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Information-Seeking Behavior of University Students: Research Findings

Quantitative and qualitative research findings on contemporary university students' information-seeking behavior and their interaction with libraries and librarians. The presentation includes information-seeking behavior models, mixed methods approach, research design, software demo, and results analysis. Applicable insights from the study conducted at the University of Maryland in 2005-2006 are presented with visualizations and comparisons with established works. The research addresses questions on mental models of tasks performed by librarians and behavior variances across student matriculation levels.

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Information-Seeking Behavior of University Students: Research Findings

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  1. Student research behavior:Quantitative and qualitative research findings presented with visualizationsFrom 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 wendlingd@acm.org / http://76.12.245.9 Researchers represent themselves only and not their institutions.

  2. This presentation • 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

  3. Taylor (1968), Zweizig (1976) App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  4. Zweizig: The Problem Is… • 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

  5. Zweizig: The solution is… • 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

  6. Zweizig’s individual + Taylor’s path = App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  7. Abels (2004) App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  8. Foudy, Johnson, & Kaske 2005 research questions • 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

  9. Individual Interviews (N=544; 256 + 288) On campus 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) 3 groups of Freshmen Sophomores Juniors & Seniors Graduate students Described in “Is Google god?” LOEX 2006 conference proceedings (Foudy, Johnson, Kaske, & Wendling) Basic Research Design Methodology: Mixed Method Approach App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  10. Data comes from the life world via person-to-person data gathering • Pro’s: • 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: • 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

  11. Zweizig + Taylor + Abels, etc.  Interview form App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  12. What we wanted to know • Who (year in school, major, gender) • What (the actions they took) • 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

  13. Coding sheet, version 10 (see appendix of paper) App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  14. Results: Generic action categories for course and non-course sessions • 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

  15. Results: Specific resource names accessed for course and non-course sessions • 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

  16. Results: Mechanisms used to access resources for course and non-course sessions • 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

  17. Results: Top ways to find information for a course (3-component sessions) • 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

  18. Literature and interview data analysis led to this architecture App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  19. Software demo App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  20. 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

  21. University of Maryland students of the College of Information Studies, LBSC 713: Planning & Evaluating Library Services, for two semesters: Spring 2005 Fall 2006 Initial project funding from the University of Maryland Libraries Acknowledgements App is online at http://76.12.245.9 through 12/08

  22. Contact Information • Web site: http://76.12.245.9 • Dan Wendling, MLS: wendlingd@acm.org • Travis Johnson, MLS • Neal K. Kaske, Ph.D.: nkaske@noaa.gov 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

  23. Questions?

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