Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (Journal)
Not a member yet
1552 research outputs found
Sort by
Demand-Driven Acquisition E-books Have Equal Cost Per Use as Print, but DDA Has Much More Active Use Overall
No full textA Review of:
Downey, K., Zhang, Y., Urbano, C., & Klinger, T. (2014). A comparative study of print book and DDA e-book acquisition and use. Technical Services Quarterly, 31 (2), 139-160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2014.875379
Abstract
Objective – To compare usage of demand-driven acquisition (DDA) e-books with print books to help determine if one acquisition model better serves the needs of library users and return on investment.
Design – Case study.
Setting – Library system of a large American public university.
Subjects – 22,018 DDA e-book discovery records, 456 purchased e-book records, and 20,030 print item records were examined.
Method – The researchers examined usage statistics, circulation statistics, and cost measures of DDA e-books and print books. E-books were purchased in 2012 and print books were purchased by the start of the DDA project (January 2012).
Main Results – All but one of the 456 DDA-triggered e-books had repeated use within the first year, totalling 2,484 user sessions. 90% of the triggered e-books had 2-9 user sessions, and over half had at least 4 user sessions. E-books were most used in classes N (fine arts), P (Language and Literature), and R (Medicine). E-books in T (Technology) had a lower percentage of user sessions compared to other subject areas. 712 (3.2%) of the e-books in the discovery pool were used without triggering a purchase. Usage of e-books in the discovery pool (those used but not triggering a purchase) showed a consistent use of e-books by subject. E-books in Class B (Philosophy, Psychology, Religion) were used more in the discovery pool without actually being purchased, suggesting a light use of a wide range of books in this subject area. In contrast, Class R (Medicine) saw less use in the discovery pool than what was actually purchased, suggesting heavier and more focused use of triggered e-books in this area. Only 62.5% of the 20,030 purchased print books included in the study were used in the first 1 to 2.5 years they were added to the collection (i.e., 37.5% were not used in that time period). Half of the print books were used no more than once (once or no use), and more than 90% were used fewer than 10 times. Print books in Class Q (Science) contributed to only 7.5% of the total circulations, suggesting print books are underused in this subject area. 10.2% of total circulation of print books in Class R (Medicine) suggests print books are better used in this area. Print acquisition and use occur more often in classes N (Fine Arts) and P (Language and Literature). The average cost for DDA e-books was of 59.53. The unit cost per print book was 17.73 to 18.07, essentially the same as the print cost).
Conclusion – Both print books and DDA e-books are proportionately distributed across most subject areas. Although DDA and print cost per use are equal, DDA leads to much more active use overall
Library Research Courses that Follow Universal Design Principles and Best Practices for Online Education of Special Needs Students Improve Student Learning Experiences
No full textA Review of:
Catalano, A. (2014). Improving distance education for students with special needs: A qualitative study of students’ experiences with an online library research course. Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, 8(1-2): 17-31. doi: 10.1080/1533290X.2014.902416
Abstract
Objective – To evaluate student experience with an online library research course that follows best practices about distance education for special needs students.
Design – Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews.
Setting – A large private college in the United States of America.
Subjects – Seven female students, both undergraduate and graduate, each with different physical and cognitive disabilities.
Methods – Students were recruited from respondents to a survey about accessible library services, with a $50 gift card incentive. They took an online information literacy course that had been adapted for students with special needs, using universal design for learning and best practices in distance education for special needs students and in library instruction. Upon completion, students answered a questionnaire about the course learning activities. Students were then asked to participate in in-depth, semi-structured interviews on their learning preferences and study skills.
Main Results – Students expressed overall satisfaction with the course, especially the clear organization and the ability to choose from various types of assignments for their final project. They expressed a preference for click-through, step-by-step instructions for tutorials. Five of the seven students participated in in-depth interviews, which revealed some common themes in their overall online learning experience: the challenge of obtaining extended time on tests; overcoming reluctance to participate in online discussions; the need for regular communication with instructors; and the need for clearly stated expectations and timely feedback.
