PurposeTo report on the University of Toronto's implementation of an institutional repository.Design/methodology/approachDescribe decision making process. A range of qualitative research methods were used to solicit early adopter and library concerns. Findings were then used to guide implementation.FindingsProvides the rational behind decisions made. Argues that modified qualitative research methods may be useful to new library projects.Research limitations/implicationsThe report is specific to an institution.Practical implicationsPrioritizing actions, focusing on faculty and leveraging resources, notably student assistants is key.Originality/valueThis paper provides practical information and a model which may be useful for others implementing repository services or other emerging technologies.
Our purpose is to present the rationale and results of a pilot study applying a meta-theoretically derived approach to focus group or semi-structured group interviewing as a means of obtaining deep data efficiently and dialogically. The project was designed to meet needs of both the senior author (a methodologist) and junior author (a librarian). The exemplar was undergraduate information seeking and use for meeting class assignments. Particular focus was on understanding when and why students decided between quick internet-only versus thorough searches involving multiple sources. The focus group approach was informed by Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology (SMM). Emphasis for this presentation is methodological --to describe the approach and to illustrate the potentials for group interviewing. Empirical results provided here are for illustration only. The pertinent literature review emphasizes methodological sources. The authors are collecting more data from a range of different academic informants and expect to develop empirically anchored reports in the near future. KeywordsInformation seeking and use, focus group interviewing, semi-structured group interviewing, sense-making, methodology, undergraduates LINK TO FIGURESThis paper refers to figures that we have incorporated in a full version of this paper on a web-site at: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sensemaking/asist2010poster.pdf THE CHALLENGE OF FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWINGFocus group interviewing has become increasingly popular (Morgan, 2002) as it allows researchers and practitioners a relatively inexpensive and rapid method of getting a handle on a question of interest. Numerous writings attend to multiple focus group theories and practices. These emphasize primarily theories of interpersonal, intergroup, intercultural, and trans-border communication. These writings also offer various examples for practice, usually in formulaic ways.Despite this attention, there is very little work that actually theorizes interviewing as communication practice (Briggs, 1986;Dervin & Foreman-Wernet, 2003;Dervin, 2008). Instead the emphasis is on gaining apriori understandings of cultures and group dynamics rather than specific theoretically-guided procedures of communicating that acknowledge how communicating works. Dervin calls the former "noun" approaches to interviewing. The SMM approach focuses interviewing practice on asking queries that address not only how informants define things but how they see themselves moving and bridging gaps from one situated sensemaking instance to another. This SMM "verbing " approach to interviewing mandates a dialogic structuring where the informant is invited as theorist to not only describe his/her material and phenomenological worlds but to ascribe causes and outcomes. Two central mandates drawn from SMM's philosophic underpinnings include: a) disciplining communicating with prescribed talking and listening turn-takings; and b) limiting spontaneity in order to constrain the impact of powerful interests and habitual commun...
Purpose -This paper aims to describe a project to increase access and longevity of electronic government documents. Design/methodology/approach -The Ontario Legislative Library has partnered with the Ontario Council of University Libraries to extend the longevity and accessibility of electronic government documents using DSpace. Findings -Digital repository software, such as DSpace, can be used to extend access to, and longevity of, special collections.Research limitations/implications -The case study may be specific to local practices and the institutions involved. Practical implications -The consortial approach builds on existing practices to build a cost effective and sustainable service. Originality/value -Many projects in electronic government document preservation and access require large investments. This project leverages existing practices and resources.
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