Qualitative Research Focus Groups Usability studies Web 2.0 Innovation: Add This.com Kumar Percy Jayasuriya

Roadmap Focus Groups Focus Groups Usability Testing Web 2.0 Innovation – Addthis.com

Focus Group: What? What is it? ◦ Gathering of patrons to discuss an issue

Focus Groups: Why? Goal 1: Create a discussion to learn users’ ◦ Perceptions ◦ Basis for those perceptions  Learn the “why”  “why do you like that” or “why you don’t”

Focus Groups: Why? Goal 2 ◦ Get ideas for new services ◦ Get ideas about how to improve services ◦ Learn how to market services

Focus Groups: Why? Why not just use a survey ◦ Surveys are brief, don’t ask many questions ◦ Responses are off the cuff – not focused Advantage of Focus Groups ◦ Discussion provides in-depth evaluation of peoples feelings on a topic ◦ People’s comments stimulate others in the group ◦ Discussions can identify strong and shared feelings  Discussion provides in-depth evaluation of peoples feelings on a topic

Focus Groups: Why? Disadvantages: ◦ Takes time to plan and time to implement ◦ Results are more subjective and harder to quantify or summarize ◦ Best results come from a professional facilitator (which can be expensive) ‏

Focus Group to Design a Library Website Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester (Nancy Foster & Susan Gibbons eds., 2007)‏

Focus Group to Design a Library Website Focus group start with brain-storming ideas and then move to marking up the website.

Steps in a focus group Step 1. Planning What is the purpose? Who is the moderator? Tips for the group

Steps in a focus group Step 1Planning (con’t.) Incentives Timing Human Subject Releases Facilitator Recording

Steps in a focus group Step 2 Conducting the Discussion – Pick who’s going to be there – Avoid having a member of the administration in the room – THANK THEM

Steps in a focus group Step 3 Analyze Data – Compile and summarize points of views or consensus. Step 4: Build Report – Explain the planning – Summarize findings – Have quotations from participants

Other Qualitative research tools In Depth Live Interview In Depth Phone Interview Online Focus Groups focus group

Roadmap Focus Groups Usability Testing Usability Testing Web 2.0 Innovation – Addthis.com

Usability Studies: What? Steve Krug, Don’t Make Me Think two types: ◦ Apparent Validity (do they get it?)  Tests that determine whether users understand the purpose and function of a service ◦ Key task  Tests if users can perform particular tasks

Usability Studies: Why? Consider conducting a usability study before releasing any service ◦ Especially a finding aid or research guide Why: Good way to find: ◦ Jargon ◦ Do you have to be a libarian to use the tool? ◦ Poor directions ◦ Learn how people use the service

Usability Studies Two rounds of testing. No more than 5 participants in each round. First round ◦ finds problems Second round ◦ checks if you actually fixed problems or created new problems

Usability and Qualitative Studies After conducting a usability study interview the participants Consider a focus group for the participants after the usability study If you have recorded the usability test show the participants key points to focus discussion

Usability Software: Hi Tech Morae ◦ Screen recording software ◦ Records user actions

Usability Study: Low Tech Usability Study: Low Tech Is this microform record usable?

Usability Study: Low Tech

Roadmap Focus Groups Usability Testing Web 2.0 Innovation – Addthis.com Web 2.0 Innovation – Addthis.com

ADD This. Com Social bookmarking widgets identify how patrons use your pages. Learn if users recommend your page

ADDThis results 26 percent of users recommend this page through delicious. 7 percent recommended it through Facebook

Roadmap Focus Groups Usability Testing Web 2.0 Innovation – Addthis.com Thanks, Kumar Percy Jayasuriya