How to find out more about library use

A choice of research methods ?   

Michael StöpelUser Services & Instruction Librarian

American University of Paris   

Agenda

‘Overview’ of research methodsMy research project on library use

1. Data-gathering 2. Data-analysis

Quantitative

Examples : surveys, experiments, pre-determined instruments that yield statistical data (e.g. weblogs)

Aim • Big picture (advantage of

numbers over words)• General information • Data is easy to gather and to

analyze

Problems • Interpretation of results• Biased questions• Difficult to understand

behavior/information without having possibility to ask

Qualitative

Examples : observations (e.g. participative or non-participative), interviews (e.g. semi-structured, narration, focus groups)

Aim • In depth understanding• Being as close as possible to

social reality to understand

Problems • Socially expected replies• Constructed reality in

narration; story telling?• Interpretation of results

“There is not one way to do social [library] research” (Babbie 19)

Which research methods?… all methods have particular strengths and weaknesses and you need to know what they can and cannot do before you use them. But as you will also see, they can often be used together. When planning a research project you should always consider whether a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques might not be richer and more satisfactory account. (Deacon 11)

There is ‘no book’ only various images of it from different points of view and all the different images are equally

‘true’. (Babbie 8)

Match between problem and approachCertain type of social research problems call for specific approaches.

[…] qualitative research is explanatory and is useful when the researcher does not know the important variables to examine. (Creswell 18)

[…] a quantitative researcher may want to both generalize the findings to a population and develop a detailed view of the meaning of a phenomenon or concept for individuals. (Creswell 22)

Examples for match between problem and research approachImprove library homepage (in cooperation with

AUP professor Claudia Rhoda) – Fall 2010Focus groups, usability testing, online survey,

observations, and staff interviews Improve library space (AMICAL research lead by

Nancy Foster) – Fall 2009/Spring 2010 Observation, mapping interviews, and photo

elicitation interviewsImprove library use (American University of Paris

research project) – Fall 2009/Spring 2010In-class survey and semi-structured interviews

‘Quality of data they built upon’More specifically, to the various data-capture methods available, for methods determine results, and this is never truer than in the case of information needs assessments, which probe beneath the visible surface of people’s actual behavior. Indeed, the methods utilized for collecting the data are a crucial measure of the quality and worth of the picture of need with which we are presented […] : after all, being the ones who take decisions, determine policies and act on the basis of information needs studies, they [information professionals] have to be well aware of the value of the data they build upon. (Nicholas and Herman 138)

Guiding ideas of library research is to obtain high quality of dataorganize the data into information obtain knowledge

By describing the information, make information meaningful

get a better understanding of what is going on, add layers of information to understand and

obtain knowledge ‘thick’ description (Geertz)

My project

Library use – how to make information more meaningful?Understand library use and non-use (student behavior) in order to fine tune services

1. Form an institutional perspective – measure the role of the library

How many students – in a situation of explicit information need – use the library and to what extend?

2. Another perspective on library use - learn from non-users (user perspective)

What are the ‘road blocks’ to library use? Definition of non-user: student who - in a situation of

information need - does not use the library to study and does not use the library’s resources.

Data-gathering – mixed approachQuantitative approachIn-class survey Random sample (all

classes Friday period 2)Handed out questionnaire

only in classes with identified information need!

Questionnaire refers only to the specific class

110 responses (14,42 % representativeness)

Average response rate: 67.48%

Qualitative approachIndividual interviews with

non-usersFollow them through

their researching process (from the topic to the paper)

11 interviewsRecruitment difficult

Data-analysis - quantitative part

Students are doing well according to the survey! 79% library users - 21% library non users

Out of 79% library users …40% of the users come (physically) ‘once a month’ or ‘twice per semester’

45% of the users come ‘once a week’ Think about information need in class – is there a

need to come to the library?

Library use/non-use by course

Adding information to the picture BA 2xx AH 2xx

Type of assignment (10 page paper on the syllabus)

Class attendance 61.50%Professor not involved in

First Bridge – rarely in contact with the library

No books are on reserves

Topic of course : Internet Marketing

Type of assignment (10 page paper with academic resources mentioned on the syllabus)

Class attendance 100%Professor involved in

First Bridge Books are on reserves Topic of course :

Renaissance in France

Data-analysis - qualitative part Reasons for library non-use are located in three areas:

1. Context2. Situation of information need 3. Situation of research and writing

ContextI am not a ‘library user’ Habits (i.e. everyday searching) Time factor – fast and easy“I already wrote a paper on the same topic”

Situation of information needTypes of assignment (i.e. creative

writing)Easy assignment“Only the text given in class”Professor gives all information The ‘easy’ grader

Situation of research and writingLibrary building

Too far away, not pleasing Missing equipment

Library collection Information is not there Collection is not up-to-date (stock market) New types of information (blogs, youtube)

Library webpage Too complicated (=time consuming) Not pleasing

Better alternatives (services) Other libraries Internet – “you can’t beat google” (faster and easier)

Some qualitative aspects …• Reason for library non-use is many times a mix of reasons• One paper library use/one paper no library use• Stressful situation (many papers to write) – fast and easy information • It is not all about libraries

Too far away, too noisy (see AUP Library survey 2006) Difficulties with library home page

Not easy enough (43%) Do not know how to use it (13%)

Where do non-users find information? Google (73.1%) Wikipedia (50.0%) Professor (46.2%)

… and some quantitative addings

Coming back - how to find out more ?

1. It is not about a choice of research methods but about making research mehods work together

2. Make it meaningful by ‘thick’ description

Thank you !

mstoepel@aup.fr

Work cited

Babbie, Earl R. The Practice of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1992. Print.

Creswell, John W. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Los Angeles: Sage, 2009. Print.

Deacon, David. Researching Communications: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media and Cultural Analysis. London: Arnold, 1999. Print.

Dollinger, B. 2003, "Computergestuetzte Benutzerbefragung der UB Augsburg. Methodische Anmerkungen und Perspektiven fuer Online Erhebungen.", Bibliotheksdienst, vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 876-885. Web.

Foster, Nancy Fried., and Susan Gibbons. Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2007. Print.

Geertz, Clifford. The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays. New York: Basic, 1973. Print.

Nicholas, David, and Ian Rowlands. Digital Consumers: Reshaping the Information Professions. London: Facet, 2008. Print.

Nicholas, David, and Eti Herman. Assessing Information Needs in the Age of the Digital Consumer. London: Routledge, 2009. Print.

Oakleaf, Megan.  "Are They Learning?  Are We?  Learning and the Academic Library."  Library Quarterly.  81(1). 2011. Web.

Oudshoorn, Nelly, and T. J. Pinch. How Users Matter: The Co-construction of Users and Technology. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2005. Print.

Horx, Matthias Was Kommt Nach Der Informationsgesellschaft?: 11 Antworten. Gutersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2002. Print.