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User studies

User studies. LIS 670 Bair-Mundy. Users. Potential users. Expected users. Actual users. Beneficiary users. Studying users. What we need to know. Types of user studies. Designing a research plan. Data collection methods. Problems in user research. User study assignment.

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User studies

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  1. User studies LIS 670 Bair-Mundy

  2. Users Potential users Expected users Actual users Beneficiary users

  3. Studying users What we need to know Types of user studies Designing a research plan Data collection methods Problems in user research User study assignment

  4. What we need to know (1) Information needs of users Request for Assistance Name___________ Address_________ Telephone_______

  5. What we need to know (2) How users utilize information

  6. What we need to know (3) How the user attempts to fulfill his/her information needs Information-seeking activities User reasoning processes

  7. What we need to know (4) Means of presentation of information that are intelligible and thus useful to the user

  8. What we need to know (5) Trustworthy sources of information for the user

  9. What we need to know (6) Elements of a user interface that expedite or hinder information retrieval Enter search statement in the box below START CAT FIND XT GONE WITH THE WIND

  10. Intelligible and useful means of presentation of information

  11. Searching by color http://portia.nesl.edu/screens/well_its_red.html

  12. Types of user studies User oriented Systems-use oriented Utility oriented

  13. User-oriented studies Seek to utilize demographics to predict information use Age Education level Economic status Language

  14. Demographics - age http://www.lapl.org/

  15. Demographics - language http://www.lapl.org/espanol/index.html

  16. Systems-use oriented studies Extent to which users utilize one or more kinds of information system Degree of difficulty or satisfaction in using information services Characteristics of the system contributing to success of information transactions

  17. Elements examined in systems-use oriented studies (1) Number & type of reference questions asked Number of items loaned in-house Number of items accessed through interlibrary loan

  18. Elements examined in systems-use oriented studies (2) Number of times users access online catalog from remote sites Number of times users access particular online databases Search and retrieval statistics for online databases

  19. Ethical consideration in systems-use studies: user privacy Aggregate data about systems-use is acceptable Remove any information that could identify individual Keep only data necessary for providing services for only as long as needed

  20. Utility-oriented studies Critical incidence studies Subjects report on information needs and their resolution at each decision-making point in a specific search Citation analysis Analyze citations to articles by particular author or published in a particular journal

  21. Process of user research 1. Design of research plan 2. Implementation of research plan 3. Implementation of results 4. Evaluation of results

  22. Designing a research plan:Step 1 Identify a problem area or need to study Not as easy as it sounds!

  23. Problem: Line at the reference desk? Reference

  24. Actual problem: lack of signage Reference Adult Fiction Children's Room Reference Desk Restrooms Science & Tech

  25. Designing a research plan:Step 2 Conduct an initial literature review How have others approached the problem?

  26. Designing a research plan:Step 3 Define the specific research question to study What is the optimal arrangement of information resources in the reference area?

  27. Designing a research plan:Step 4 Cost-benefit analysis of study Study may be expensive. Will resulting suggestions be implemented?

  28. Designing a research plan:Step 5 Conduct a second literature review Specific search now that research problem is defined

  29. Designing a research plan:Step 6 Formulate hypotheses (specific testable question(s) to ask in the study) "Changing the configuration of the furniture to segregate incoming and outgoing traffic will result in less crowding in the lobby."

  30. Designing a research plan:Step 7 Identify the population to study Everyone in certain zip codes?

  31. Designing a research plan:Step 8 Select data collection methods Phone survey? In-house questionnaire? Capture keystroke data?

  32. Designing a research plan:Step 9 Develop data collection instruments Questions for phone survey or questionnaire http://www.isworld.org/surveyinstruments/surveyinstruments.htm

  33. Survey of currently-enrolled LIS students Strongly disagree Strongly agree

  34. Surveying a multi-ethnic community • A continuación puntúe de 1 (muy deficiente) a 6 (muy satisfactorio) las siguientes variables • Grado de conocimiento que usted tiene sobre los servicios que ofrece la biblioteca • 1 2 3 4 5 6 • Localización de la biblioteca • 1 2 3 4 5 6 • Indicación de su ubicación • 1 2 3 4 5 6 • Infraestructura de la sala • 1 2 3 4 5 6 • Tamaño de la biblioteca • 2 3 4 5 6 • ...

  35. Designing a research plan:Step 10 Design a data-analysis plan Statistical tests you plan to use will influence way you collect and encode data.

  36. Salary data Statistical tests you plan to use will influence way you collect and encode data. What is the starting salary for librarians at your institution? What is the starting salary for librarians at your institution? $20,000 - $29,000 $60,000 – $69,000 $30,000 - $39,000 $70,000 – $79,000 $40,000 - $49,000 $80,000 – $89,000 $50,000 - $59,000 $90,000 – $99,000 

  37. Designing a research plan:Step 11 Formulate a data-collection plan Stopping people who walk in the door to question them?

  38. Designing a research plan:Step 12 Conduct pilot studies of methods, instruments, and analysis First try questionnaire on friends and staff, then on sample from group you plan to study

  39. Data collection methods Questioning Observing Studying records or documents

  40. Questioning (1) Questionnaire survey—can reach widely dispersed geographic group of subjects; low return rate; low validity Interview—can give high quality data due to follow-up questions; costly; limited sample size; inconsistency among interviewers

  41. Questioning (2) Diary method—rich informational content; low validity and reliability (answers get shorter over time) Group interview and questions—less expensive than individual interview; good response rate; includes Delphi technique

  42. Delphi technique Ask each expert same questions Summarize responses and distribute to the group Ask for revisions of original opinions based on group response Report group response to individuals again Elicit new revisions of opinions

  43. Observation Can be less intrusive Can be highly reliable Objective Expensive Doesn’t reflect motivation Hawthorne effect—activities of observed subjects are affected by interested presence of the observer

  44. Hawthorne effect Lighting Lighting productivity productivity

  45. Documentary evidence Publications Statistical reports Citations

  46. Publications Library Science Research Information Science Research Bibliometrics

  47. Citations

  48. Citations

  49. Statistical report - databases

  50. Statistical report - searches

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