{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]],"date-time":"2026-01-06T05:22:08Z","timestamp":1767676928058,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"5\/6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2010,5,18]],"date-time":"2010-05-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1274140800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,5,18]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this paper is to present some results from research undertaken into the information behaviour of European Documentation Centre (EDC) users. It will reflect on the practices of a group of 234 users of 55 EDCs covering 21 Member States of the European Union (EU), used to access European information.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>In order to collect the data presented here, five questionnaires were sent to users in all the EDCs in Finland, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal. In the remaining EU countries, five questionnaires were sent to two EDCs chosen at random. The questionnaires were sent by post, following telephone contact with the EDC managers.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>Factors determining access to information on the European Union and the frequency of this access are identified. The information providers most commonly used to access European information and the information sources considered the most reliable by respondents were also analysed. Another area of analysis concerns the factors cited by respondents as facilitating access to information on Europe or, conversely, making it more difficult to access. Parallel with this, the aspects of accessing information on EU that are valued most by users will also be assessed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Questionnaires had to be used, as the intention was to cover a very extensive geographical area. However, in opting for closed questions, it is acknowledged that standard responses have been obtained with no scope for capturing the individual circumstances of each respondent, thus making a qualitative approach difficult.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>This is the first piece of academic research into the EDCs and their users, which aimed to cover all Member States of the EU.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/03074801011044061","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2010,5,8]],"date-time":"2010-05-08T07:10:50Z","timestamp":1273302650000},"page":"189-202","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["European information users"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"111","author":[{"given":"Ana","family":"L\u00facia Terra","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b1","unstructured":"Alleweldt, F. (2007), \u201cEvaluation of the Europe Direct European Documentation Centres\u201d, DG Communication final report, Consumer Policy Evaluation Consortium (CPEC), CIVIC Consulting, Berlin."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ingwersen, P. and J\u00e4rvelin, K. (2005), The Turn. Integration of Information Seeking and Retrieval in Context, Springer, Dordrecht.","DOI":"10.1145\/1113343.1113351"},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b3","unstructured":"Maci\u00e1, M. (1998), La documentaci\u00f3n de la Uni\u00f3n Europea, S\u00edntesis, Madrid."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b4","unstructured":"Marcella, R. (1997), \u201cKeeping women informed about the European Union\u201d, European Access, No. 3, pp. 22\u20105."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marcella, R. (2001), \u201cThe need for European Union information amongst women in the United Kingdom. Results of a survey\u201d, Journal of Documentation, Vol. 57 No. 4, pp. 492\u2010518.","DOI":"10.1108\/EUM0000000007092"},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marcella, R., Carcary, I. and Baxter, G. (1999), \u201cThe information needs of United Kingdom Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)\u201d, Library Management, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 168\u201079.","DOI":"10.1108\/01435129910259667"},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marcella, R., Baxter, G., Davies, S. and Toornstra (2007), \u201cThe information needs and information\u2010seeking behaviour of the users of the European Parliamentary Documentation Centre. A customer knowledge study\u201d, Journal of Documentation, Vol. 63 No. 6, pp. 920\u201034.","DOI":"10.1108\/00220410710836420"},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b8","unstructured":"Mart\u00edn Gonz\u00e1lez, Y. (2007), Manual de documentaci\u00f3n de la Uni\u00f3n Europea. An\u00e1lisis y recuperaci\u00f3n de la informaci\u00f3n eurocomunitaria, Trea, Gij\u00f3n."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b9","unstructured":"Parker, S. (2004), Provision of European Information. Commission Policy and its Implementation in Libraries and Information Services in the United Kingdom, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b10","unstructured":"Quermonne, J.L. (2005), Le syst\u00e8me politique de l'Union europ\u00e9enne, \u00c9ditions Montchrestien, Paris."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b11","unstructured":"Silva, A.M. (2006), A informa\u00e7\u00e3o. Da compreens\u00e3o do fen\u00f3meno e constru\u00e7\u00e3o do objecto cient\u00edfico, Afrontamento, Porto."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b12","unstructured":"Terra, A.L. (2008), As pol\u00edticas de informa\u00e7\u00e3o e comunica\u00e7\u00e3o da Uni\u00e3o Europeia. Uma leitura diacr\u00f3nica e explorat\u00f3ria no \u00e2mbito da Ci\u00eancia da Informa\u00e7\u00e3o, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_b13","unstructured":"Thomson, I. (1991), The Documentation of the European Communities. A Guide, Mansell, London."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_frd1","unstructured":"Gonz\u00e1lez Terruel, A. (2005), Los studios de necesidades y usos de la informcaci\u00f3n. Fundamentos y perspectivas, Trea, Gij\u00f3n."},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_frd2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marcella, R. and Baxter, G. (1997), \u201cEuropean Union information. An investigation of need amongst public library users in three Scottish authorities\u201d, Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 69\u201076.","DOI":"10.1177\/096100069702900202"},{"key":"key2022031520205538400_frd3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marcella, R., Baxter, G. and Parker, S. 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