1. UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA Facultat de Biblioteconomia i Documentació Grau d’Informació i Documentació Research Methods Data collection Professor: Ángel Borrego

2. Data collection Primary research: the researcher applies one or several techniques for data gathering: –Questionnaires: a set of questions submitted to a number of people in order to collect statistical information in a population. –Interviews: conversations to collect qualitative information from a subject. –Focus groups: group of individuals assembled by researchers to discuss the research topic. –Observation: how people behave and interact in a particular situation. Log analysis: transactions occurred in a computer application. Think-aloud protocols: understand subjects’ cognitive processes based on their verbal reports of their thoughts while performing a task. –Documents: diaries (specifically solicited for research), legislative texts, press advertisements, etc. Secondary research: the researcher analyses data previously gathered with a different aim: –Secondary analysis: censuses, organizational records, surveys, etc. –Meta-analysis: statistical combination of the results of several studies that address a research question.

3. Secondary analysis Disparities in public libraries' service levels based on neighborhood income and urbanization levels Information inequity is a central concern in this information age, and many recognize the public library as a key player in bridging such inequity. Using the Public Libraries Survey and Census data, this study examines more than 9,000 public library systems across the United States. Results show that library systems in lower-income or rural neighborhoods offer a lower level of service per capita compared to their counterparts in higher income or urban neighborhoods. Systems in lower-income or rural neighborhoods tend to have shorter hours, less staff and programs, and smaller collection size. Sin, S. (2008). Disparities in public libraries' service levels based on neighborhood income and urbanization levels: A nationwide study. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 45 (1), 1–15.

4. Meta-analysis Libraries and return on investment Meta-analysis is a quantitative analysis of findings of previous studies, conducted to infer general findings and lessons from prior empirical research. The dataset is 38 library valuation studies reporting a return on investment figure or cost-benefit ratio. The meta-analysis indicates that the patterns in the findings are consistent with expectations regarding the benefit types that are included in the ROI figure, the methods used, and the scope of the study. The tentative conclusion is that for each dollar invested in public libraries they return, on average, approximately four times more. Aabø, S. (2009). Libraries and return on investment (ROI): a meta-analysis. New Library World, 110 (7/8), 311 - 324.

5. http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/10/27/ciencia/1445973973_336425.html