DOMAINS OF USER STUDIES (User Studies and User Education)

DOMAINS OF USER
STUDIES
(User Studies and User Education)
Huma Malik
LIS Professional
May 2015

Domains of User Studies
Contents
Definitions of terms used
Library users’ Information need and uses
– Who are library users?
– Types of library users
– Types of Users’ Information Need
Search Strategies
Users’ information seeking patterns & barriers
Research Studies
Conclusion

Definitions of Terms Used
Patron
• Any person who uses the resources and services of a library, not necessarily
a registered borrower. Synonymous with user (library user). (ODLIS)
Clientele
• All the persons who use a library's services and collections on a regular or
irregular basis, usually those who live in the district that funds it operations
or are members of the institution it serves. (ODLIS)
Information Need
• Information need is an individual or group's desire to locate and
obtain information to satisfy a conscious or unconscious need. The
‘information’ and ‘need’ in ‘information need’ are an inseparable
interconnection. Needs and interests call forth information. (Wikipedia)

LIBRARY USERS’
INFORMATION NEED AND
USES

Library users’ Information Need and Uses
• Library users are those who visit the library with the
purpose of exploring and using its resources to satisfy
his/her information need.
The word "visits" includes physical visit and remote
access to the library portal or website.
Who are Library Users?

Contd…
• "User" includes all those people who avail themselves
of the services offered by a library.
• Other term used are
- patrons, - consumers,
- information users, - information seekers,
- readers, - clients, etc.
• These terms can be used interchangeably, because
they all apply to those seeking the services of a
library.

Types of Library Users
Types of library users or patron are defined in different ways.
By Types of Libraries
 Academic libraries – users are faculty, student,
alumni, and staff
 Public libraries – distinguish between non-residents
and residents in the service area, and between adult
and juvenile users.
 Special libraries – user type reflect hierarchical rank
within the parent organization, levels of security
clearance, etc. (ODLIS)

Types of Library Users
By Use Skill / ICT Skill
 In traditional library, its users are visible; they are
identified as child and/or adult user.
 But in online environment it users are identified by
their ICT skills.
 The categories include:
– Unskilled user/ computer illiterate user
– Semi-skilled user/ semi-computer literate user
– Skilled user/ computer literate user
– Ab-User (hackers) (Anyira, 2011)

Types of Users’ Information Need
 Library is used for various reasons and to satisfy
different needs.
 Some use the library (traditional and/or virtual)
specifically to read, others use it for research, and
some others use it to communicate and share
information.

Library users need information for the following
reasons:
 Health. People need information on how to stay healthy and
how to understand medical conditions they or their families
have.
 Government. People need to understand their own
communities and the country, and know who their elected and
appointed representatives are and how to contact them, so they
can participate fully in making decisions.
 How-to-do-it. It takes knowledge to repair cars, build
swings, bake cakes, craft work etc.
Contd…

 Personal Enrichment. People want to know words to
poems or songs, locate travel guides, play games online, know
the best Web sites for kids, or enjoy the paintings of a favorite
artist.
 Work. Business people need statistics, addresses, legal
information; children (school work is their work) need help
with assignments; individuals need advice on changing careers
and obtaining better jobs.
 School. School work requires information resources available
in the library or guidance in locating the best Web homework
sites.
(Ohio Reference Excellence)
Contd…

Search Strategies
Steps of search strategy
 Define your information need
 Decide which sources to use
 Function of electronic search tools
 Run your search
 Review and refine you search
 Collect data

Define your information need
• What sort of information are you looking for?
– Specific information, e.g. a fact or date
• Reference source, e.g. data book, encyclopaedia, dictionary,
the Web or even a textbook are usually best.
– General information, e.g. research areas
• May require more thought, including how much information is
needed and at what depth
• Who is going to use the information?
– Researcher? Academic? First year student? Government
person?
• This might effect which sort of information you require
Search Strategies

Tips for search term(s):
• Keywords
• Key concepts
• Use synonyms (if any)
• Use alternative spellings
• Check if plurals or capitalisation
Contd…
Search Strategies

Example
 User want to find information about the health implications
of water pollution
Keywords–’water’ ‘pollution’ ‘health’
Concepts–‘environmental degradation’ or ‘agricultural
management’ or ‘health’
Synonyms
– rivers, lakes, sea, coastal, ‘domestic water’, etc.
– ‘oil spills’, chemical, biological, etc.
Alternative spellings: none
Plurals: river(s), lake(s), disease(s)
Capitals: maybe the name of a specific lake, disease, region
Contd…
Search Strategies

 Individuals’ and organisations’ home pages
 Newspapers and magazines
 Subject gateways, databases, catalogues
 Journals - titles, abstracts or full text
 Reference resources, e.g., encyclopaedias,
dictionaries
 Books
 Grey literature, e.g. government publications
 Print or electronic
Decide which sources to use
Search Strategies

Function of Electronic Search Tools
Electronic search tools may interpret your search terms
using
– Boolean operators – AND, OR, NOT
– Phrase and proximity searching – “...”, near
– Truncation or wildcard functions – $ * # ! ?
– Case sensitivity – upper or lower case
– Fields search – title, URL or links
– Stop words – ignore words like ‘and’, ‘if’, ‘an’, ‘the’
– Relevance sorting – more relevant
Search Strategies