Conclusion – Student feedback confirms best practices identified in the literature on distance learning and on special needs students. The need for clear instructor expectations, clear course organization, and frequent interaction with the professor are common to all distance learning situations, but students with special needs are particularly in need of such well-structured instruction. Librarians should always determine accessibility before selecting software and tools to be used in online instruction. Accessible online library instruction should include information about resources for students with special needs; it should provide the same content in varied formats; and it should offer students options for assignment formats. Much research remains to be done to compare students with special needs in online and face-to-face courses, and to determine factors that improve the success of students with special needs in online courses
Google Scholar Could Be Used as a Stand-Alone Resource for Systematic Reviews
No full textA Review of:
Gehanno, J. F., Rollin, L., & Darmoni, S. (2013). Is the coverage of Google Scholar enough to be used alone for systematic reviews. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 13(1): 7. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-13-7
Abstract
Objective – To determine if Google Scholar (GS) is sensitive enough to be used as the sole search tool for systematic reviews.
Design – Citation analysis.
Setting – Biomedical literature.
Subjects – Original studies included in 29 systematic reviews published in the Cochrane Library or JAMA.
Methods – The authors searched MEDLINE for any systematic reviews published in the 2008 and 2009 issues of JAMA or in the July 8, 2009 issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. They chose 29 systematic reviews for the study and included these reviews in a gold standard database created specifically for this project. The authors searched GS for the title of each of the original references for the 29 reviews. They computed and noted the recall of GS for each reference.
Main Results – The authors searched GS for 738 original studies with a 100% recall rate. They also made a side discovery of a number of major errors in the bibliographic references.
Conclusion – Researchers could use GS as a stand-alone database for systematic reviews or meta-analyses. With a couple improvements to the rate of positive predictive values and advanced search features, GS could become the leading medical bibliographic database.
Conclusion – Researchers could use GS as a stand-alone database for systematic reviews or meta-analyses. With a couple improvements to the rate of positive predictive values and advanced search features, GS could become the leading medical bibliographic database
LIS Periodicals Contain a Low Percentage of Articles that Qualify as Research
No full textA Review of:
Turcios, M. E., Agarwal, N. K., & Watkins, L. (2014). How much of library and information science literature qualifies as research? Journal of Academic Librarianship, 40(5), 473-479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2014.06.003
Objective – To determine how much of the literature in a library and information science (LIS) periodical collection qualifies as research.
Design – Content analysis.
Setting – The LIS periodicals collection of an academic library that supports an established LIS graduate program at a college in the United States of America.
Subjects – Of the 177 identified periodicals with LIS content that fell within project scope from the local collection, researchers analyzed 101 journals that include academic/scholarly content and an additional 4 journals with relevant trade content. This study excluded open access (OA) journals.
Methods – Using the most recent issue of each subject journal from the fiscal year 2012-2013, the authors performed a content analysis on all indexed content items, and then classified each content item as research or non-research. For content identified as research, researchers identified the research method (or methods) used. The data collection tool also captured identifying information and keywords for all content.
Main Results – Within the journals meeting the scope of this study, researchers identified 1,880 articles from 105 individual journal issues. Only 16% (n=307) of articles met the authors’ established definition to qualify as research. Within the subset of research articles, the authors further identified 45% (n=139) that used a single research method. An additional 36% (n=112) of identified research articles used two research methods and 15% (n=46) used three methods, with the remainder using four or more methods.
Surveys were the most frequently used research method, accounting for 49% (n=66) of the single method studies. The researchers discovered that surveys remained popular even in mixed-method studies, with 21% (n=117) of all identified research articles using surveys. This is closely followed by 20% (n=109) of studies reported as using the general category of “other” methods, for research that did not meet one of the predefined methods. The next two most popular identified methods were case studies at 13% (n=73), followed by content analyses at 13% (n=71). For the eight other research methods identified, none saw a frequency above 10%. Focus groups and usability studies tied for the least frequently used method among the 307 articles, both at 2% (n=9).
The keyword analysis focused on two categories, one for research article keywords and another for non-research article keywords, for all 1,880 articles identified. Non-research articles had less reliance on keywords, with authors reporting keywords appearing on 73% (n=1156). Within these, authors discovered 120 separate keywords used 10 or more times across non-research articles. The top ten keywords among non-research articles were reported as primarily related to books and publishing, with “non-fiction,” “adult,” and “libraries” as the top three. By comparison, research articles heavily favour the use of keywords, with 94% (n=290) of research articles having keywords. Analysis of the individual keywords found 56 keywords appearing 10 or more times across research articles. The top ten keywords are primarily practice related, with “information,” “libraries,” and “library” being the top three. When comparing shared keywords across both categories, the same top three keywords reported for research in the previous sentence apply to the collective set.
