Finding Visual Information: A Study of Image Resources Used by Archaeologists, Architects, Art Historians, and Artists

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a recent study which identified the image resources that professional user groups acknowledged were useful to their work processes. The information behaviors relating to images of several professional user groups—archaeologists, architects, art historians, and artists—were examined in a qualitative research study conducted in 2008-2009. Presented here are findings that clarify where these patrons turned for their visual information needs and what factors influenced their image resource decisions. The final section provides suggestions to improve the image-related experiences of these user groups and discusses avenues for future research.