摘要：This article aims at describing the information seeking patterns of Finnish dentists within professional context. The main purpose of the research was to examine what kind of professional information dentists need, how often do they need this information and what sources they prefer. Special attention was paid to the use of and the attitudes towards the Internet as a source of professional information. The research method was quantitative. A web-survey was sent to 500 members of the Finnish Dental Association via e-mail. The response rate was 58 per cent. The indicative results show that dentists need most frequently, i.e. several times a week, information on drugs and issues concerning patient treatment. Information on dental materials and on directions of health related authorities was needed a couple times within a month. The most used information sources were professional journals, such informal sources as colleagues and superiors and manuals. The use of the Internet as an information channel was limited, although over 90 per cent of the informants had access to the Internet and their attitudes towards the Internet as a source of information in professional context were positive. A more qualitative approach is suggested to increase understanding of the factors affecting this phenomenon.