Boolean operators
Truncating words Wildcard
Search Strategies

– Citation Searching – Finds all material that cites a
particular work
– Many electronic resources provide easy to use citation
searching, eg. EBSCO Host, Emerald, Science Direct
etc.
 Run your search
 Review and refine you search
 Collect Data
Search Strategies
Contd…

USERS’ INFORMATION
SEEKING PATTERNS &
BARRIERS

Users’ Information Seeking Patterns
& Barriers
Libraries develop their collections, facilities
and services to meet the information needs of
their users.
Libraries must have a thorough understanding
of the information needs and information-
seeking behaviour of their users.

Contd…
• Various factors may determine the information seeking
behaviour of an individual or a group of individuals. It is,
therefore, desirable to understand
– the purpose for which information is required,
– the environment in which the user operates,
– users’ skills in identifying the needed information,
– channels and sources preferred for acquiring
information, and
– barriers to information.
• Information needs and seeking behaviour of
academics have also been a popular area of research.
Users’ Information Seeking
Patterns & Barriers

• To know the patterns of information seeking
behaviour and barriers of an individual or a
group of individuals, many studies has been
conducted.
• Most of them used questionnaires to know the
information seeking behaviour and barries.
• A list of some questions are mentioned here
that has been used to analyse patterns of
users’ information seeking behaviour &
barriers.
Users’ Information Seeking
Patterns & Barriers
Contd…

Questions Selected from some Research Articles
Questions Options Category
Assistance Getting Users from
library staff
(Services)
 Manual Catalogues,
 OPAC,
 Location Of Document,
 Use Of Reference Books,
 Bibliographies,
 Newspaper Clippings,
 Circulation,
 Interlibrary Loan,
 Use Of Online Resources
(Users)
 Undergraduate Student,
 Postgraduate Student,
 Teachers,
 Research Scholars
Computing Skills of
Respondents
(Skill Level)
 Excellent,
 Very Good,
 Good,
 Fair,
 Poor
Document Searching (Services)
 OPAC,
 Print Card Catalogue,
 Web OPAC

Impact of ICT on information
seeking by Users
(Impact)
 Yes,
 No
(Users)
 Teachers,
Importance of Information
Sources to Research and
Publication
(Information Sources)
 Books,
 Reports,
 Research Articles,
 Conference Proceedings,
 Abstracting & Indexing,
 Theses & Dissertations,
 Encyclopedias
(Importance)
 Not Important
 Somewhat Important
 Important
 Very Important
 Extremely Important
Importance of Information
Sources for Teaching
(Information Sources)
 Books,
 Reports,
 Research Articles,
 Conference Proceedings,
 Abstracting & Indexing,
 Theses & Dissertations,
 Encyclopedias
(Importance)
 Not Important
 Somewhat Important
 Important
 Very Important
 Extremely Important

Information Channels Used by
Respondents
(Channel)
 Colleagues,
 Books,
 Online resources,
 Other
(Frequency)
 Always,
 Frequently,
 Occasionally,
 Never
Library Effectiveness (Effectiveness Level)
 Very Effective,
 Effective,
 Somewhat Effective,
 Ineffective,
 Very Ineffective
Library Use Skills of the
Respondents
(Skill Level)
 Excellent,
 Very Good,
 Good,
 Fair,
 Poor
Library Visits (Visit Frequency)
 Almost Daily,
 Once or Twice a Week,
 Once or Twice a Month,
 Several Times a Year,
 Never

Methods of Getting Information
from the Library
(Method)
 Going Library Personally,
 Calling the Library,
 Sending Someone Else,
 Online Contact
(Frequency)
 Always,
 Frequently,
 Occasionally
Preference of formats by Users (Format)
 Print,
 Electronic,
 Both
(Users)
 Teachers,
Problem Faced in Library Use (Problems)
 Lack of Latest Information
Materials,
 Don’t Know How to Use E-
Resources,
 Lack of Knowledge How to
Use Library,
 Lack of Time,
 Don’t Know How to Use
OPAC,
 Library Staff Not Supportive

Purpose of information-seeking
by Users
(Purpose)
 To Keep Up-To-Date,
 Preparing Notes,
 Preparing Research,
 To Write an Article,
 Solving the Problem,
 General awareness
(Users)
 Teachers,
Purpose of Library Visit (Purpose)
 Preparing research,
 to study,
 borrowing materials,
 using e-resources,
 reading journals,
 for updating knowledge,
 others

Rate Your Library (Sources & Services)
 OPAC,
 Reference Section,
 Journals (Print),
 Collection Of Books,
 E-Journals/Databases,
 E-Resources Lab,
 Behavior of Library Staff,
 Shelving of The Books,
 Photocopying Facility,
 Borrowing Facility
(Rate)
 Excellent,
 Very Good,
 Good,
 Fair,
 Poor,
 Neural
Time spent by Users per week
on information gathering
(Time)
 Less than 5 hours
 5-10 hours
 10-20 hours
 more than 20 hours
(Users)
 Teachers,
Undergraduate Students
satisfaction with Library
collection
(Type of material)
 Textbooks,
 Reference Books,
 Journals,
 Magazines,
 Newspapers,
 Theses
(Rate)
 Very Good,
 Good,
 Fair,
 Poor,