Conclusion – The authors note that the nature and size of the local collection both benefited and limited this study. Compiling and maintaining a comprehensive list of LIS periodicals is a challenging task across a large body of potential sources. Within the resulting periodicals studied, a mere 16% of analyzed LIS literature met the criteria to qualify as research, and that only after the study had eliminated virtually all trade periodicals from the population. Had that trade literature been included, the percentage qualifying as research would have been even lower. The popularity of surveys as a research method among LIS research reflects other recent findings, though the frequency of studies falling into the general “other” category suggests that LIS research is changing. Based on this research, the authors conclude that there is still much to be learned from content analysis of literature published in LIS periodicals. Future analyses could further examine the frequency of research methods used within LIS research
A Holistic Look at Reference Statistics: Whither Librarians?
No full textAbstract
Objective – Washington State University (WSU) Pullman campus librarians track a diverse set of reference statistics to gain a “holistic” look at local reference transaction trends. Our aim was to aggregate virtual, reference desk and office transaction data over the course of three years to determine staffing levels. Specifically, we asked “Where should reference librarians be to answer questions?”
Methods – Using Springshare’s LibAnalytics, we generated longitudinal (2012-2014) statistics and data, to help us assess the patterns and trends of patron question numbers, types, communication modes, and locations in the Terrell Library. With this data, we considered current staffing patterns and how we could best address patron needs.
Results – Researchers found that compiling data across modalities of location, communication, question type, and the READ Scale led to a better understanding of user behavior trends.
Conclusion – Examining and interpreting a more inclusive and richer set of transaction statistics gives reference managers a better picture of how patrons are seeking help, and can serve as a basis for making staffing decisions
Assessing the Impact of Embedding Online Academic and Information Literacy Resources into a First Year Business Course
No full textAbstract
Objectives – Literature supports the concept that embedding academic and information literacy support into first year university courses enables students to proceed more confidently with researching and writing their assignments, and thus contributes to student success in their course. A need was identified for academic and information literacy support for a cohort of first year business students as part of the development of online course content for Griffith Online, the institution’s online study degree option. This led to a collaboration between information literacy librarians, learning skills advisers, educational designers, and academic course convenors to develop and implement online resources. This paper will present findings on the impact of these online resources.
Methods – Drawing on measures and methods identified in ISO16439 “Information and documentation: Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries” (International Organisation for Standardization, 2014), in conjunction with the indicators offered by Lizzio’s (2006) Five Senses of Success framework, evidence was collected and combined from a variety of sources over semester 2, 2014, and semester 1, 2015 to assess the impact of the online resource. Inferred evidence was gathered from usage statistics (number of hits on the sites) and from performance measures (comparing student essay grade between those that did and did not use the resource). Solicited evidence was gathered from a survey of students, students in focus groups, and interviews with course lecturers, tutors and other stakeholders.
Results – The inferred evidence showed a positive impact on the student success indicators of the sense of resourcefulness, capability, connection, purpose and identity. The solicited evidence suggests that students saw the online resource in a positive light and that staff were happy with the impact it had on students’ work and learning. It is believed that the gathered evidence indicates the Module did achieve the impact objective of a positive impact on the contribution to student success for these first year business students.
Conclusions – The evidence has shown that this resource contributed to student success, and that staff and student satisfaction with the resource contributed to increased confidence with student academic skills and information literacy in respect to their assignment task. Assessing the impact of the online resource on student success has helped to demonstrate the value of the library at Griffith University to the wider community. The four-pronged collaboration relationship required for this approach was fostered with stakeholders outside of the library
Our Future, Our Skills: Using Evidence to Drive Practice in Public Libraries
No full textAbstract
Objective – The public library sector’s future prosperity is contingent upon a well-trained, experienced, and valued workforce. In a collaborative initiative, State Library Victoria (SLV) and the Public Libraries Victoria Network (PLVN) commissioned an in-depth research study to examine the skills requirements of staff across the State. The Our Future, Our Skills project sought to identify the range of skills used by public library staff today, to anticipate the range of skills that would be needed in five years’ time, and to present a skills gap analysis to inform future training and development strategies.
Methods – The project encompassed qualitative and quantitative research activities: literature review and environmental scan, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and a workforce skills audit. The research populations were staff (Individual survey) and managers (Management survey) employed in 47 library services, including metropolitan, outer metropolitan and regional library services in Victoria.
