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
There is a Method to It: Making Meaning in Information Research through a Mix of Paradigms and Methods
Melbourne, Australia
Researchers share the prevalence of survey research, review qualitative and mixed-method studies, and provide real-world examples with Worldcat Discovery search log analysis.
Topics: Research Methods
From Research to Reality: Transforming Libraries for a Global Information World
Athens, Greece
Lynn Silipigni Connaway details research methods and techniques used in library and information science, the most popular research methods used in LIS, what we’ve learned from mixed methods research, and why teaching research methods is important. This was a keynote presentation at IFLA 2019.
Topics: Research Methods
Authority, Context, and Containers: Student Perceptions and Judgements When Using Google for School Work
Athens, Greece
Two of the investigators of the “Researching Students’ Information Choices” project provide an in-depth update on this project that examines and compares the judgments and perceptions of students as they select resources for science-related school inquiry projects.
Topics: Information Literacy, 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
Applying Research Methods: Opportunities for Engagement and Progress
Madrid (Spain)
This presentation details research methods, and data collection and data analysis tools and methods used in library and information schools over the years, as well as challenges and opportunities.
Topics: Research Methods
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
Teaching Research Methods in LIS Programs: Approaches, Formats, and Innovative Strategies
Denver, CO (US)
Silipigni Connaway moderates this panel that describes the rationale for teaching research methods, reviews competencies and guidelines of research, research methods in LIS pedagogy, and discussion and knowledge sharing by the panel.
Topics: Research Methods
Survey Research
Virtual
This presentation covers popular LIS research methods, describes the advantages and disadvantages of different types of survey research, describes data analysis tools and methods, and uses the OCLC Research Report Seeking Synchronicity as an example of this work.
Topics: Research Methods