Construction Research Congress 2020
A Methodology for Analyzing Information Needs in Construction
Publication: Construction Research Congress 2020: Safety, Workforce, and Education
ABSTRACT
There is a dearth of research on information needs in construction, though they are the basis for developing information systems. This study aims to develop a methodology for analyzing information needs in construction. The proposed methodology consists of three steps: 1) firstly, activity theory is employed to help define the context in which information needs arise; 2) secondly, interview is employed to identify information needs in each activity; and 3) finally, the identified information needs are analyzed and structured. A case study was conducted to illustrate the application of this methodology. The proposed methodology provides a practical approach for information system developers to identify and analyze information needs in construction.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This paper is funded by the Social Science Planning Project of Chongqing (Grant No. 2018ZD04) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51778553).
REFERENCES
Afzal, W. (2017). "Conceptualisation and measurement of information needs: A literature review." Journal of the Australian Library Information Association, 66(2), 116-138.
Chen, Y., and Kamara, J. M. (2011). "A framework for using mobile computing for information management on construction sites." Automation in Construction, 20(7), 776-788.
Davis, A. M., Tubío, Ó. D., Hickey, A. M., Juzgado, N. J., and Moreno, A. M. (2006). "Effectiveness of requirements elicitation techniques: Empirical results derived from a systematic review." Paper presented at the IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference.
Dervin, B., Jacobson, T. L., and Nilan, M. S. (1982). "Measuring aspects of information seeking: A test of a quantitative/qualitative methodology." Annals of the International Communication Association, 6(1), 419-444.
Duque, R., Noguera, M., Bravo, C., Garrido, J. L., and Rodriguez, M. L. (2009). "Construction of interaction observation systems for collaboration analysis in groupware applications." Advances in Engineering Software, 40(12), 1242-1250.
El-Gohary, N. M., and El-Diraby, T. E. (2010). "Dynamic knowledge-based process integration portal for collaborative construction." Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(3), 316-328.
El-Saboni, M., Aouad, G., and Sabouni, A. (2009). "Electronic communication systems effects on the success of construction projects in united arab emirates." Advanced Engineering Informatics, 23(1), 130-138.
Engeström, Y. (1999). "Activity theory and individual and social transformation." Perspectives on Activity Theory, 19-38.
Kofod-Petersen, A., and Cassens, J. (2006). Using activity theory to model context awareness. In: Roth-berghofer, t.R., schulz, s., leake, d.B. (eds) modeling and retrieval of context. Mrc 2005.(Vol. 3946). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
Mursu, A., Soriyan, A., and and Korpela, M. (2003). "Ict for development: Sustainable systems for local needs." Paper presented at the IFIP TC8 & TC9/WG8.2 & WG9.4 Joint Working Conference on Information Systems Perspectives and Challenges in the Context of Globalization, Athens University of Economics and Business, Athens.
Rezgui, Y., Hopfe, C. J., and Vorakulpipat, C. (2010). "Generations of knowledge management in the architecture, engineering and construction industry: An evolutionary perspective." Advanced Engineering Informatics, 24(2), 219-228.
Ryoo, B. Y., Skibniewski, M. J., and Kwak, Y. H. (2010). "Web-based construction project specification system." Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 24(2), 212-221.
Shahid, S., and Froese, T. (1998). "Project management information control systems." Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 25(4), 735-754.
Taylor, R. S. (1962). "The process of asking questions." Journal of the Association for Information Science Technology, 13(4), 391-396.
Wilson, T. D. (1981). "On user studies and information needs." Journal of documentation, 37(1), 3-15.
Wilson, T. D. (1997). "Information behaviour: An interdisciplinary perspective." Information processing management, 33(4), 551-572.
Wilson, T. D. (1999). "Exploring models of information behaviour: The ‘uncertainty’project." Information processing management, 35(6), 839-849.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Construction Research Congress 2020: Safety, Workforce, and Education
Pages: 157 - 164
Editors: Mounir El Asmar, Ph.D., Arizona State University, David Grau, Ph.D., Arizona State University, and Pingbo Tang, Ph.D., Arizona State University
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8287-2
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Nov 9, 2020
Published in print: Nov 9, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.