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5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 216 of 293

  • 59 - Card sorting

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 160-161

  • Summary

    A set of blank cards can be a simple yet effective teaching tool. Many learners struggle with how to think of appropriate keywords and construct search strategies using synonyms and related words – this technique can help.

    First, ask your learners to identify a search topic. Then, ask them to use the cards to note words that relate to that topic – use a single card per topic. Ask them to think about as many alternative words as possible. After ten minutes or so, stop and run a feedback session – you can then review the cards and reflect on the use of language and synonyms. Ask the learners for alternative words at this point.

    Once the group has amassed a collection of words, ask them to start grouping the words into related concepts. The search terms can then be reviewed to discuss which would be the more effective words, and which would work best in a search engine or structured bibliographic database. Explain how to combine the different concepts.

    ✓ BEST FOR

  • • developing an understanding of how to break down a search

  • • choosing appropriate keywords.

    • + MORE

  • • Extend the activity by including how words from the different groups or concepts can be combined, using, for example, Boolean operators. Consider using the Building blocks technique.

    • : WATCH OUT

  • • Keep this activity simple. It could become complicated and end up discouraging your learners from a more structured approach to searching (‘What's the point of this? I can just put a couple of words into Google and it works!’). Be prepared with a few examples of how appropriate word choice makes for a more effective search. You may need to think quite carefully about the subjects/topic areas with which you are working, and make sure that this approach will guarantee better research outcomes.

  • 7 - Facilitating learning

  • from Planning
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 22-26

  • Summary

    Remember, that for learning to take place some form of catalyst is usually required. Humans do not absorb all knowledge simply by a process of osmosis. That catalyst may be an event, or a change in learner circumstance, but most often a learning and teaching event and a teacher will create that opportunity. Your role as teacher/trainer/facilitator will shape the learning experience in your session – the activities used and your own behaviour will affect the end result.

    The nature of learning is still the focus for much academic discussion, but rather than summarize huge amounts of current debate, we will focus here on some key issues and themes.

    Fundamentally, you must always remember that learning takes place at different levels and in different ways. In order to maximize the impact of your learning and teaching work, you need to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve in your session and design your learning activities to reach these aims.

    Bloom's taxonomy of learning (1956) is a framework that can be used to help guide your thinking about how you want your learners to progress and develop. Bloom's taxonomy has three domains: the cognitive (relating to knowledge), the affective (values and beliefs) and the psychomotor (physical skills). These relate to ‘knowledge, attitude and skills’ structures which you may see underpinning many approaches to learning and evaluation.

    Each domain has a series of levels that act as ‘building blocks’ for learning. Information literacy sessions are likely to involve all three domains, but will normally focus on the cognitive domain – the acquisition and use of knowledge. The psychomotor domain involves things like use of a keyboard and mouse and ability to navigate websites. The affective domain is often a key part of introductory sessions where the librarian may be trying to change the learners’ views of the library – seeing it as a more valuable resource, or changing the learners’ perceptions of the value of information skills (how many learners are often overly confident in their information skills, feeling they have little to learn?) or even in helping to overcome the learners’ own negative perceptions of whether it is right and appropriate for them to be in a library.

  • 55 - Blogs

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 152-153

  • Summary

    A blog is a web log or online diary that has a very simple structure: the owner of the blog writes ‘posts’ that are dated and displayed with the most recent first, and archived by month. Blogs can be multimedia by incorporating images, audio or video. They can also be interactive through the use of a ‘comments’ facility whereby other people can post a reaction to a blog post. Most blogs can also be made private, making them visible only to the blog owner and invited guests. A blog will normally have a web feed available, which means other people can ‘subscribe’ to your blog using an RSS reader – new blog posts will be delivered to the learner without them having to check the blog every day. The simplicity of a blog means that it can be used in many ways, either by the teacher or learner.

    There are many websites where you can create a blog, some of which are free and offer good functionality, including Blogger (owned by Google, www.blogger.com) and WordPress (www.wordpress.com). Blog sites vary in the features that they offer and some sites require payment.

