Brenda Dervin
Brenda Dervin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brenda Louise Dervin November 20, 1938 Beverly, Massachusetts |
| Died | December 31, 2022 (aged 84) Seattle, Washington |
| Occupation | Professor, Researcher, Educator, Consultant |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | United States |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | B.A., Cornell University M.S., Michigan State University Ph.D., Michigan State University |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University, Cornell University |
| Subject | Communication, Library and Information Science |
| Notable works | Sense-Making Methodology Reader, Rethinking Communication, Progress in Communication Sciences |
| Notable awards | Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences, University of Helsinki |
Brenda Dervin (November 20, 1938–December 31, 2022) was an American communication theorist who developed the sense-making methodology. She was Professor Emerita in the School of Communication at the Ohio State University. Dervin worked primarily in the fields of communication and library and information science. Her research on information seeking and use led to the development of the sensemaking methodology. Her 1986 article, "Information Needs and Uses," in the Annual Review of Information Science and Technology is considered as a seminal work and a classic citation.