DIGITAL COUNTING

Julia Blixrud

<jblix@arl.org>

Digital Counting or Counting Digital Stuff:

Methods to Assure That

I Have A Lot of Stuff, or

at Least Enough Stuff, or

Perhaps More Stuff Than

Everyone Else

Digital Counting

• Research Requires Statistics

• Statistics Require Data Collection

• Data Collection Requires Counts

• Therefore: All Research Just Counting

Digital Counting FUNdamentals• Why Count

• What to Count

• How to Count

• Data Validation/Managing data errors

• Formulas to apply to make counts turn out to be what you said they would be

Purpose of Statistics:

WHO HAS THE MOST TOYS?

Why Do We Count

– DLI Project Requirement– People Love Numbers– People Love Charts and Graphs– People like to see their own institution as

#1– $$$$$

Determining the Count

Begin with the end in mind

(Covey Principle)

Determining the Count

Digital Counting: Variables

Digital Counting: Variables

Digital Counting: Variables

Digital Counting: Variables

Digital Counting: Methods

• Observation

• Sampling

• Survey

• Modeling (Monument building)

• Automated Statistics Gathering– Web searches– Server calls / Catalog calls

Digital Counting: Tools

Digital Counting: Tools

Digital Counting: Tools

Digital Counting: Tools

Digital Counting: Tools

Digital Counting: Results

DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DODO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO

Digital Counting: Data Validation

• The Chocolate Effect

• Also known as the “Fudge Factor” -- the Difference between what you get and what you already told people the number would be (usually a factor of 20%)

Digital Counting: Data Validation

• Lake Wobegon Effect

• In Lake Wobegon All the Children are Above Average

Digital Counting: Data Validation

• Thud Factor

• Bloatware

• The heavier the report, the more significant the results

• The more computer space used by the program and data the better

A Cool Formula

.45069 x log(VH) + .41567 x log(VA) + .36523 x log(CS)+ .49052 x log(LE) + .49621 x log(TS) - 26.6875106

Digital Counting: Reports

• Inputs and Outputs

• Correlations and Distributions

• Formulas and ratios

• Humps and Valleys

• Pies and Bars

Digital Counting Result:We’re Number 1!!!!!