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Research Methodology 101

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Title: Research Methodology 101


1
Research Methodology 101
Texas Library Association Annual Conference,
2004 San Antonio, Texas
  • Yes! You CAN Do a Research Study in Your Library

A presentation by Kate Manuel, Instruction
Coordinator and Susan E. Beck, Collection
Development Coordinator New Mexico State
University Library
2
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
1. A study assessing student learning outcomes in
2 broad categories (concepts, techniques) by
examining student research journals in 1 section
of an elective information literacy course in
fall semester.
3
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
2. An experimental study that proposes a fund
allocation formula for academic library
collections based on the following average of
overall book price average of overall serial
prices degree level (10 for undergraduate to 30
for doctorate) / the number of students enrolled
in degree program as majors the total number of
faculty in the department three total number
of students in program. (OAB OAS)
D/(Sn (Fn3))Sn N.B. Not a standard formula
4
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
3. A newspaper article you read just the other
day stated that in a recently published study
done at a major U.S. university, researchers
found that domestic violence affects 1 in every 4
women.
5
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
4. A 2004 article on a library use and services
satisfaction study that used as its measurement
tool a survey given to every nth person entering
the library building on 40 randomly selected days
throughout the school year.
6
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
5. An outcomes assessment research project of a 5
year old IL program in which all incoming
freshmen must participate. Total student
population on campus is divided between 32
freshmen to senior (or 4 year) and 68 transfer
students.
7
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
6. Over a one year period, researchers studied
the occurrence of turn-aways in a virtual
reference service and noted that the
significantly high occurrence of turn-aways
indicates increased need for virtual reference
service.
8
What question do you have about the research
methodologies in these studies?
7. A survey of faculty found that the majority of
those interview interacted most with librarians
at the reference desk. The researchers concluded
that most faculty view librarians in a servile
role.
9
First things first
  • Basics
  • Topic ideas
  • Typical methodologies
  • Common pitfalls
  • Getting started and putting it all together
  • Questions/discussion

10
Basic steps of a research project
  • Find a topic?What, When
  • Formulate questions?What, Why
  • Define population?Who, When
  • Select design measurement?How
  • Gather evidence?How
  • Interpret evidence?Why
  • Tell about what you did and found out

11
Figuring out your study
  • What?
  • Who?
  • When?
  • Why?
  • And How?

12
Topic ideas
  • Online chat reference
  • Types of questions
  • Subject? Type?
  • of turnaways
  • Difference in discourse
  • In-person vs. chat
  • Partnership studies
  • Similar libraries with same software

13
Topic Ideas
  • E-book usage
  • Usability studies of
  • Online tutorial(s)
  • My Library portals
  • Analysis of library web sites or library
    instruction sites or pathfinders by best
    practices
  • Student learning outcomes in LI programs

14
Types of methodologies
  • QuaLitative Measures
  • Descriptive
  • Numbers not the primary focus
  • Interpretive, ethnographic, naturalistic
  • QuaNtitative Measures
  • N for numbers
  • Statistical
  • Quantifiable

15
QuaLitative measures
  • Content Analysis
  • Analyzed course syllabi of library use through
    discipline and level (Rambler)
  • Studied online tutorials, applying best practices
    recommendations (Tancheva)

16
QuaLitative Measures
  • Discourse Analysis
  • Analyzed student responses in writing and
    discussions to a short film compared findings
    to parallel study with LIS grad Ss (Vandergrift)
  • Focus Groups
  • Discussed how participants experience use the
    library (Von Seggern Young)
  • Studied why students use the Internet and how
    much time they use it (Wilson)

17
QuaLitative Measures
  • Interviews
  • Studied 25 HS students web use for research
    assignments (Lorenzen)
  • Looked at what type of information first year
    students need and how they go about acquiring it
    (Seamans)
  • Observation (obtrusive)
  • Observed students as they conducted online
    research noted their activities (Dunn)
  • Observation (Unobtrusive)
  • Retrieval of discarded cheat sheets to analyze
    academic misconduct (Pullen et. al.)

