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Research : Activities : User Behavior Studies & Synthesis

User Behavior Studies & Synthesis

Our focus in this area includes studying the behavior of library users, from public library patrons and undergraduate students to scholars and researchers, to determine their perceptions and information usage habits of a variety of reference services. Our objective is to identify and share recommendations on how to better serve library users' needs now and in the future.

Cyber Synergy 

This project proposes a new model that enables Virtual Reference Services (VRS) to remain viable despite today’s environment of reduced resources. It will investigate the possibility of seamless collaboration between knowledge institutions such as libraries and the Social Q&A (SQA) community.

Digital Information Seeker Report (OCLC/JISC) 

OCLC Research analyzed twelve final reports of library user studies from JISC, OCLC, and RIN, issued 2005-2009, and summarized the findings in a report issued under the auspices of JISC.

Digital Visitors and Residents 

A short-term, JISC-funded, collaborative pilot project with the University of Oxford to investigate the theory of digital residents and visitors with students in the emerging educational stage, the time between late-stage secondary (high school) and the first year of college or university.

Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services 

This project includes the evaluation, sustainability, and relevance of virtual reference services, which are human-mediated, Internet-based library information services. The study of VRS users, non-users, and librarians provided a fuller understanding of their behaviors, needs, and preferences in virtual environments, in order to improve libraries' ability to respond to increased demand on libraries to provide reference services online.

Virtual Research Environment (VRE) Study (OCLC/JISC) 

The goal of this study is to identify, gather and analyse evidence of researchers’ behaviors in digital environments from a selection of recent relevant JISC-funded projects in order to derive an evidence-based picture of the researcher of today. A cooperative project of OCLC Research and JISC (UK).

ResearchWorks icon (RW)Some of the activities listed here have prototypes or demonstrations you can explore and play with. You can find a list of just those hands-on activities in ResearchWorks.

Software icon (SW)A few of these activities have generated software that you can download and build upon. Go to our software page for a list of only those activities.

ORL Partnership icon (P)The OCLC Research Library Partnership has sponsored the activities with this mark.

OCLC Research on YouTube

Watch OCLC Research YouTube Channel videos that feature some of our current work or recent findings