    Ask learners to use a blog to record their research strategies for a particular project. Encourage reflection on why particular sources were used and ask for links to any online sources to be embedded into the blog. For example, ask what information was found at those sources. What strategies did learners use to find the information? Is the source considered to be a reliable source with good-quality information?

    ✓ BEST FOR

  • • encouraging self-reflection

  • • engaging learners through the use of technology

  • • encouraging interaction and peer review.

    • + MORE

  • • Set a task where learners write the diary of a historic or fictional figure. In order to write the diary the learners must research the history of that person.

  • • Set up a blog yourself to use in teaching sessions. Add resources and encourage exploration and discussion of the resources.

  • • Use a blog for current awareness, informing learners of new sources or issues relating to information literacy – learners can subscribe to your blog using the RSS feed.

  • H

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 164-185

  • Summary

    HEADS OF STATE/HEADS OF GOVERNMENT

    Typical questions

  • • Who is the Russian president?

  • • Where can I find the name of the British prime minister in 1974?

    • Points to consider

  • • Many governments now have websites with current and historic information on presidents and prime ministers. Some even have photographs, biographies, messages and speeches online. The University of Michigan Government Documents Center has a good collection of links to foreign government websites, which are a useful starting-point, www.lib.umich.edu/government-documents-center.

  • • Another starting-point for historic information is dictionaries of national biography. See the Biographical Information section for details.

  • • Always check when the information was last updated.

    • Where to look

    Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments

    www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/rss-updates/index.html

    Free listing, regularly updated, by the CIA.

    Statesman's Yearbook (subscription required)

    www.statesmansyearbook.com

    Online or in print, the annual publication lists current monarchs, presidents and heads of government. Online version covers 1860 onwards.

    HIGHER EDUCATION

    Typical questions

  • • I need to find statistics on student retention rates in English universities.

  • • Where can I search for recent articles on HE management?

    • Points to consider

  • • This section focuses specifically on Higher Education resources. General educational theory resources may also be found in the broader Education section.

  • • Increasing numbers of documents produced by government departments/educational think-tanks are being published on the web rather than in print. Therefore they may not be indexed on academic library catalogues. Remember to search the internet!

    • Where to look

    Key organizations

    UK

    Government bodies

    Remember that recent government reports are often online, while earlier ones can usually be located in paper in major libraries, including those listed in the Education section. Departmental names often change, so check details as carefully as possible.

    Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)

    www.bis.gov.uk/policies/by/themes/higher%20education

    Currently responsible for higher and further education. Access policy, consultation, documents and full-text reports from the website.

    Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

    www.hefce.ac.uk

    Responsible for funding higher education and research activities. Note that Scottish higher education institutions are funded by the Scottish Funding Council, www.sfc.ac.uk/about_the_council/council_funded_institutions/ council_funded_institutions.aspx.

  • 61 - Cephalonian method

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 165-167

  • Summary

    The Cephalonian method is a technique for delivering induction sessions to large audiences using a mix of interactive questioning, colour and music. It was developed by Nigel Morgan and Linda Davies (2004) at Cardiff University and is based on a technique used at a welcome session on a package holiday in Cephalonia, Greece. This method involves the use of trigger questions – planted questions that encourage learner participation.

    The first step in this technique is to create a set of questions, the answers to which contain all the information you wish to include in your induction session (for example: ‘How many books can I borrow?’). First of all you need to decide which topics/questions you want to include and then categorize them into the themes of your presentation. Write the questions on cards, assigning a colour to each category. Then hand out the cards to random members of your audience. During the session, ask for a volunteer to read a question from a particular colour, such as a ‘blue question’. Using the colour coding allows the presenter to have some control over the order of the questions, so issues can be addressed in a logical order. After the learner has asked the question, the presenter should locate the appropriate PowerPoint slide and go through that answer. Continue through the ‘blue questions’ until they are finished, then move on to another colour. Continue this until all the questions have been answered.

