Development of a semantic differential to access users' attitudes towards a batch mode information retrieval system (ERIC)

Sheilah Allen and Joyce Matheson

Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 1977, vol. 28, issue 5, 268-272

Abstract: A semantic differential scale was designed to assess users' attitudes toward a batch mode retrieval system based on the ERIC tape data base operated by the Information/Knowledge Research Center of the Faculty of Education of the University of British Columbia. Ten concepts representative of the system were grouped (Input, Output, and General) and matched with sixteen adjective pairs (Evaluative, Desirability, and Enormity). Demographic information was obtained from the 35 faculty members and graduate student users responding to the questionnaire. Although questionnaire returns were somewhat low (37%), statistical analysis by grouping and item analysis generally confirmed the hypothetical clustering of both concepts and adjective pairs. Moreover, credence was given to more recent semantic differential study results (Katzer, 1972) as opposed to the classic conclusions of Osgood, Suci, and Tannen‐baum (1957). A short form of the questionnaire was designed to provide for continuous evaluation of the system.

Date: 1977
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