Observing Student Researchers in their Native Habitat Internet Librarian International 2007 © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved. The information contained within this presentation is proprietary to ProQuest LLC. Use without citation is strictly prohibited. Law, John. Observing Students Researchers in their Native Habitat. Ann Arbor: ProQuest, 2007.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Methodology – How the study was conducted Ongoing research over multiple phases Field studies observing users in their native environment Guided by a formal research plan and study protocol © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Study parameters Students actively engaged in performing research for actual class assignments Conducted anonymously to avoid any bias Conducted onsite and remotely © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning How did we find students? Facebook

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Screening Online survey

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Who did we observe? Undergraduates Graduate students Variety of disciplines Mix of novice and sophisticated researchers © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Coffee shops The library Where did we go?

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning The library Computer labs Where did we go?

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Coffee shops Where did we go?

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Apartments Where did we go?

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Capturing the session (remote)

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning The student view

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Findings – What we learned How students decide which resources to use for their research How students use library resources How students are really using Google How social networking sites factor into student research © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning How students choose resources Library outreach Course instructor Brand awareness And Google © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning How students use library resources 95% of participants engaged library resources for their research Once in a licensed product, most students have no serious difficulties in conducting their research Students often work with multiple resources and search tools at the same time Abstracts are essential in identifying relevant articles © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Chief inhibitors to success in using library resources Lack of awareness Difficulty navigating library website to locate appropriate e-resources Search catalog front and center, for articles Authentication barriers, especially considering limited access points © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning How students really use Google Primary research tool Supplement research Handy look-ups © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Google as a primary research tool Sufficing, when quality isnt a concern Insufficiently aware of library e-resources Bad experiences with library e-resources © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Google as a handy look-up tool Locate know resources Known sites (NGOs, museums, etc.) Major newspapers Library resources Get specific answers General information about a topic Definition of a term, e.g. p16 protein Complete a citation for an article of interest © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning End-user surveys support these findings ~10,000 respondents Invited from ProQuest search interfaces Invited from Facebook ads at 3 universities © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Thinking about library online databases in comparison to web search engines such as Google… End-User Survey Question © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning End-User Surveys © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning End-User Surveys © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning End-User Surveys © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning End-User Surveys © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning End-User Surveys © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning How social networking sites factor into student research For the most part, they dont One student mentioned using it for a group project as a means for communication within the group Facebook often used as study break; MySpace rarely used One student mentioned using it for a group project as a means for communication within the group Academic librarians are setting up Facebook profiles to create relationships with students © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Recommendations Make resources discoverable Simplify e-resources web page design Address students perception that the online catalog represents all library resources Authentication Design access points for electronic resources from the students perspective Build awareness – Get into the classroom In person Via instructor Via course pages © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Formula For Academic Library Success* Greater Awareness + Usable Websites + Flawless Authentication = Better Results * Courtesy Steven Bell via ACRL blog entry about these research findings [ ] © 2007 ProQuest LLC. All Right Reserved.

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning Thank you John Law Director, Strategic Alliances & Platform Mgmt Joanna Markel, MSI Manager, User Experience Design Serena Rosenhan, Ph.D. Specialist, User Experience Design To be successful in todays world, those who define and build [research solutions] must know how to fit them into the fabric of everyday life. Beyer & Holtzblatt

Proprietary and Confidential ProQuest Information & Learning For further information Findings from ongoing research Information about pilot programs Opportunities to participate in study or pilots Final report on findings Send to with subject line Student Research Behaviors