18
QuaLitative Measures
  • Think Aloud Protocols
  • Studied how users navigate a library web site
    (Cockrell Jayne)
  • Usability testing
  • Examined students mental models of online
    tutorials (Veldof Beavers)

19
QuaNtitative measures
p lt .05
  • CompareThings
  • Count Things
  • Survey People About Things

20
QuaNtitative measures
p lt .05
  • Comparison studies
  • Experimental and control groups
  • Instructional methodologies (Colaric Cudiner
    Harmon)
  • Program assessment using before/after analysis of
    research papers(Emmons Martin)

21
QuaNtitative measures
p lt .05
  • Pre Post Tests (Van Scoyoc)
  • Measures Scales
  • Bosticks Library Anxiety Scale (Onwuegbuzie
    Jiao Van Scoyoc)
  • Procrastination Assessment Scale (Onwuegbuzie
    Jiao)

22
QuaNtitative measures
p lt .05
  • Numeric Studies
  • Citation Analysis?Bibliometrics (Dellavalle)
  • Webometrics (Bar-Ilian)

23
Ready Made Data Sets
  • National Survey of Student Engagement (Whitmire)
  • College Student Experiences Questionnaire (Kuh
    and Gonyea)
  • The Web
  • Internet Archive (Ryan, Field Olfman)
  • Electronic journals (Dellavalle)
  • Library server logs

24
Common Pitfalls
  • Problems with population
  • Sampling?
  • Representativeness?
  • Self-selection?

25
Research Problem 1 A study assessing student
learning outcomes in 2 broad categories
(concepts, techniques) by examining student
research journals in 1 section of an elective
information literacy course in fall semester.
26
Research Problem 4 A 2004 article on a library
use and services satisfaction study that used as
its measurement tool a survey given to every nth
person entering the library building on 40
randomly selected days throughout the school
year.
27
Research Problem 5 An outcomes assessment
research project of a 5 year old IL program in
which all incoming freshmen must participate.
Total student population on campus is divided
between 32 freshmen to senior (or 4 year) and
68 transfer students.
28
Common Pitfalls
  • Problems with operationalization
  • Defining of what is measured

29
Research Problem 2 An experimental study that
proposes a fund allocation formula for academic
library collections based on the following
average of overall book price average of
overall serial prices degree level (10 for
undergraduate to 30 for doctorate) / the number
of students enrolled in degree program as majors
the total number of faculty in the department
three total number of students in program.
(OAB OAS) D/(Sn (Fn3))Sn N.B. Not a
standard formula
30
Research Problem 3 A newspaper article you read
just the other day stated that in a recently
published study done at a major U.S. university,
researchers found that domestic violence affects
1 in every 4 women.
31
Research Problem 4 A 2004 article on a library
use and services satisfaction study that used as
its measurement tool a survey given to every nth
person entering the library building on 40
randomly selected days throughout the school
year.
32
Research Problem 5 Over a one year period,
researchers studied the occurrence of turn-aways
in a virtual reference service and noted that the
significantly high occurrence of turn-aways
indicates increased need for virtual reference
service.
33
Common Pitfalls
  • Problems with generalizability
  • False conclusions
  • Transformations

34
Research Problem 1 A study assessing student
learning outcomes in 2 broad categories
(concepts, techniques) by examining student
research journals in 1 section of an elective
information literacy course in fall semester.
35
Research Problem 7 A survey of faculty found
that the majority of those interviewed interacted
most with librarians at the reference desk. The
researchers concluded that most faculty view
librarians in a servile role.
36
Keep In Mind That
  • No study is perfect
  • All data is dirty is some way or another
    research is what you do with that dirty data
    (Manuel)
  • Measurement involves making choices

37
Be Critical About Numbers (Best 2001)
  • Every statistic is a way of summarizing complex
    information into relatively simple numbers.
    (Best)
  • How did the researchers arrive at these numbers?
  • Who produced the numbers and what is their bias?
  • How can key terms be defined in how many
    different ways?

38
Be Critical About Numbers
  • How was the choice for the measurement made?
  • What type of sample was gathered how does that
    affect result?
  • Is the statistical result interpreted correctly?
  • If comparisons are made, are they appropriate?
  • Are there competing statistics?

39
Getting Started
  • Read to learn read to analyze
  • About research methodology
  • Studies on similar topics
  • Interesting studies
  • Non-library studies

40
Getting Started
  • Finding a topic neednt be traumatic
  • Work projects? Research studies
  • PT overhaul
  • Library GO Bond Proposal Project
  • Library workshop trends
  • User repair strategies

41
Getting Started
  • Data collection involves agreement consent
  • Forge partnerships
  • At some point you will need to leave the comfort
    zone of reading and literature gathering and

42
Just get out and do it!
43
Questions?
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