Results – The high response rate (45%) reflected the relevance of the study, with 1,334 individual and 77 management respondents. The data captured their views related to the value of their skillsets, both now and in five years’ time, and the perceived levels of confidence using their skills. The sector now has a bank of baseline evidence which has contributed to a meaningful analysis of the anticipated skills gaps.
Conclusions – This paper focuses on the critical importance of implementing evidence-based practice in public libraries. In an interactive workshop, managers determined the skills priorities at both the local and sectoral levels to inform staff development programs and recruitment activities. A collaborative SLV/PLVN project workgroup will implement the report’s recommendations with a state-wide workforce development plan rolled out during 2015-17. This plan will include a training matrix designed to bridge the skills gap, with a focus on evaluation strategies to monitor progress towards objectives. The paper provides insights into the different ways in which the project workgroup is using research evidence to drive practice
Thematic Analysis of Videos Suggests That YA Space Design Should Be User-Driven, User-Centered, and Flexible Enough to Enable Multiple Uses
No full textA Review of:
Agosto, D. E., Bell, J. P., Bernier, A. & Kuhlmann, M. (2015). “This is our library, and it’s a pretty cool place”: A user-centered study of public library YA spaces. Public Library Quarterly, 34(1), 23-43. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2015.1000777
Objective – To add empirical evidence to the study of young adult (YA) spaces and creation of related guidelines by investigating librarians’ and teens’ perceptions of YA spaces and their use in public libraries.
Design – Qualitative thematic analysis of video data content.
Setting – 25 public libraries in the United States of America.
Subjects – A librarian, and a teen of their choosing, at each of the 25 selected libraries.
Methods – The researchers chose 25 public libraries randomly from a list of 257 libraries profiled from 2005-2010 in Library Journal’s annual index of new and renovated libraries. Each of the 25 libraries was sent a video camera, and the selected librarian and teen each recorded a narrated tour of their library’s YA space. The cameras were returned to the researchers, who had the audio of the recordings transcribed, referring back to the video for any narration that needed clarification. Thematic analysis was performed on the transcriptions to identify major- and sub-categories of space and space-use characteristics. Empirical results were reported as a numerical figure representing the number of videos (n=42 total usable videos) in which a particular theme was mentioned at least once.
Main Results – Five main categories of YA space characteristics recommended by teens and librarians emerged from the thematic analysis. YA spaces need to facilitate: physical comfort; both leisure activity and information needs; both academic activity and information needs; a sense of ownership by teens; and improved marketing of the spaces as well as clear displays of library policies regarding the spaces. Sub-categories were also listed in each instance, as were counts and percentages of numbers of videos in which a theme was mentioned at least once.
Conclusion – YA spaces in public libraries need to be user-centered, and the arrangements need to be flexible enough to be used for multiple purposes. Teens need to be involved in and drivers of their design and ongoing use. In addition, teens’ needs for social interaction, and leisure as well as academic support, must be explicitly incorporated into any planning. Librarians and libraries must adjust their focus on resources to better mirror teens’ focus on the activities that happen in YA spaces, both online and in person. In order to serve YA patrons, libraries must also actively promote YA spaces. This initial exploratory empirical investigation can inform future much-needed research on improving YA space planning. Research is also needed to examine the evolution of libraries’ YA investments as teen patrons’ needs change over time
Age and Context Sensitivity Associated with Reduced Success in Finding Health Information Online
No full textA Review of:
Agree, E. M., King, A. C., Castro, C. M., Wiley, A., & Borzekowski, D. L. G. (2015). “It’s got to be on this page”: Age and cognitive style in a study of online health information seeking. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(3), e79. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3352
Objective – To determine the extent to which age and cognitive style influence an individual’s ability to successfully locate health information online.
Design – Quantitative study employing scales and regression analysis.
Setting – A school of public health and a school of medicine at two universities in the United States of America.
Subjects – 346 men and women 35 years or older.
Methods – Participants for the Online Health Study (OHS) were recruited from the community at both study sites using stratified sampling and screened with a web-based tool to ensure they had the necessary level of digital literacy to complete the study tasks. Once enrolled, participants completed the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) to measure their health literacy and the Witkin Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) to determine their cognitive style (labelled by researchers as context sensitive or context independent). Participants were asked to search online for answers to six specific questions on heart-healthy diets, flu vaccinations, alternative medicine and memory, genetic testing, assistive medical technology, and skin cancer, with 15 minutes of search time allowed for each question. Participants reported their answers after each search, which were later assigned scores for accuracy and for specificity. When combined, these two scores were used as a measure of success. Researchers used STATA 11 statistical software to run logistic regression, ordinal logistic regression, and generalized linear models on the data in order to predict which variables were associated with success on the search tasks.