    ✓ BEST FOR

  • • inductions

  • • making large ‘lecture-type’ sessions interactive

  • • delivering core material in a different way each time

  • • encouraging participation in large groups where learners may be unwilling to ‘expose’ themselves by asking a question.

    • + MORE

  • • Enhance the session by using music while learners enter and leave.

  • • Ensure the colour is written on the corner of the card – this enables anyone who is colour-blind to identify the appropriate colour.

  • • You may have to repeat a question once a learner has asked it, as he or she may not speak loud enough for the group to hear.

  • • Questions could be more involved, such as: ‘How can I identify whether a journal is academic or peer-reviewed?’

  • 12 - Evaluation

  • from Planning
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 39-41

  • Summary

    Evaluation should be an integral part of any teaching or training. Evaluation will let you know whether your learners have achieved the intended learning outcomes and it is an opportunity to gather evidence of the impact of your teaching sessions. Evaluation and assessment are closely linked.

    Methods of evaluation should be considered when developing teaching and embedded throughout the teaching process, not just bolted on to the end of a session. Evaluation is often thought of as the printed form handed out at the end of courses, but it should be a much more considered process that is integral to your planning, development and delivery. Take every opportunity to gather evidence of the impact of your teaching.

    Evaluation can take place on different levels. Although designed for the business context, Kirkpatrick's (1959) four levels of evaluation model is widely used. The levels are:

  • 1 Reaction

  • This is how the learner feels at the end of your teaching session or course. It is usually measured by the ‘happy sheet’, so named as it can really only measure at the reaction level. This is an opportunity to gather learners’ opinions on your session, including practicalities such as organization, venue, refreshments, etc., but also on content – did they feel the session was useful? Did the session meet its aims? This can also be a good opportunity to find out what further training is needed. You can attempt to measure beyond reaction by asking how learners will use the knowledge and/or skills gained in the session.

  • 2 Learning

  • This relates to knowledge or skills acquisition – what did the learners actually learn? This is where evaluation is closely linked to assessment. This does not necessarily mean formal assessment via an exam, etc., but could be informal questioning by the teacher or a demonstration of skills in a practical session. In your planning, think about how learners can demonstrate that they have learned what you are trying to teach – this should impact the design of your session.

  • Introduction

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp ix-xii

  • Summary

    What this book covers

    The title of this book makes a very big claim. No one can possibly know the answers to all the questions that a student, researcher or academic might ask, nor should they claim to do so. Information resources are constantly evolving and one of the key tasks of the librarian is to make sure that he or she keeps up to date.

    What this book does offer is a survival guide for front-line staff to help them find appropriate information quickly, whether they are answering questions at a physical help desk or remotely by telephone, e-mail or instant messaging service.

    The entries cover a range of queries commonly encountered in the academic library. They are also of relevance to public library staff assisting visiting students. The key categories covered are:

  • • Study skills. Citing and referencing; literature-searching techniques; social research methods and avoiding plagiarism.

  • • Locating different types of resources. Starting-points for finding commonly requested types of material, including: archives; dictionaries; book reviews; biographical information; conference papers; encyclopedias; images; films; statistical data; maps; market research reports; opinion polls; newspapers; government publications; quotations and speeches.

  • • PhD and researcher questions. Basic guidance to common queries such as how to trace theses and dissertations; locating sources of funding; and searching for books and journals in other libraries.

  • • Academic staff questions. Starting-points for tackling questions relating to open access publishing; copyright licences; finding bibliometric data; and tracing online teaching and learning resources.

  • • Subject literature searching. Some basic starting-points for beginning research in a number of commonly encountered academic subject areas. The full list of these is: Accountancy; Art; Business Studies; Computer Science; Criminology; Development Studies; Economics; Economic History; Education; Engineering; Environment; European Union; Geography; History; Human Rights; International Relations; Languages; Law; Literature; Management; Marketing; Mathematics; Media Studies; Medicine and Nursing; Music; Philosophy; Religious Studies; Science; Social Welfare and Social Work; Sociology; Sports Studies; Tourism; Women's Studies.

