"We know a lot about who is using these electronic resources, when they are using them and where," says Brenda Dervin, a professor of communication at Ohio State University and principal investigator for a new study on electronic research. "But there is just a dabbling of research on the hows and whys. We want to know how people are choosing their electronic resources, why they are choosing some resources over others, and how they are fitting them into their personal and professional lives." Researchers hope their study will help librarians develop user-centered services, resources and systems by discovering (among other goals) how well system design features meet users' needs and their use of those systems. The project will include telephone and online interviews, and focus group meetings with undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members at 44 central Ohio colleges and universities. In addition, 32 of the participants will be observed while they use electronic resources. The $1-million study -- a collaboration of Ohio State, the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services -will conclude Dec. 31, 2005.
posted by Marcus Zillman |
4:00 AM
