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User Studies

User Studies. Janine Schmidt University Librarian University of Queensland. Outline. User studies – what and why Results and analysis What next? Current research Future trends. Types of user studies. Quantitative Statistics! Use of electronic resources

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User Studies

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  1. User Studies Janine Schmidt University Librarian University of Queensland CAUL User Studies

  2. Outline • User studies – what and why • Results and analysis • What next? • Current research • Future trends CAUL User Studies

  3. Types of user studies • Quantitative • Statistics! • Use of electronic resources • Database hits, log-ons, downloads • Number of searches, TOC, Absracts, Full text • Counter • Qualitative • Surveys e.g. Rodski • Focus groups • Disciplinary-based studies e.g. architects, physicists • Specific user groups e.g. academic staff, undergraduates CAUL User Studies

  4. Why conduct user studies? • Improve library collections and services • Understand user needs • Match collections with needs • Ensure optimal and appropriate use of resources • Identify problems clients perceive • Establish unmet needs • Guide collection management and development • Cancellations • New purchases CAUL User Studies

  5. More whys! • Guide access approaches, portal, search mechanisms and website design • Implement new services • Improve customer service • Benchmark against others • Market resources and services • Develop better ICT and physical infrastructure CAUL User Studies

  6. What can be measured? • Resource use • Databases accessed • Journals (Counter) • Internet • Monograph vs Journals • Print vs online • Citation studies • Extent of use • Number of downloads • Range of disciplines and titles CAUL User Studies

  7. What can be measured? • Method of access/discovery • Catalogue • Database • Peer advice • Serindipity • In/out of the library • Content use • What it is used for? • How it is exported? • What is the value added? • Analysis of what last read • Website use CAUL User Studies

  8. My interest in user studies • How do we communicate with the users we never see? Who are the users we do not see? • Purchased extensive e-journals – does the use warrant the expenditure? • What do people really do as opposed to what they say they do? • Does the so-called “big deal” pay off? • What impact does library/literature use make on research outputs? • How do we design the website effectively? CAUL User Studies

  9. UQ Cybrary Use (2003) • Take away/eat in (30% of website use from library branches) • 3,000,000 people used study areas and computers in e-zones • 1.6 million items borrowed • 46,000 attended information skills classes • Order in (30% of website use from UQ, 40% external) • Dial-up from offices/laboratories within university/homes/workplaces throughout world • Check website, catalogue, service availability, holdings, use e-journals, e-books, ask questions, databases • Nearly 30 million pages of website used by over 500,000 computers throughout world CAUL User Studies

  10. Some UQ usage figures • Blackwells (647 titles) – Jan – Aug 2003 • No titles unused • 3.2% titles used once • 14.2% titles used more than 200 times • Conservation Biology used 2133 times • 185 titles (28.6%) make up 80% total useage • 58 titles (8.96%) make up 50% total useage • Elsevier (Science Direct (1627 titles)) – Jan – Aug • 1% titles unused • 2.2% titles used once • 10.3% titles used more than 200 times • Lancet used 8585 times • 483 titles (29.7%) make up 80% total useage • 159 titles (9.77%) make up 50% total useage CAUL User Studies

  11. Other UQ usage • Components of website most heavily used • Time and type of use • E-print repository CAUL User Studies

  12. What the results are telling us? • O.71 is the relationship between downloads and number of users ie 1.4 downloads per user (http://people.cornell.edu/pages/pmd8/highwire.doc) • Researchers will use many pathways to find information ie catalogue, Web of Science, database • Search methods are not consistent • Proxy servers • Most users download a few articles from a few journals • Related to quality – 20% of papers get 80% of cites(Thomson Scientific) CAUL User Studies

  13. Research use of libraries • The stuff of research (and teaching and learning) • Hard copy and electronic material both seen as essential • Better tools required for identification and location of information resources required, increasingly in e-formats • Own university library is essential to their research (83% of researchers) CAUL User Studies

  14. Research use of libraries • 60% medical and biological science researchers, 77% physical science and engineering regard printed books as essential • 92% researchers in arts, humanities and social sciences regard printed books as essential • 95% researchers see access to printed refereed journals as essential • 75% researchers in sciences see e-journals as essential, 57% in social sciences and 22% in humanities(Education for change, SIRU University of Brighton & The Research Partnership. Researchers use of libraries and other information sources; current patterns and future trends) CAUL User Studies

  15. …more results • Disciplinary differences • Most like e • Researchers read more articles now than they used to (Tenopir and King – 100 per year in 1977 to over 200 now) • Print is not dead nor obsolete • Preferred format for reading • Personal archiving? • Browsing still important • E-print archives significant • People read for primary research, current awareness and teaching purposes • Googleisation CAUL User Studies

  16. … still more results • Interdisciplinarity • Modes of access changing • Open access CAUL User Studies

  17. What to do with the results? • Improve the library service & collections • Provide training • Improve the discovery tools • Purchase more effectively? • Find the balance • Discipline • Format • Monograph/Journal • Tell the vendor • Develop better searching systems CAUL User Studies

  18. Current research • Carol Tenopir (http://web.utk.edu/~tenopir/index.html) • Philip Davis (http://people.cornell.edu/pages/pmd8/) • John W. Houghton • More detailed examination of e-use and pathways to use CAUL User Studies

  19. Where to from here? • What are the real questions? • What are the real problems? • Use wide variety of data for comparisons • Collaborate on the research • Appoint a CAUL sub-group to look at implications of user studies • Connect solutions to the issues and findings from user studies CAUL User Studies

  20. Bibliography • Davis, P. (2003) What usage statistics say about online user behaviour. Presented at Fiesole Collection Development Retreat, Amsterdam. Available: http://digital.casalini.it/retreat/2003_docs/Davis.pdf. • Houghton, J. W., Steele, C. & Henty, M. (2003) Changing research practices in the digital information and communication environment, Department of Education, Science and Training. Available: http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/respubs/changing_res_prac/c_res_pract.pdf • Luther, J. (2000) White Paper on Electronic Journal Usage Statistics. Available: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub94/contents.html • Marcum, D. B. & George, G. (2003) Who uses what? Report on a national survey of information users in colleges and universities, D-Lib Magazine, 9(10). • Tenopir, C. (2002) Use patterns of print and electronic journals, presented at Fiesole Collection Development Retreat, Amsterdam. Available: http://digital.casalini.it/retreat/2002_docs/Tenopir.pdf. CAUL User Studies

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  22. Thank you for listeningDiscussion please…. CAUL User Studies

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