  • • Area studies resources. In addition, key resources for those studying a number of specific regions: African Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Slavonic and East European Studies are also provided.

  • 70 - Goldfish bowl

  • from Activities
  • Helen Blanchett, Chris Powis, Jo Webb
  • Book:
    A Guide to Teaching Information Literacy
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 186-187

  • Summary

    This activity is ideal for any topic that involves debate such as issues relating to copyright, plagiarism, authority, privacy online or managing your online reputation. Arrange chairs in a circle, placing two in the centre. Two volunteers should sit in the central chairs and begin the debate: they are in the centre of the ‘goldfish bowl’, being observed by the wider group. If a member of the wider group wants to join the debate, challenge one of the speakers or have their own say, they must tap one of the learners in the middle on the shoulder, and then wait their turn.

    ✓ BEST FOR

  • • confident learners

  • • providing a novel approach to managing discussion in a large group

  • • enabling participants to see how to structure a debate

  • • energizing discussion by involving movement

  • • providing an effective compromise between involving the whole group in a learning activity, and having something managed and focused.

    • + MORE

  • • As preparation for the goldfish bowl, divide the class into small discussion groups and give each group one side of the debate to research and discuss. This will mean learners have a chance to consider the issues relating to the debate and encourage learners to be more confident in their contributions. The preparation could take place immediately prior to the goldfish bowl, or set as homework.

  • • Break up a large group into two or more simultaneous goldfish bowls – this might be less daunting to participants and thus encourage participation.

  • • Some example topics for discussion:

  • — Is it OK to download music illegally?

  • — What is wrong with copying and pasting for my class work?

  • — Privacy online: Google and Facebook retain a lot of your personal information – is this good or bad?

    • : WATCH OUT

  • • This activity requires a motivated group of learners in order to work well. The choice of topic is vital as it must be one that engages the group and thus provoke discussion.

  • • Keep an eye out for the discussion being dominated by a few members of the group. You may have to encourage quieter learners to contribute.

  • • If the discussion stalls, be prepared to join in yourself with some controversial or thought-provoking comments or questions.

  • Q

  • Heather Dawson
  • Book:
    Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    23 October 2011, pp 293-298

  • Summary

    QUALIFICATIONS

    Typical questions

  • • What is an HND?

  • • Is there a website where I can compare international qualifications with UK ones?

    • Points to consider

  • • These resources offer general guidance on academic qualifications. Students seeking advice on whether they meet the entrance criteria for specific courses should always be referred to the institution concerned. Look for the admissions section on the website.

  • • Another possible source of information is professional associations. They will be able to provide advice on accredited courses and/or qualifications for entering their field.

  • • Don't forget that the UK is comprised of a number of regions with different education systems. Information on Scotland and Northern Ireland will often be listed separately.

  • • Finally, remember to check when the website/directory was last updated!

    • Where to look

    UK

    British Qualifications, Kogan Page. Annual

    Long established guide to academic and vocational qualifications in the UK. Includes information on all further and higher education colleges and professional institutions granting awards. Also includes background information on the structure of the education system.

    Education UK

    www.educationuk.org

    Site created by the British Council. Provides a general introduction to the British education system which explains simply its structure and the types of qualifications awarded. Useful as an introduction for overseas students.

    National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (NARIC)

    www.naric.org.uk

    National agency responsible for offering individuals and businesses advice on comparing overseas skills and qualifications with their British equivalents. Website contains basic information. Most services are fee based.

    Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)

    www.qaa.ac.uk

    Government body responsible for overseeing standards in UK higher education. Website includes framework statements and benchmarking reports which set out the standards required for the award of higher degrees.

    International

    Erasmus

    ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc80_en.htm

    Major programme of the European Union which aims to encourage international mobility in higher education. Its website provides information on the programme. The British Council website offers more support for UK students, www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus.htm.

    International Bureau on Education

    www.ibe.unesco.org/en.html

    UNESCO institute. Website gives free access to its international directory of education systems, World Education Data. This offers a profile of the education system and accreditation process in many nations worldwide. Notes cover schooling and higher education. There are references to the names of the main agencies and their websites.

