User Research
Libraries are impacted by the ways in which individuals engage with technology; how they seek, access, contribute, and use information; and how and why they demonstrate these behaviors and do what they do. We're collaborating with librarians to shape their services around a set of expectations that have been influenced by consumer technologies and modern research and learning environments. By providing the library community with behavioral evidence about individuals’ perceptions, habits, and requirements, we can ensure that the design of future library services is all about the user. Our efforts are amplified by strategic partnerships and focus in these two areas:
Presentations
Speaking on the Record: Combining Interviews with Search Log Analysis in User Research
Melbourne, Australia
OCLC Research presents a novel user research methodology that combines log analysis with semi-structured interviews to determine how library users navigate the path from discovery to access. Indications are, “The methodology used for this study also could be extended beyond discovery systems. Other computerized activities that leave digital traces could be studied using interview protocols based on log analysis.”
Topics: User Research, Research Methods
Beyond the Survey: Using Qualitative Research Methods to Support Evidence-based Practice
Sydney (Australia)
Lynn Silipigni Connaway reviews different forms of qualitative research and mixed research methods using examples from recent research projects.
Topics: Research Methods, User Research
New Ways of Seeing: Understanding Individuals on their Terms
Sydney (Australia)
This presentation provides a deep delve into information behavior research methods, qualitative research, and ethnographic data collection tools and methods.
Topics: Research Methods, User Research
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Research Methods in Information Behavior Studies
Kraków (Poland)
This presentation details research methods, and data collection and data analysis tools and methods used in library and information schools over the years for information behavior studies, as well as challenges and opportunities.
Topics: User Research, Research Methods