The Elements of Information Gathering: A Guide for Technical Communicators, Scientists, and Engineers / Edition 1

by Michel Muraski, Donald E. Zimmerman

Overview

There are many how-to books on scientific and technical writing, and most of them devote a chapter or two to the subject of gathering information. The Elements of Information Gathering is the first to describe in detail the necessary steps in gathering scientific and technical information.Created as a working reference for scientific and technical professionals, as well as a textbook for technical communication courses, the book is organized into four main sections that lead the reader from the basic principles of information gathering to the more sophisticated methods of locating and organizing scientific data.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897748001
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/04/1994
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.54(d)

About the Author

Donald E. Zimmerman, PhD, is professor of technical journalism, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, and coauthor of The Random House Guide to Technical & Scientific Communication.

Michel Lynn Muraski is an instructor of business communication and professional writing at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

[T]his book's readability, breadth of coverage, clear presentation of information, and jargon-free manner make it suitable to journalists, other communication personnel, and undergraduates. Recommended.” —Choice

“[A] wonderful book, comprehensive yet compact, detailed while easy to read. . . . [T]his book has several excellent chapters on using the library. . . . It would be a good review for those in the library field. In addition, the tone of the chapters devoted to libraries is upbeat and respectful. . . . The book flows smoothly between three parts. . . . Librarians who are contemplating research based on this type of approach will find a valuable introduction to the major techniques available. . . . [A]ttractively produced . . . easy to find specific information. . . . It accomplishes this goal with a publication that provides a good overview of the subject without being boring or overly technical. It would be a good addition to many types of libraries, including hospital and academic health sciences libraries.” —Medical Reference Services Quarterly

“A comprehensive overview of effective ways to gather the information needed for various kinds of research. . . . Useful diagrams, tables, and an index are included. The book is recommmended for special and academic libraries.” —Information Technology and Libraries

“[T]he book is easy to read. It is well designed with specific headings, subheadings and bulleted points that give an almost checklist quality to the book. Using this book as a guide, the inquiring mind will find and gather appropriate information, and therein lies the strength of the work.” —The Environmental Professional

“[T]he sturdy techniques described here will get the average college-level researcher well into the master class.” —Insights

“[A] far-ranging and information work. . . . The chapters on ethnography/case studies are very well written and demonstrate the range of approaches available in social research. . . . In terms of the intended audiences - technical communicators, scientists, and engineers - the book will serve as a good introduction survey of alternatives for information gathering. . . . The book can be used most effectively in an introductory social research methods course, a course in technical or professional communications, or a course designed to develop information literacy skills. In such courses, faculty would provide the necessary guidance for students.” —Library & Information Science Research

From the Publisher

Proposing that success hinges on information-gathering skills and on the ability to select appropriate resources, the authors provide a comprehensive guide to information finding and use. The book's three parts cover information sources, interviews and surveys, and advanced research methods. Appendixes address the Internet and provide a sample of database programs. This is a well-organized, wide-ranging guide, enhanced by helpful figures and bibliographic references. Strong in methodology and in source evaluation, it is, however, weak in the use of thesauri. It joins the diverse legion of research handbooks (of which there can never be too many). It will help researchers-primarily but not only in the sciences-to become self-sufficient library users and information handlers. It will also prove useful to library science students and to academic librarians who must publish or perish. Index not seen.-Martin Jamison, Ohio State Univ. Libs., Columbus

Library Journal