understanding virtual users: connecting research to practice lynn silipigni connaway consulting...
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Understanding Virtual Users:Connecting Research to Practice
Lynn Silipigni ConnawayConsulting Research Scientist
Clifton SnyderSoftware Engineer
October 16, 2004
Transaction Log Analysis Unobtrusive Takes advantage of technology Macroanalysis – aggregate use data and patterns Microanalysis – individual search patterns Incorporate with other data collection methodologies Identify the behaviors of users of online retrieval systems Provide data to develop systems and services based on user
behavior• Online public access systems• Web logs• Electronic journals• Electronic books
What Can Be Learned from Transaction Log Analysis
What is being accessed• Subject areas• Types of content• Publishers of content
Number of accesses• Items • Screens/pages
Patterns of access• When accessed• Length of use/activity• Movements within the site and the text
• System and interface design
Limitations of Transaction Log Analysis
Do not know • Who are the users
• Usually cannot associate user demographics with usage patterns
• Where they get access to the resources• How they use resources• Why they use resources
Massive amounts of data to manipulate When systems change, data collected may change Types of possible analyses dependent upon data collected
and stored
netLibrary Site Activity
Unique Users• Tues., 2/26/02 = 3,796• Wed., 2/26/03 = 8,789• Thurs., 2/26/04 = 14,350
Total Sessions• Tues., 2/26/02 = Not Available• Wed., 2/26/03 = 10,874• Thurs., 2/26/04 = 15,478
Time Per Session (Minutes)
Minimum Maximum Mean Median Total Users
Total Sessions
2/26/02 Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
3,796 Not Available
2/26/03 <1 289.5 10.9 3.1 8,789 10,874
2/26/04 <1 353.6 10.8 3.5 14,350 15,478
netLibrary Login TimesAccesses by Time
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TIME
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Time
Hit
s
WST (-11)
PST (-8)
MST (-7)
CST (-6)
EST (-5)
AST (-4)
BST (-3)
CET (+1)
EET (+2)
EAT (+3)
GST (+4)
SST (+7)
AWST (+8)
JST (+9)
AEST (+10)
VUT (+11)
Books Viewed Per Account
Minimum Maximum Mean Median Total Users
Total Books Viewed
2/26/02 1 28 1.3 1 3,796 3,268
2/26/03 1 57 1.4 1 8,789 7,543
2/26/04 1 36 1.5 1 14,350 12,291
Unique Pages Viewed Per Book
Minimum Maximum Mean Median Total Users
Total Sessions
2/26/02 1 335 14.1 6 3,796 Not Available
2/26/03 1 689 16.4 7 8,789 10,874
2/26/04 1 2,312 18.1 6 14,350 15,478
Unique Pages Viewed Per Session
Minimum Maximum Mean Median Total Users
Total Sessions
2/26/02 Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
3,796 Not Available
2/26/03 1 689 12.8 6 8,789 10,874
2/26/04 1 896 15.5 6 14,350 15,478
2/26/2002 Search Types
Keyword38%
Full Text4%
Title17%
Author16%
Subject20%
Other/Unknown5%
27,817 Total Searches
2/26/2003 Search Types
Keyword36%
Full Text3%
Title19%
Author14%
Subject20%
Other/Unknown8%
37,136 Total Searches
2/26/2004 Search Types
Keyword38%
Full Text9%Title
8%
Author5%
Subject3%
Other/Unknown37%
43,189 Total Searches
2/26/2004 Search Types (No Blanks)
Keyword55%
Full Text13%
Title12%
Author7%
Subject5%
Other/Unknown8%
29,558 Total Searches
Search Type Comparison
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2/26/2002 2/26/2003 2/26/2004 2/26/2004 (No Blanks)
Year
Nu
mb
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of
Se
arc
he
s Keyword
Full Text
Title
Author
Subject
Other/Unknown
Data Interpretation
Increase• Number of users• Number of sessions
Little difference • Duration of sessions• Books viewed per account• Pages viewed per book• Pages viewed per session
Peak usage times correlate with time most libraries are open and available
Majority of searches are keyword searches
Search Types, Terms, and Items Viewed
Title Subject Keyword (default) Author Full Text Top Viewed Items
Comparison : Top 10 searches
2002 2003 2004
ke:"java" ke:"Computer" ke:java
ti:"java" pu:"McGraw-Hill Professional" ke:psychology
pu:"O_Reilly and Associates" ke:"Mystery" ke:marketing
su:"Science Fiction" su:"education" ke:perl
ke:"sex" ke:"computers" ke:computer
su:"career" da:"2002" ke:sex
ke:"music" ke:"sex" ke:sql
ke:"cooking" su:"psychology" ke:unix
ke:"fiction" su:"science" ke:excel
ke:"leadership" ti:"idiot" ke:hispanic AND ke:americans
Current Research
Identify the whys and hows of information-seeking behavior• College and university users
• Online survey• Focus group interviews• Structured field observations• Structured interviews
• Library and information science professionals• Individual interviews and focus group interviews
• National Advisory Council• Local Advisory Council
• Online Survey• OCLC Members Council• OCLC Board of Trustees
