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Straddling the humanities and social sciences: The research process of music scholars

Cited by 62 publications

References 18 publications

Music questions in social Q&A: an analysis of Yahoo! Answers

Music questions in social Q&A: an analysis of Yahoo! Answers

Information behaviour of humanities PhDs on an information literacy course

A typology of music information for studies on information seeking

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