Model of collaborative information retrieval behavior using information systems among academic researchers of medical sciences

The purpose of this study was to analyze the collaborative information retrieval (CIR) behavior among faculty members of research centers based in the University of Medical Sciences to present a structural model. The type of this experimental study was based on a pretest-posttest with the control group. Data were collected using a questionnaire, and the participants were selected by stratified random sampling. Out of a total of 73 participants, there were 42 people in the intervention group and 31 participants in the control group. The variables of awareness, information sharing, division of labor, and team communication had a significant positive relationship with the team collaboration (p < 0.05), collaboration had effect on the evaluation of retrieved information with a significant positive relationship (p < 0.05). Based on the findings, CIR is the set of activities that can include factors such as the ability to share the obtained knowledge, analyze the retrieved information, communicate, and collaborative awareness. The structural model confirmed our findings that developing the interactive and synergies capabilities of research team members to increase collaboration through a network-based structure reduces the loss of stored collective knowledge and also accelerates the process of access to information resources, and required content. This research has carried on as the one of the first studies on collaborative information retrieval behavior with an experimental method in Iran and many others countries. A considerable point in the present study was assessing the nature of CIR behavior from the perspective of human behaviors, which was mentioned as a very important approach in information science. Accordingly, a human behavioral approach to information retrieval was considered and strengthened, regardless of technical aspects. Another strength of this study was the model extracted from our findings which have emphasized specifically CIR as specific and dynamic activities.