Main Results – Only 323 of the 346 participants completed all study tasks, and their data formed the basis of the analysis. On average, participants correctly answered 4.1 out of 6 questions. Participants provided the most accurate and successful answers for the question on heart-healthy foods, and the least accurate answers on the question about seasonal flu shots. They were the least successful in answering the question about herbal supplements for memory. Across all models, older participants were less likely to be successful in locating the answers to the questions than younger participants, even controlling for the other variables measured in the study. In particular, older participants had the most difficulty with the question on medical technology, which required the use of mapping. Overall, the models suggest that higher levels of education, greater daily Internet use, and higher health literacy were associated with greater success on the search tasks, the extent to which varied from question to question. The exception in the case of education was the question relating to herbal supplements and memory, as participants with higher levels of education were more likely to score poorly in their responses. Participants whose cognitive style was found to be context sensitive were less likely to find the information needed in their online searches than those who were context independent, particularly on the questions relating to a heart-healthy diet, skin cancer, and medical technology.
Conclusion – The study suggests that age, cognitive style, level of health literacy, daily Internet use, and prior education are all important variables in determining whether an individual can successfully take advantage of the increasing amount of health information available on the Internet. Specific approaches to web design could be used to improve the success rate of those who are context sensitive, and greater support and direction to reputable online health sources from medical and information professionals could assist those who are less health literate
One-Shot Library Instruction Sessions May Not Increase Student Use of Academic Journals or Diversity of Sources
No full textA Review of:
Howard, K., Nicholas, T., Hayes, T., & Appelt, C. W. (2014). Evaluating one-shot library sessions: Impact on the quality and diversity of student source use. Community & Junior College Libraries, 20(1-2), 27-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02763915.2014.1009749
Objective – To assess the effect of one-shot library research workshops focused on database searching on student coursework bibliographies.
Design – Comparative bibliometric analysis of student bibliographies.
Setting – Career and Transfer Program at a community college in Illinois, United States of America.
Subjects – Students taking an English 101 course.
Methods – During the study, 39 sections of English 101 occurred. An optional library instruction session was offered to faculty and as a result students from 18 sections participated. Each session consisted of a 45-minute lecture and 30 minutes of independent research time. The librarian delivering the session introduced students to keyword searching and demonstrated the online library catalogue and two core electronic databases; Academic Search Complete, and Opposing Viewpoints in Context (OVC), and other databases of their choosing. Students in each session were required to submit a variety of assignments in an exit portfolio at the end of the semester. Sections of students were excluded if the instructors did not submit the students’ portfolios and they no longer taught at the community college, making it impossible to track down the portfolios. Exclusion also occurred in cases where sections were taught by the researchers. Seventeen sections who had attended library instruction group and 14 sections who had not attended the library instruction group were included in the study and randomised.
Researchers evaluated portfolios according to the following criteria: whether the student who submitted the portfolio attended library instruction; whether their portfolio earned a pass or fail mark; total number of citations in bibliographies; number of each type of source (e.g., book, journal, Internet resource, or other; and dates of sources).
Main Results – Data were collected from 115 portfolios submitted by students who had attended a library session and 92 portfolios from students who had not attended a library session. Student pass or fail status was not reported. Attending library instruction did not have a significant effect on the mean number of total citations: 5.513 for attendees vs. 6.076 for non-attendees. Of 205 student portfolios evaluated, there was no difference in the number of types of resources used by students who had library instruction (2.3 ± 0.1) and those who had none (2.2 ± 0.1; p > 0.05).
Conclusion – The library instruction sessions did not increase the use of academic journals or the diversity of sources used. However, students were more likely to use library sources if they attended training. The authors recommend that demonstrating multiple databases should be covered in later sessions and more conceptual information literacy instruction should be the first step. Librarians could teach the value of different types of sources; connect the sources to the tools needed to locate and access them; and demonstrate how to effectively evaluate sources. The authors recommend further research to evaluate objectives, content and outcomes of this type of library instruction