7.0. SELECTIVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION
7.1. INTRODUCTION
A procedure for supplying each user or group of users with documents relating to their centers of interest selected from among the description of documents received during the period in question.
Selective dissemination of information is a highly refined and personalized form of current awareness service where the information professional identifies a selected user group and supplies them with selected information or information materials relating to their areas of interest. The system assumes that the information manager knows and fully understand users information requirements needs or demands and the latter has full confidence in the information manager to the extent that he is able to delegate information searching to him.
7.2. ELEMENTS OF SDI SYSTEM
• Selecting and acquiring documents for input
• Indexing of the incoming documents
• User identification and selection
• Interest of users, profile design(user profile designing)
• Matching of documents against the profile
• Production of the output (Abstract, full text, citation etc)
• Transmission of the output.
• Evaluation.
7.3. PROCESS OF DESIGNING USER INTEREST PROFILE
1. Identifying the user(s)
2. Conceptualize the needs and demand for an SDI
3. Explain to the user(s) what SDI and what its significance is.
4. Request the user(s) to present his or her subject interest(s) in as specific terms as possible.
5. Match the subject interest(s) against the vocabulary used in indexing the information source.
6. Communicate the reformulated profiles to the user.
7. Store the profile.
8. Evaluate the profile store regularly to enable one continuously update the profile.
NB? In designing a person’s profile, it is important to consider the professional aspects as well as job related information needs.
7.4. ADVANTAGES OF SDI
1. It is time saving in that only a small selected file has to be searched
2. Once planned properly it is less expensive to Implement than the on demand searchers
3. It tends to exclude backing information that might overload the current file.
4. The matching of index terms can be done without thorough searching.
5. High quality service is provided to the selected group because of the specialized attention.
6. It provides better knowledge of the information requirements of the clients.
7.5. FACTORS TO CONSIDER ON WHETHER TO ADOPT A MANUAL OR A MECHANIZED SDI OR COMPUTERIZED
Number of users served
Availability of computerized system within the organization
The amount and complexity of literature being handled
Cost of implementation
Manpower
Development time.
NB/ Methods of obtaining information for user profile form remains as the any other date collection methods like interviews, telephone contacts, email, questionnaires and others.
Revision Exercise 7
1. Discuss the meaning of selective dissemination of information
2. Discuss the major elements of SDI
3. Discuss the role of computers in the SDI process.