How and Why of User Studies: RLG's RedLightGreen as a Case Study

SUMMARY

This article documents a lifecycle approach to employing user-centered design, covering both qualitative and quantitative data gathering methods in support of using this approach for product design, usability testing, and market research. The author provides specific case studies of usability studies, focus groups, interviews, ethnographic studies, and web log analysis. The article supplies practical advice and tools for those interested in exploring user-centered design concepts for web-based tools and services in archives, libraries, and museums.     

Critical communication pedagogy and service learning in a mixed-method communication research course

ABSTRACT

Course: Mixed-Method Communication Research Methods

Objective: The purpose of this semester-long activity is to provide students with opportunities to cultivate mixed-method communication research skills through a social justice-informed service-learning format. Completing this course, students will be able to: recognize the unique strengths of quantitative and qualitative research methods; locate, evaluate, and utilize scholarly literature for a literature review; conduct an original research project using quantitative and qualitative research methods to gather and analyze data; and raise self and community awareness about a social issue through collaboration with a community organization.     

从引文网络中发现美国精英对华研究的信息源规律——图情思路及方法在中美关系领域应用的尝试

基于中美关系与图书情报两个领域跨学科研究并主要对其中的图情思路进行分析。介绍如何通过图情方法形成观察美国对华研究的视角,基于引文网络将多种定性定量方法结合的具体操作。同时提出“定量开路、定性深入、工具辅助”的判断。课题在方法论上的示范意义,无论图情领域还是中美关系研究领域都可借鉴。     

Examination of museum objects by means of video holography

Abstract

A prototype inspection system has been tested which makes use of electronic speckle pattern interferometry with computer image processing, for deformation and stress analysis and for the location and analysis of defects in museum objects. Two different examples have been chosen: a nineteenth-century oil painting on a wood panel and a seventeenth-century enamelled terracotta vase. The method can give quite accurate metrological information; it is also particularly promising for rapid qualitative analysis.     

Evaluation of adverse drug reaction formatting in drug information mobile phone applications

Objective:To evaluate the differences in presentation (formatting) of adverse drug reaction (ADR) information within drug monographs in commonly used drug information (DI) mobile device applications.Methods:A cross-sectional analysis of ADR formatting of twenty commonly prescribed oral medications within seven DI mobile applications was performed. Databases were assessed for ADR information, including presence of placebo comparisons, severity of ADR, onset of ADR, formatting of ADRs in percentile (quantitative) format or qualitative format, whether references were used to cite information, and whether ADRs are grouped by organ system. Data was collected by two study investigators and discrepancies were resolved via consensus.Results:The seven DI mobile applications varied significantly on every analyzed ADR variable with the exception of ADR onset, which was absent in all databases. Significant differences were found for variables known to impact clinical judgment such as placebo comparisons and qualitative versus quantitative formatting. Placebo comparisons were most common among monographs in Lexicomp (30%) but were absent among monographs within other applications. Quantitative information was commonly used in most databases but was absent in Epocrates. Qualitative formatting was present in all Epocrates and Micromedex applications but absent in the majority of other applications. Substantial variations were also found in severity and grouping information.Conclusion:Substantial variation in ADR formatting exists among the most common DI mobile applications. These differences may translate into alternative interpretations of medical information and thus impact clinical judgment. Health care librarians and clinicians should consider ADR formatting when choosing between DI applications.     

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF PAINT SAMPLES USING THE WEISZ RING OVEN TECHNIQUE

Abstract

The Weisz ring oven technique is a rapid and sensitive yet simple method for the qualitative analysis of pigments and other inorganic materials of interest in conservation. Ions can be both separated and concentrated prior to spot-testing. The method possesses several advantages over the conventional spot plate tests.     

Contributing to Theory and Knowledge in Quantitative Communication Science

We propose a framework for understanding how quantitative researchers typically seek to contribute to theory and generalizable knowledge in communication, noting some of the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches typically used. The major approaches are described, and a content analysis of articles from four issues each of Journal of Communication, Human Communication Research, and Communication Research spanning parts of 2008 and 2009 provides information about their relative frequency of use in the field. We discuss how these categories can be employed by researchers when conceptualizing and articulating the theoretical contributions planned in their research and by reviewers, editors, and researchers in critically assessing such contributions in the work of others.     

