Library and Information Science Commons^™

Is Microethnography An Ethnographic Case Study? And/Or A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study? An Analysis Of The Literature, Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Selecting the research approach that addresses the research question is often challenging for novice researchers. However, getting a better understanding of the research approaches available in the field, is likely to help novice researchers identify and choose the research approach that fits their situation. In this paper, we discuss microethnography, ethnographic case study, and mini-ethnography case study in order to show that these approaches may have similarities but are different. The author hopes that this discussion will help researchers get a better understanding of these approaches and dissipate the confusion that may exist.

Positionality: The Interplay Of Space, Context And Identity, Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This article considers the way in which positionality shifts and is formed during a cross-cultural study to reveal the complexity of the insider-outsider status. As a researcher in a male-dominated game setting, I reflect on the research process and my interactions with participants to show the interplay of space, context, and identity in shaping a researcher’s status. I discuss the process of gaining access to the research site and participants, and data collection in relation to space, context, and identity. The interaction of my identities with space, and context informed my status at various moments. This interplay constructs a complex …

Convivial Making: Power In Public Library Creative Places, Shannon Crawford Barniskis

Theses and Dissertations

In 2011, public libraries began to provide access to collaborative creative places, frequently called “makerspaces.” The professional literature portrays these as beneficial for communities and individuals through their support of creativity, innovation, learning, and access to high-tech tools such as 3D printers. As in longstanding “library faith” narratives, which pin the library’s existence to widely held values, makerspace rhetoric describes access to tools and skills as instrumental for a stronger economy or democracy, social justice, and/or individual happiness. The rhetoric generally frames these places as empowering. Yet the concept of power has been neither well-theorized within the library makerspace literature …

The Intersection Of Cultural Context And Research Encounter: Focus On Interviewing In Qualitative Research, Rebecca Yvonne Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This article discusses the influence of the cultural context on the interview process. With literature demonstrating the role of spatial context on interviews, the article contends that similar consideration should be given to cultural contexts of research studies. Focusing on the cultural context where the interview takes place and the interactions during the interview can help researchers understand and analyze interview material. Interview forms such as conversation/interview bombing emerged from the interaction of cultural context with the interview process. This points to the need for qualitative researchers to explore how the cultural context shapes their research encounter. Such focus will …

What We Talk About When We Talk About Quality: A Librarian And Instructor Compare How They Assess Students' Sources, Elizabeth Pickard, Sarah Sterling

Collaborative Librarianship

This case study explores and compares how a librarian and an instructor evaluated the quality of bibliographies students produced for the instructor’s class. The ethnographic study attempted to unearth nuances in the respective practical approaches librarian and instructor took to assess a source’s quality as well as differences in what librarian and instructor might mean by “quality.” Themes emerged as indicators of quality that librarian and instructor applied differently in terms of frequency and weight. Findings also included that librarian and instructor looked to different aspects of citations to demonstrate common values, such as thoroughness, and to reflect the quality …

Using Visual Prompts In Research, Maura A. Smale, Mariana Regalado

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Creating A Hip In The Library: A High-Impact Practice Case Study, Susan E. Montgomery

Faculty Publications

High-impact practices, HIPs, have been adopted on college campuses to enhance student learning. The academic library provides services and space contributing to learning at its institution. Librarians conduct space research to learn how the library building can better serve its users. Library space assessment is one way for librarians to engage with faculty and students to create a HIP in the library. This article is a case study of a collaboration between a librarian and a sociology professor to design an observational study. It demonstrates how librarians can contribute to HIPs at their institution by involving students in meaningful research.

Ethnography In Student-Owned Spaces: Using Whiteboards To Explore Learning Communities And Student Success, Anna Sandelli, Sojourna J. Cunningham

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

“Student success” and the “user experience” are terms that have gained prominence in conversations around the ways in which academic libraries support and engage with their student populations. Ethnographic methods provide a unique opportunity to incorporate student voices into these conversations. This study reports on a longitudinal ethnographic study conducted at two academic libraries in the United States. Through a semi-structured participatory approach using whiteboards, the researchers garnered more than 2,000 responses. By coding that qualitative data, the researchers were able to examine student usage of library spaces, how students create informal learning communities within these spaces, and how students …

Repensando As Desigualdades Digitais: As Promessas Da Web 2.0 Para Os Marginalizados, David Nemer

Information Science Faculty Publications

Este artigo centra-se nos usos das plataformas Web 2.0 por moradores de favelas a fim de expandir nossa compreensão sobre a capacidade de transformação que a Web 2.0 pode (e não pode) fazer em termos de mudança social e inclusão digital. Para explorar essa problemática, eu realizei uma etnografia de dez meses nas favelas de Vitória, Brasil, para estudar as práticas e experiências dos moradores das comunidades na Web 2.0. Eu analiso como a Web 2.0 permitiu aos residentes da favela a capacidade de protestar nas ruas e atravessar as fronteiras sociais, mas quando isso aconteceu, eles enfrentaram algo muito …

Cataloging Practices Through An Ethnographic Lens: Workarounds, Disagreements, And Manifestations Of Culture, Wan-Chen Lee