  • 1 - Introduction

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 1-24

  • Summary

    The main goal of an information service is to meet the user requirements for finding and accessing relevant information. In other words, users are, or at least should be, at the centre of any information service irrespective of whether it is free or fee‑based, local or remote. Prompted by the introduction of computers in information processing in the late 1950s, a large variety of online databases and information search services began to be marketed in the 1960s. The rate of growth of local and remote online information services has increased significantly with the appearance and proliferation of the internet and the world wide web some two decades ago. Information services now play a major part in almost all our day‑to‑day activities in today's society.

    However, information services existed long before the invention of computers. Traditionally, libraries provided information services, and libraries have existed for centuries. Users, and ease of use of information, were the two major driving forces behind these services. The importance of users in the context of library and information services was acknowledged by Ranganathan (1963) in his famous Five Laws of Librarianship in the 1930s:

  • • Books are for use.

  • • Every reader his book.

  • • Every book its reader.

  • • Save the time of the reader.

  • • A library is a growing organism.

    • It may be noted that although Ranganathan conceived these laws nearly a century ago in the context of libraries, they are very much applicable in today's electronic information world where one can easily reword these laws to state:

  • • Information is for use.

  • • Every user her [piece of] information.

  • • Every [piece of] information its user.

  • • Save the time of the user.

  • • Information is a growing organism.

    • In other words, while creating and/or managing an information service, we should always keep users in mind so that every bit of information stored within the system is accessible by its target users, and as a corollary users of the information system or service should find the information they require efficiently and effectively.

  • 2 - Information needs and user studies

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 25-54

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Wilson (2000) commented, ‘However we define it, and from whatever year we choose to date it, information science has been concerned with the information user.’ As discussed in Chapter 1, user studies, as we understand them today, first appeared as an area of research in the context of information studies in 1948. Over the past six decades user studies has remained a major area of research, giving rise to several theories, models and new principles published in thousands of research papers and reports. Later Wilson (2008, 174) observed that ‘apart from information retrieval theories virtually no other area of information science … has occasioned as much research effort and writing as “user studies”’.

    In October 2010 a quick search on the ISI Web of Knowledge database for ‘user studies’ produced 11,798 hits: 6534 hits in computer science, 2848 in engineering, 2279 in psychology, 2268 in education and educational research, 1702 in behavioural sciences, 1298 in telecommunications, 1265 in information and library science, and 1042 in health sciences, demonstrating that user studies is a major area of research in different disciplines. Wilson (2008) observed that ‘information needs’ has remained a major area of investigation within user studies but, commenting on this claim, Bawden (2008) pointed out that progress towards having a theoretical understanding of information needs has been slow.

    User studies and information needs are increasingly challenging areas of research in the modern digital age, where numerous information products are services are being created for consumption by remote and widely varied categories of users. Some typical examples of information in a variety of information products and services were discussed in Chapter 1; for example the two BBC websites shown in Figures 1.4 and 1.5 show examples of different kinds of information services designed for different categories of customers of the BBC. Illustrations of other websites in Chapter 1 demonstrated that every organization or institution takes a different approach in designing and offering their online information products and services in order to meet the needs of their target audience or customers. Other examples of information products and services range from numerous search engines and digital libraries to handheld communication and entertainment devices such as mobile phones, iPods and iPads, and e‑books readers like the Sony e‑book readers and Amazon Kindle.

  • 5 - Usability study participants

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 109-122

  • Summary

    Introduction

    As discussed in Chapter 4, the success of a usability study depends significantly on the selection of appropriate study participants. Sometimes it is not easy to identify who the actual and potential users of an information product or service are, and this makes the job of selecting participants for a usability study even more difficult. However, combining the most suitable groups of study participants and the most appropriate data collection methods can produce the best results in a usability study. This chapter discusses some basic issues related to the selection of participants for usability studies of information products and services. It also discusses various techniques for user sampling and the ethical requirements associated with the selection of study participants and usability studies in general.

