ABSTRACT
The survey also identified several problems common to most anthropologists attempting to obtain information, including the inadequacy of local library collections and the decentralization of library materials. The most common primary sources used by anthropologists are field notes and library and museum collections. Anthropological study is usually based on empirical, methodological, or theoretical foundations obtained from library research. Very little research has been published about the information gathering needs and problems of anthropologists. In 1968, Diana Amsden, a librarian and anthropology doctoral student, published the summary results of a questionnaire sent to determine the information gathering patterns of professional anthropologists. Films, videotapes and other audiovisual materials are increasingly used in anthropology to record field data, to document endangered peoples, and for classroom simulations of fieldwork. The Human Relations Area Files is a unique and invaluable research source for anthropology students.
