Student research behavior:
Quantitative and qualitative research findings
presented with visualizations
From research conducted at the University of Maryland, 2005-2006
ARL’s Library Assessment Conference, August 2008
Dan Wendling, MLS, Travis Johnson, MLS, & Neal
Kaske, PhD
[email protected] / http://76.12.245.9
Researchers represent themselves only and not their institutions.
This presentation
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Information-seeking behavior models—a mash-up
Overview of this team’s mixed methods approach
Research questions
Research design
Software demo
Results, conclusions, next steps
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Taylor (1968), Zweizig (1976)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Zweizig: The Problem Is…
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We’re moving into areas beyond general
and traditional library service
If we’re not effective in reaching users, they
can go to other sources
The nature of information and referral must
be dynamic and continually responsive,
because user and population needs change
over time.
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Zweizig: The solution is…
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Make users and potential users the central
focus of your I&R research
Make the perspective (mental model) that
you have of the user… how we currently
view the user and how we might view the
user—part of your research
Look at the library as part of the total
information environment of the user
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Zweizig’s individual + Taylor’s path =
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Abels (2004)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Foudy, Johnson, & Kaske 2005 research
questions
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What are contemporary university students’
information-seeking behaviors and what role(s),
if any, do libraries and/or librarians play in these
behaviors?
What are contemporary students’ mental models
of the tasks performed by librarians?
Do these behaviors or mental models differ
according to level of matriculation, from
freshmen through graduate school?
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Basic Research Design
Methodology: Mixed Method Approach
Individual Interviews
(N=544; 256 + 288)
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On campus
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Sampling – “convenience”
during one week on two
occasions: April 2005 and
November 2006
The form for interview data collection is an
appendix in the conference paper
Focus Group Interviews
(N=12; 110 participants)
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3 groups of
 Freshmen
 Sophomores
 Juniors & Seniors
 Graduate students
Described in “Is Google god?” LOEX
2006 conference proceedings (Foudy,
Johnson, Kaske, & Wendling)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Data comes from the life world via
person-to-person data gathering
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Pro’s:
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Smaller data set is easy to transform
Fewer constraints on what the data model and interface
need to look like
The act of interviewing trains / educates library science
students
You are able to study the activites of non-users
Con’s:
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Smaller percentage of users is actually sampled
Interviewees might forget things or might accidentally or
intentionally report their activities inaccurately
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Zweizig + Taylor + Abels, etc.  Interview form
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
What we wanted to know
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Who (year in school, major, gender)
What (the actions they took)
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The “generic” action category, for aggregating
what is alike
Name of the specific resource, for aggregating by
tool name
How (the mechanism they used to access the
resource)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Coding sheet, version 10 (see appendix of paper)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Results: Generic action categories for
course and non-course sessions
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Accessed the open web using search engine or Wikipedia (573)
Accessed UMD library eResources (527)
Accessed the open web, not search engine, not library, not UMD
site, not Wikipedia (454)
Accessed UMD library stacks (164)
Sought assistance from a person, not UMD librarian, instructor, TA,
or advisor (159)
Accessed course syllabus/textbook/materials/teachers web site (62)
Sought assistance from Instructor/TA/Advisor (47)
Accessed UMD web site, not part of the libraries or WebCT (46)
Accessed other book or magazine I own (36)
Went to place other than library or bookstore (29)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Results: Specific resource names accessed for
course and non-course sessions
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google.com (449)
UMD library - ResearchPort (358)
UMD library - Catalog (139)
UMD library - Stacks (149)
Expert or professional working in this area; perhaps an author (57)
School colleague/friend (53)
Resource name not recorded (50)
Course textbook (45)
Instructor/TA/Advisor (45)
wikipedia.com (41)
Unknown free website (39)
yahoo.com (36)
UMD librarian @ UMD library, in-person discussion (26)
Other book or magazine I own (21)
Unknown UMD eResource (21)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Results: Mechanisms used to access resources for
course and non-course sessions
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Via remote search (1455)
From UMD library (239)
From UMD library computer (203)
In-person discussion (98)
Unknown contact method (56)
Looked through personal/course materials (37)
Went to place (36)
Telephone (29)
Unknown (22)
Email (19)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Results: Top ways to find information for
a course (3-component sessions)
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Accessed UMD library eResources / UMD library - ResearchPort /
Via remote search (233)
Accessed the open web using search engine or Wikipedia /
google.com / Via remote search (194)
Accessed UMD library stacks / UMD library - Stacks / From UMD
library (98)
Accessed UMD library eResources / UMD library - ResearchPort /
From UMD library computer (78)
Accessed UMD library eResources / UMD library - Catalog / From
UMD library computer (63)
Accessed UMD library eResources / UMD library - Catalog / Via
remote search (48)
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Literature and interview data analysis led
to this architecture
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Software demo
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Sample XML record of one interview
The application is capable of running “out in the cloud,” out on the Internet.
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Acknowledgements
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University of Maryland students of the College of
Information Studies, LBSC 713: Planning &
Evaluating Library Services, for two semesters:
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Spring 2005
Fall 2006
Initial project funding from the University of
Maryland Libraries
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Contact Information
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Web site: http://76.12.245.9
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Dan Wendling, MLS: [email protected]
Travis Johnson, MLS
Neal K. Kaske, Ph.D.: [email protected]
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The contents of this presentation reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for
the opinions, facts, and the accuracy of the data presented. The contents do not
necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the National Library of Medicine, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or University of Maryland Libraries.
App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08
Questions?