    Selection of study participants

    An information product or service is designed to meet the information requirements of a group of users. Depending on the nature and content of the specific information product or service, sometimes these users can be very specific, for example, a group of scientists, professionals or researchers, or members of the general public. Nonetheless, the overall goal of a usability study is to assess how far the given information product or service achieves its stated objectives of meeting the information needs of the target users. Hence knowing who the target users are of an information product or service is the first step in conducting a usability study.

    Creating a user profile

    Before designing an information product or service, it is important to identify the potential users, record their information behaviour, and find out the tasks or activities for which they would need to use the information product or service. This information is used to create a user profile, which forms the basis of the design. This information can also be used at a later stage of the product lifecycle in order to conduct usability testing.

    Usually a user profile is created at the very early stages of a product development. This is dictated by the business and goals of the organization that is developing an information product or service, the nature of the product, the specific objective and goals of the product, the target users, and the specific tasks or activities for which they would need the new or modified information product or service.

  • 6 - Usability data analysis

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 123-140

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Usability studies, in the words of Rohrer (2008), are ‘blessed (or cursed) with a very wide range of research methods, ranging from tried‑and‑true methods such as lab‑based usability studies to those that have been more recently developed, such as desirability studies (to measure aesthetic appeal)’. Indeed, as discussed in Chapter 4, a usability researcher can adopt a variety of approaches and methods for conducting usability research. Irrespective of the study approach – quantitative or qualitative – usability research often generates a large volume and variety of data that needs to be analysed and interpreted appropriately in order to produce useful results and draw appropriate conclusions. If a quantitative approach is adopted, one or more appropriate statistical methods have to be used in order to analyse the data.

    Quantitative data can be presented in a variety of ways using tables, charts and so on. Such simple data analysis and presentation techniques provide descriptive statistics as the study findings, but in most statistical studies it is expected that results can be generalized for the entire study population and inferences can be drawn. In doing so, it is also important that the findings are taken with some degrees of confidence, the most common one being a 95% confidence level – the findings can be true for 95% of cases. Depending on its nature and design a usability study may involve a number of data variables that may be independent or dependent on one another, and the data variable may have different characteristics that need to be analysed and interpreted according to appropriate statistical techniques. Consequently, one or more statistical methods need to be used in order to analyse and interpret statistical data properly.

    In summary, a usability researcher needs to know at least some of the basic statistical techniques and measures in order to complete a usability study successfully and generate results that can be taken with confidence and generalized appropriately. Again, in addition to employing quantitative analysis techniques, in order to generate statistical data, a usability researcher may also employ some qualitative analysis techniques in order to conduct some in‑depth analysis and gather data on specific features and functionalities – for example user preferences and the reasons behind them – of an information product or service.

  • 3 - Human information behaviour studies and models

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 55-84

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Over 10,000 articles have been published on different aspects of human information behaviour (HIB) research and there has been a steady growth since 2000: ‘30 items per year during the early 1970s, 40 during the early 1980s, 50 by the late 1980s, 100 by 1990, and 120 items per year by 2005’ (Case, 2007, 242). Keeping track of such a rapidly growing literature is a challenging task. Fortunately, a representative range of literature has been reviewed in several publications including:

  • • ‘60 Years of the Best in Information Research on User Studies and Information Needs’ by Wilson (2006b)

  • • ‘Users, User Studies and Human Information Behaviour: a three decade perspective on Tom Wilson's “On user studies and information needs”’ by Bawden (2006)

  • • A chapter in Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, ‘Information Behavior’ by Case (2006)

    • In addition, a number of sources have emerged which deal exclusively or predominantly with information seeking, for example:

  • • Information Seeking in Context (ISIC) conference series since 1996

  • • special issues of several journals including Informing Science (3 (2), 2000), Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (55 (8), 2004), Journal of Documentation (62 (6), 2006, and 63 (1), 2007), Information Processing & Management (‘Designing for Uncertainty’, 2008) and Library & Information Science Research (23 (4), 2001)

  • • the electronic journal Information Research (http://informationr.net/ir/), edited and published by T. D. Wilson

  • • a number of recent books including: Looking for Information (Case, 2007), New Directions in Human Information Behaviour (Spink and Cole, 2005), The Turn (Ingwersen and Jarvelin, 2005) and Theories of Information Behaviour (Fisher, Erdelez and McKechnie, 2006).