Qualitative Media Measures: Newspaper Experiences

We seek to understand the experience of reading a newspaper. Qualitative and quantitative research methods identify 44 distinct dimensions of the newspaper reading experience. Using statistical models, these experiences are compared across a random sample of 101 daily U.S. newspapers to examine the extent that the experiences vary both across newspapers and among readers of a specific newspaper. Also, hierarchical linear models are used to study the association between readership and each of the 44 experiences. This shows which experiences have the strongest associations with readership and whether the strength of association varies across newspapers. By measuring experiences, media management can improve both content and advertising, ultimately increasing readership.     

How Do Youngsters Use Public Libraries to Find Non-Fiction Books? The Results of a Recent Research Project

ABSTRACT

Even in the face of widespread domestic use of electronic materials, books within public libraries remain an important source of information for many youngsters. This paper draws on the results of a qualitative English study broadly concerned with young people's information behavior to explore how youngsters locate non-fiction books within such libraries. One of several approaches was taken. Familiar with the placement of materials on the subject of the need, some went directly to the appropriate part of the collection. Others did not know the position of the desired section and combed the shelves randomly, consulted labels on the shelves/walls, sought help from staff or exploited the subject index. Most users wanted information on a certain topic, not a particular item. There were high levels of ignorance of both library terminology and the arrangement of books within the building. The article concludes by making recommendations for both practice and future research, based on the investigation's findings.     

Reading in the digital age: A case study in faculty and librarian collaboration

ABSTRACT

This article describes a collaborative partnership of two librarians and an English professor who created a unit for a senior capstone seminar on “The Digital Turn in English Studies.” After reading Charlotte Perkins Gilman's “The Yellow Wallpaper” in both print and digitized versions, students completed a survey on reading preferences and provided feedback on an experimental eTextReader allowing for annotation. Students also did blog postings providing a fuller picture of attitudes toward digital texts. We situate quantitative and qualitative findings in three contexts: the field of digital humanities, reading in the digital age, and tool development.     

Decoding via Coding: Analyzing Qualitative Text Data Through Thematic Coding and Survey Methodologies

ASBTRACT

In order to effectively analyze qualitative data one must use a systematic process to organize and highlight meaning. This article suggests a practical method of navigating the challenges of organizing and classifying qualitative data through the use of thematic coding and the reorganization of text data into a SurveyMonkey survey.     

#MeToo as Connective Action: A Study of the Anti-Sexual Violence and Anti-Sexual Harassment Campaign on Chinese Social Media in 2018

ABSTRACT

In January, 2018, the global anti-sexual violence and anti-sexual harassment movement – popularly known as #MeToo – had its Chinese nascence. This study drew upon the theory of connective actions to investigate how digital technologies shift the way in which feminist activism takes place. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed to systematically analyse over 36,000 online articles related to the campaign. The study identified 48 cases of sexual violence and harassment allegations. Findings from time series analysis show that China's #MeToo campaign first emerged within educational institutions before gradually spreading to other sectors of society. Based on qualitative findings from the ten most controversial cases, this paper identifies a series of counter-censorship strategies. The study of how the #MeToo movement in China emerged, adapted, and grew within an authoritarian context reveals unique insights into how connective actions traverse various platforms and cultural contexts. Methodologically, this study demonstrates how mixed methods can be utilised to study connective actions on social media in China.     

Consumer Use and Business Potential of Virtual Worlds: The Case of “Second Life”

Abstract

Several months ago, the virtual social world “Second Life” (SL) received considerable interest in both the popular and business press. Based on a series of 29 qualitative, in-depth interviews, this article investigates what types of behaviors consumers show within this environment and what business opportunities it offers for companies. The results indicate that users do not consider SL as a mere computer game but as an extension of their real lives. This has implications for how marketing managers can use this online application that go beyond those known from traditional computer or online games.     

Children’s Book Publishing in India

Very, very little is known about the children’s book publishing industry of India. This paper looks at book production aimed at a predominantly young readership base and attempts to identify the success areas and the gaps. The absence of statistics within the industry is particularly telling: it indicates the existence of a non-traditional book business and also points to alarming levels of piracy. At the same time, the growth of the traditional publishing industry has been seen as spectacular and unlikely, and growth patterns are proving to be unpredictable. This paper attempts to map trends with the limited resources available. The scope of the study, given the geographical and demographic nature of India, is broad. The focus is on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the industry.     

