The Information Needs and Seeking Habits of Lawyers in England: A Pilot Study

Abstract

A B ST R AC TThis article investigates the information needs and seeking habits of lawyers in England in the United Kingdom. Speci¢cally, it seeks to ascertain the type of information lawyers require to meet their needs; the reasons prompting them to seek information; to establish from where lawyers obtain information; and to determine the factors that in£uence their information needs and seeking habits. This study was carried out as part of a wider research project for a doctorate programme. Data collection was carried out by semi-structured interviews. The participants comprised lawyers, essentially solicitors, in London and the Midlands.It was found that lawyers' information needs are greatly in£uenced by the nature of the work they do. It was noted that experience has a considerable in£uence on their needs: it is generally assumed that experienced lawyers do not require as much information support as newly quali¢ed lawyers.The lawyers'needs for information in turn in£uences their information seeking habits. It was noted that the card catalogue as an information retrieval tool is fast disappearing from law libraries in the UK. Its ultimate future is likely to be determined by the needs of small ¢rms which are presently unable to a¡ord automated systems.The study con¢rms the validity of the ¢ndings of earlier studies conducted in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. It appears that very little has changed since these studies were published. The legal profession continues to rely heavily on printed media. Electronic media is used only as a last resort. Practising lawyers continue to rely on their junior colleagues for legal research. Many are apathetic to legal research. Despite the fact that law is a dynamic subject, the legal discipline remains a conservative profession.

Information Sources Used by Nigerian Lawyers for Task-Related Activities

“…Devadson and Lingman (1997) also opined that identification of needs and seeking behaviour is necessary for the provision of effective information services. Otike (1999) conducted a study on the information needs and seeking behaviour of lawyers in England with the aim of determining the sources of information they used in meeting their needs, and the factors that influenced their information-seeking behaviour. The findings indicated that the lawyers' information needs were greatly influenced by the kinds of jobs they do.…”

Working Experience and Field of Specialisation as Determinant Factors of Engineers’ Utilisation of Information Resources in Libaries of Petroleum Industries in South- South, Nigeria

“…Adefolaju, (1989) modestly compares the knowledge he had gained as principal for seven years with the grasp of the requirements of the job which he had as a newly appointed principal, and concluded that the difference was too much to be imagined. Otike (1999) investigated the information needs and seeking behavior of engineers he posited that engineers and experienced ones do not require much information for enhancement as the younger and newly qualified ones.…”

Information Behavior in Researchers at the Institute of Political Studies of the University of Antioquia

“…Within these studies is (Otike, 1999) in which he summarizes the major work done on the information needs of lawyers in England and their information browsing habits. The findings of this research showed that the information needs of lawyers are strongly influenced by the nature of their work, where experience is invaluable and influence in their needs, depending largely from printed sources and electronic resources were less used.…”