    • The chapter begins with the definition of HIB, and information seeking and retrieval. It sets the overall background of HIB study in general, then discusses the concept of information seeking and retrieval, which is a subset of HIB research, and an important aspect of usability of information products and services. Several models in the literature aim to provide a theoretical underpinning of HIB and the information seeking and retrieval process, focusing particularly on human aspects. Therefore, some widely used information seeking behaviour models and some new models derived from recent research work are discussed in this chapter. The new information seeking models will offer some insights of new directions of information behaviour research.

  • 10 - Issues and trends in usability research

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 187-202

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Although general evaluation and performance measurements of library and information services, and evaluation of information online information services and databases have a long history, usability studies of information websites and online information products and services are of recent origin. Methods, tools and technologies that have been developed and used within software communities – the human–computer interaction community in particular – and subsequently in the context of the web have been adopted for usability research in the context of online information products and services. However, since users are at the core of any usability study and user studies have remained a major area of research within the information science community, many methods and techniques that were developed for user studies have been adopted and used in usability research. While significant amounts of progress have been made to usability research in information, many new challenges have also appeared over the past few years. Some of these challenges result from the changing nature of the web and emerging technologies, standards and so on; others are caused by the very nature of the web and ICTs that are affected by many factors, including the digital divide, digital and information literacy and the fast changing nature of society caused by the culture of web and mobile technologies, social networking technologies and so on. These emerging technologies and culture bring tremendous opportunities as well as challenges for usability researchers within the information science community. This chapter provides a quick overview of some of the emerging technologies and challenges and points out some new research to show the trends and opportunities in usability research.

    Usability methods and techniques

    As discussed earlier in this book, usability studies in digital libraries and online information products and services use a variety of methods and techniques, most of which were originally developed within the software engineering and human–computer interaction research communities. However, some tools and techniques, such as transaction log analysis, eye tracking and cognitive studies of users, are of relatively recent origin and have been adopted from other fields of studies. Similarly, other areas of study and corresponding methods and techniques, such as in the digital divide, information literacy and so on, are being brought within usability research since they have a significant impact on the usability of online information products and services.

  • 8 - The usability of digital libraries

  • G. G. Chowdhury, Sudatta Chowdhury
  • Book:
    Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    09 June 2018
    Print publication:
    30 September 2011, pp 153-168

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Usability studies of digital libraries primarily aim to find out how easily users can interact with the interface of the digital library, find useful information and use retrieved information to accomplish specific tasks, and what their general impressions about the various features and functionalities of the library are. Some usability studies also aim to gather information about the non‑users with a view to finding out why potential users don't use the digital library, and what can be done to make it usable for them.

    Chowdhury, Landoni and Gibb (2006) suggested that usability of a digital library depends on a number of factors, such as the effectiveness and efficiency of the information access system, the ease of use and friendliness of the user interface, users’ needs, usage patterns and so on. Sumner (2005) emphasized that understanding the needs and type of work of users, and innovative user interfaces and interaction mechanisms can influence better use of digital library resources, collections and services. Park (2000) observed that the heterogeneity and distribution of information resources is also an important usability factor. Bishop et al. (2000) pointed out that a digital library is a space where users engage with the information infrastructure, so user problems, user attitudes, specific use situations and work practices are important points for usability studies.

    There have been a number of usability and evaluation studies of digital libraries over the past two decades, which have used a variety of usability study techniques and methods of data collections and analysis. Several models for usability and evaluation of digital libraries have also been proposed by research ‑ ers. This chapter discusses various issues related to the usability of digital libraries and discusses the factors that researchers have identified as important for usability studies of digital libraries. Finally it discusses some usability study models, with particular reference to MEDLIS, a usability study model developed by one of the authors of this book in the course of a research project.

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