The Information School of the University of Washington 1 Research Methods in HIB What can help us understand how people interact with information

The Information School of the University of Washington 2 Common Methods Experiments Surveys: –Questionnaires –Interviews Observation

The Information School of the University of Washington 3 Experiments Experiment = A study in which the researcher creates at least one artificial condition, usually in the area in which he or she is interested in studying Examples? This is the opposite of Naturalistic study = A study in which no artificial conditions are created Examples?

The Information School of the University of Washington 4 Experiments—Class Workout Write down some preliminary thoughts about an experiment you can design to study the HIB of people from your team’s project What would you try to find out? What setting would you use? What would you ask your participants to do? What would you look at? Time: 5 minutes

The Information School of the University of Washington 5 Surveys Survey = The collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions Types of questions: Closed questions: When the participants select the answers from a given set Open-ended questions: when the participants answer in their own language

The Information School of the University of Washington 6 Survey Instruments Questionnaire: The survey instrument containing the questions is a self- administered survey. Interview Schedule: The survey instrument containing the questions is asked by the interviewer in an in-person or phone survey. Examples of surveys in which you participated? When is the one preferred to the other?

The Information School of the University of Washington 7 Survey Instruments—Class Workout Write a sample of three questions you would ask your participants in the team project 1.If you were to employ a questionnaire 2.If you were to employ an interview Keep the questions for next class session Time: 4 minutes

The Information School of the University of Washington 8 Observation Observation = the researcher “witnesses” the phenomenon of study as it occurs via the use of the five human senses Also called: field observation Can you employ observation in your own team project? How?

The Information School of the University of Washington 9 Level of Participation Complete observer: No participation at all (can be obtrusive or unobtrusive) Participant observer: Observation and interaction when the participants know the dual purpose of the researcher (obtrusive) Covert participant: Observation and interaction when the participants do not know the dual purpose of the researcher (unobtrusive)

The Information School of the University of Washington 10 Observation—Class Workout Suppose you plan to study the HIB of your participants through observation 1.Propose a very rough sketch of how to do the observation 2.Write down at least three problems you anticipate might interfere with your research Time: 4 minutes