Use of e-resources (E-Resources)
 E-Journals (Institutional Subs),
 E-Journals (Open Access),
 Databases,
 Digital Books,
 CD ROM
(Usage)
 Lot,
 Some,
 Never,
 No Response
Use of Internet-based services &
applications
(Internet-based services &
applications)
 E-mail,
 Electronic info. Sources (e.g.
electronic journals, databases)
 RSS feed
 Content Alert
(Scale)
 Never
 Rarely
 Frequently
 Quite Frequently
 Very Frequently
Use of IT-based Library Sources
and Facilities
(IT-based Sources and Facilities)
 OPAC,
 CD-ROM Databases and
Products,
 In-House Databases and
Products,
 A/V and Multimedia Collection,
 Online Local and International
(Scale)
 Never
 Rarely
 Frequently
 Quite Frequently
 Very Frequently

Use of Other Libraries (Library)
 Neighbor Libraries,
 Public Libraries,
 National Library
Use of the Library sources and
services
(Sources)
 Borrowing Facility,
 Reference Services (CAS/SDI),
 Reference Books & Journals,
Theses/Dissertations,
 Project Reports,
 Inter Lib. Loan,
 Digital Library

List of some Theses by Pakistani Scholars
Azhar Iqbal
Information Needs and Information Seeking
Behavior of Medical Researchers in Pakistan
(2006)
Dr. Khalid
Mahmood
M.Phil
Shahzad
Ahmad
Information Seeking Behaviour of the
Forestry Scientists of the Pakistan forest
Institute, Peshawar (2009)
Dr.
Mumtaz A.
Anwar
M.Phil
Abubaker
Siddique
Information Seeking Behaviour of Pakistan
Historians: A Qualitative Study (2010)
Dr.
Mumtaz A.
Anwar
M.Phil
Jawwad
Information seeking behaviour of the
members of the rawalpindi district courts
bar association (2006)
Dr.
Mumtaz A.
Anwar
PhD
Zulqarnain
Akhtar
Information Needs and Information Seeking
Behavior of Business Administration
Faculity Members Working in Universities
of Islamabad (2006)
Dr. Khalid
Mahmood
M.Phil
Source: http://sel.org.pk/theses/

Research Studies by Pakistani Scholars

DOMAINS OF USER STUDIES (User Studies and User Education)

Research Studies by Indian Scholars

Research Studies by Irarian Scholars

Research Studies (International)

National study of information seeking behavior of
academic researchers in the United States
1Xi Niu1, Bradley M. Hemminger1, Cory Lown2, Stephanie Adams3, Cecelia
Brown4, Allison Level5, Merinda McLure5,Audrey Powers6, Michele R.
Tennant7andTara Cataldo8
Article first published online: 24 FEB 2010
DOI: 10.1002/asi.21307
© 2010 ASIS&T

CONCLUSION
• Information seeking behaviour has been a focus of
research within the library and information
profession. Understanding human information
behaviour is a vital component in providing high
quality library service.
• When LIS professionals understand human
information-seeking behaviours and preferences, they
can transform their services and resources to
correspond to these patterns, to better serve users’
information needs.

Contd..
• The need of users to seek information and the types
of information they seek can impact collection
development, reference services, programming, and
budget allotment practices of libraries.

REFERENCES
Anyira, I. E. (2011). The Anatomy of Library Users in the 21st
Century. Library Philosophy and Practice, (1), 47.
INASP (2013). Effective Searching Strategies and Techniques (presentation).
Retrieved from Google
https://www.google.com.pk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=
2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inas
p.info%2Fuploads%2Ffiler_public%2F2013%2F04%2F03%2Feffective-
searching-
ejs.ppt&ei=nyZLVbwoh726BJiIgdAH&usg=AFQjCNHuRPeOjxkqFLJkN
eDK0A0SzSgK-g&bvm=bv.92765956,d.c2E
Joshi, P. A., & Nikose, S. M. Information seeking Behaviours of Users: A
Case Study of Private Higher Technical Education Libraries in Chandrapur
District. Retrieved from
http://eprints.rclis.org/3794/1/Information_seeking_Behaviours_of_Users_i
n_Information_Age.pdf

Contd…
Majid, S., & Kassim, G. M. (2000). Information-seeking behaviour of
international Islamic University Malaysia Law faculty members. Malaysian
Journal of Library & Information Science, 5(2). Retrieved from
http://majlis.fsktm.um.edu.my/document.aspx?FileName=157.pdf
ORE on the Web. Ohio Library Council. updated June 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.olc.org/ore/1community.htm
Pareek, A. K., & Rana, M. S. (2013). Study of information seeking behavior
and library use pattern of researchers in the Banasthali University.
Retrieved from
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2225&context=l
ibphilprac
Reitz, Joan M. Odlis. "Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science.
2002." (2004). Retrieved from http://www.abc-
clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_p.aspx

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