Library Employee Views of Disability and Accessibility

Abstract

This study sought to explore library employee attitudes toward people with disabilities and accessibility. It also aimed to determine the training needs of current library employees. A survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions was developed and snowball sampling was used. Analysis of both types of data indicates that librarians across library types generally feel unprepared to work with patrons with disabilities. Based on the results, there are several recommendations for improvement within the profession, including creating a more robust training program focused on accessibility and disability, examining policies from local through national levels, and improving recruitment and retention of people with disabilities into the profession.     

The television text: spectatorship,ideology, and the organization of consent

–The problem with popular polarizations in television reception research is that either quantitative or qualitative methodologies considered separately fails to render a complete understanding. Television viewing is both individual and collective. Thus this paper proposes an analytical framework synthesized from alternate approaches not conventionally petitioned in reception research, among them Gramsci's consent theory, which identifies a logical and justifiable space for both considerations, a means of accounting for the ebbs and flows of both individual and collective forces continuously at work in culture and in television reception.     

Barrier or Bridge: Photojournalism of the San Diego/TijuanaBorder Region

Using both quantitative and interpretive approaches, this article provides an in-depth analysis of the changing representations of the border region in the newspapers of San Diego and Tijuana over the last decade. The major daily newspapers, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and El Mexicano, have been sampled over a 10-year period. For the Union-Tribune, photo-journalistic coverage evolves in relationship to changing political realities, though the images may tend toward a more polarized reading than the text. Initially the photographs in the Union-Tribune depict the border as boundary. By 1998 increased emphasis on regional trade is reflected in the photojournalistic coverage. Until 2000, coverage in El Mexicano is much more static, always representing the border as bridge from the perspective of Mexican official culture. Comparative analysis of the representational strategies used in both cities suggests alternatives that cross borders rather than reinforce them.     

How to Build and Use a Customized Serials Information Database on Your Personal Computer

Summary

Librarians now have the capability, using a personal computer, to integrate bibliographic data, collection-use data, and even data from ILL requests into a customized serials database for the purpose of conducting automated use studies and qualitative collection analysis. This workshop builds upon a previous NASIG workshop and offers further ideas and enhancements for libraries creating customized databases. A general discussion of the issues and techniques related to building a customized serials database is presented, along with costs, benefits, and future considerations.     

Does research using qualitative methods (grounded theory,ethnography, and phenomenology) have more impact?

In spite of the increasing use of qualitative research methods in library and information studies, it is unclear whether using qualitative methods (grounded theory, ethnography, and phenomenology) results in an above average impact in library and information science (LIS). Articles using any of the three qualitative methods published from 2003 to 2013 and indexed in Web of Science in the category of “Information Science & Library Science” (N?=?299) were studied. The number of citations and Mendeley readers for each article was compared to the other articles published in the same journal and same volume using mean normalised rank (rank-1/articles-1). The results showed no statistically significant difference between the citation rates of qualitative articles with those of other articles. Qualitative articles on average had a smaller Mendeley readership than the other articles did and the difference was statistically significant. Given the increasing interest in qualitative methods, it is suggested that LIS schools in their education programs and journals in their editorial policies should put more emphasis on issues related to the rigour of qualitative research.     

Graduate student confidence following a for-credit systematic review course pilot

Background:In 2015, librarians at Purdue University began fielding requests from many disciplines to consult or collaborate on systematic review projects, and in 2016, health sciences librarians led the launch of a formal systematic review service. In 2019, Purdue University Libraries was reorganized as the Libraries and School of Information Studies (PULSIS) and assigned its own course designation, ILS. The increase in calls for systematic review services and the ability to teach ILS courses inspired the development of a credit-bearing ILS systematic review course.Case presentation:We designed, taught, and assessed a one-credit systematic review course for graduate students, using a backward-design course development model and applying self-determination theoretical concepts into lessons, assignments, and assessments. Using qualitative pre- and post-assessments, we discovered a variety of themes around student motivations, expectations, and preferences for the course. In quantitative post-class assessments, students reported improved confidence in all systematic review processes, with the highest confidence in their ability to choose and use citation management managers, describe the steps in the systematic review process, and understand the importance of a reproducible and systematic search strategy.Conclusions:We considered our pilot a success. Next steps include testing 2- and 3-credit- hour models and working to formally integrate the course into departmental and certificate curriculums. This case report provides a model for course design principles, learning outcomes, and assessments that librarians and library administrators can use to adjust their systematic review services.