School of Information Studies Faculty Articles

Cataloging models emphasize selective aspects of cataloging and serve the purposes of conceptual debates and theoretical developments. Many complexities, uncertainties, dilemmas, challenges, and “rare” scenarios that catalogers encounter in practice are not presented in the models. To study cataloging practices, the author presents cataloging scenarios observed from an ongoing fieldwork. Through weekly participatory observations and unstructured interviews of catalogers, the work presents cases among the diverse and complex cataloging practices, and surfaces the tensions and time involved in cataloging. This paper will focus on three themes: workarounds, disagreements, and manifestations of culture in cataloging practice. The first scenario describes a …

Using Ethnographic Interviewing To Learn About Your Faculty, Carolyn Mills, Sharon Giovenale

ACRL New England Chapter Annual Conference

We were part of a nineteen institution ethnographic study on the research practices and support needs of agriculture faculty, under the auspices of Ithaka S+R in 2016. We will use our work to illustrate how ethnographic interviewing works. We will discuss:

• Training and preparation
• The process of recruiting and interviewing, and interview transcription.
• Coding & analysis of results, mapping findings from the interview transcriptions
• Our findings and conclusions which, though drawn from agriculture, are potentially applicable to a broader range of science researchers

Our message to attendees is that anyone can do this research with the right preparation and support. …

Evidence-Based Librarianship: Methods For Researching User Experience, Emily Crist, Alan Carbery

ACRL New England Chapter Annual Conference

Designing experiences for library users requires an understanding of the people, as well as the situations involved in those experiences. When developing library services, this understanding is important in order to consider how the services can fit within constituents’ practices, how they can complement existing user workflows and learning strategies, and how they can reflect and build on their users’ identities. A data-driven, evidence-based approach to librarianship is becoming increasingly important.

Additionally, libraries are increasingly tasked with demonstrating their impact and contributions towards institutional priorities in the wider higher education landscape. To that end, the presenters’ institute created a unique …

Reimagining The Library: Designing Library Spaces To Meet The Needs Of Today's Students, Kathleen T. Baril, Kelly Kobiela

Heterick Faculty Scholarship

Libraries, long the heart of academic life, nonetheless have been perceived as a passive space for physical resources and quiet study. Changes in the dissemination of information, as well as teaching and learning methods that focus on high-impact practices, have driven library staff to reimagine the physical buildings of libraries. To meet the new needs of students, Ohio Northern University planned a full renovation of the first floor of its undergraduate library. Current space and space usage was analyzed, considering how collaborative learning and undergraduate research might be conducted in renovated spaces. Ethnographic studies such as observations, focus groups, and …

Mapping Student Days: Collaborative Ethnography And The Student Experience, Andrew Asher, Jean Amaral, Juliann Couture, Barbara Fister, Donna Lanclos, M. Sara Lowe, Mariana Regalado, Maura A. Smale

Publications and Research

Research on students’ educational experiences demonstrates the importance of a holistic understanding of the complexity of students’ lives in developing library programs, services, and resources that effectively address undergraduate needs. The “A Day in the Life” (ADITL) Project investigated a typical day for over 200 students at eight diverse higher education institutions in the US. Examining the local and individual expressions of student taskscapes – the ensemble of interrelated social activities across time and space – placed each student’s relationship to their library in a larger description of their academic and personal lives. By exploring the whole student experience, this …

Investigating The Practices And Needs Of Agricultural Researchers At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Leslie M. Delserone, Andrea L. Dinkelman

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries was one of 19 libraries participating in a national study, initiated by Ithaka S+R, of the research practices and needs of agricultural researchers. Two UNL Libraries faculty members participated in this study by interviewing 11 UNL agricultural scholars during the summer of 2016. The ethnographic research approach revealed four core themes explored in this UNL-specific report: interdisciplinarity and collaborations; scientific communication practices; scientific research data; and challenges and opportunities. Illustrated by the sample of faculty comments presented here, the themes have direct implications for the UNL Libraries, while in other cases these point to concerns …

Rethinking Social Change: The Promises Of Web 2.0 For The Marginalized, David Nemer

Information Science Faculty Publications

This paper focuses on the uses of Web 2.0 platforms by residents of favelas, urban slums in Brazil, in order to expand our understanding of what Web 2.0 can and cannot do in terms of social change. To explore this problem space, I draw on a 10-month ethnography in the favelas of Vitória, Brazil to study slum residents’ Web 2.0 practices and engagements. I show how Web 2.0 afforded favela residents the ability to protest and cross social boundaries, but when that happened they faced something much stronger: social exclusion, police brutality against the blacks and poor, and limited civic …

Comparing Library Wayfinding Among Novices And Experts, Holt Zaugg, Curtis Child, Dalton Bennett, Jace Brown, Melissa Alcaraz, Alexander Allred, Nathaniel Andrus, Drew Babcock, Maria Barriga, Madison Brown, Lindsey Bulloch, Todd Corbett, Michelle Curtin, Victoria Giossi, Samantha Hawkins, Sergio Hernandez, Kayia Jacobs, Jette Jones, David Kessler, Samuel Lee, Sara Mackay, Amy Marshall, Dallin Maxfield, Cory Mcfarland, Brennen Miller, Maia Roberson, Kristy Rogers, Devin Stoker, Manase Tonga, Abby Twitchell, Tinesha Zandamela

Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate similar and different wayfinding strategies used by novice and expert patrons at an academic library.

Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a usability study approach. In total, 12 people, places, or things were identified as important for students to be able to locate within an academic library. Students from one of three groups (high school, freshmen, and seniors) were randomly assigned a scenario requiring them to find the indicated person, place, or thing. Student researchers video recorded participants and took field notes during the wayfinding activity and conducted an interview about …

Ethnography In Action: Active Learning In Academic Library Outreach To Middle School Students, Samantha Godbey, Nancy Fawley, Xan Goodman, Susan Wainscott

Nancy Fawley

This article describes an outreach activity developed and coordinated by academic librarians as part of a state program for low-income middle school students. Rather than offering a traditional library tour, the library organizers wanted to provide the middle school students with a meaningful experience that would encourage active participation, critical thinking, and alleviate library anxiety. As a spin on the traditional tour, students applied an ethnographic approach to learning about the library. The authors describe the development and implementation of the activity and provide recommendations for other librarians involved in outreach to K-12 students.

Graduate Conversations: Assessing The Space Needs Of Graduate Students, Melissa M. Burel, Abby Scheel, Rachel Besara, Jessica Evans Bradey, Kirsten Kinsley, Gloria Colvin

Library and Information Services Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

This article discusses the preferences, habits, and needs of graduate students as they relate to spaces for research and study. The findings are based on a large-scale ethnographic study of graduate students at Florida State University conducted between 2010 and 2013. Using a variety of ethnographic methods, researchers found that graduate students have diverse needs and unequal access to appropriate spaces and resources to meet those needs. Libraries can help fill the gaps left by home and academic departments by providing a range of spaces offering different noise levels, resources, and other amenities.

From Co-Location To Collaboration: Working Together To Improve Student Learning, Susan Montgomery, Suzanne D. Robertshaw

Faculty Publications

An academic librarian and the coordinator of a campus tutoring and writing center recently relocated to the library researched their value to second-year students. Differences in the amount and type of available data called for conducting in-depth interviews with students about their research and writing processes. The researchers also reviewed relevant material regarding similar collaborative efforts at other college and universities. The gaps revealed in the environmental scan along with the best practices of librarian/writing center collaboration helped determine future steps needed for both units to move from mere co-location to working in true collaboration.

Ethnography In Action: Active Learning In Academic Library Outreach To Middle School Students, Samantha Godbey, Nancy Fawley, Xan Goodman, Susan Wainscott

Library Faculty Publications

This article describes an outreach activity developed and coordinated by academic librarians as part of a state program for low-income middle school students. Rather than offering a traditional library tour, the library organizers wanted to provide the middle school students with a meaningful experience that would encourage active participation, critical thinking, and alleviate library anxiety. As a spin on the traditional tour, students applied an ethnographic approach to learning about the library. The authors describe the development and implementation of the activity and provide recommendations for other librarians involved in outreach to K-12 students.

New Look At An Old Space: Participatory Design Research At A Liberal Arts College Library, Olivia Castello, Melissa K. Cresswell

Library Staff Research and Scholarship

Anticipating major physical renovations, Bryn Mawr College recently analyzed students’ use of space in Canaday Library. We collected both qualitative and quantitative data using an innovative mixed methods, participatory research design that included student photo diaries, interactive design workshops, a patron brainstorming board, and space-usage headcounts. Our poster will illustrate the results of our qualitative and quantitative data analyses, which showed surprising patterns in students’ usage and expressed desires for the main library space. Our project will interest colleagues from peer institutions and anyone curious about what liberal arts college students want in a 21st century academic library.

Between Land And Sea: Divergent Data Stewardship Practices In Deep-Sea Biosphere Research, Rebekah Cummings, Peter Darch

Rebekah Cummings

Data in deep-sea biosphere research often live a double life. While the original data generated on IODP expeditions are highly structured, professionally curated, and widely shared, the downstream data practices of deep-sea biosphere laboratories are far more localized and ad hoc. These divergent data practices make it difficult to track the provenance of datasets from the cruise ships to the laboratory or to integrate IODP data with laboratory data. An in-depth study of the divergent data practices in deep-sea biosphere research allows us to: - Better understand the social and technical forces that shape data stewardship throughout the data lifecycle; …

Between Land And Sea: Divergent Data Stewardship Practices In Deep-Sea Biosphere Research, Rebekah Cummings, Peter Darch

Peter Darch

Data in deep-sea biosphere research often live a double life. While the original data generated on IODP expeditions are highly structured, professionally curated, and widely shared, the downstream data practices of deep-sea biosphere laboratories are far more localized and ad hoc. These divergent data practices make it difficult to track the provenance of datasets from the cruise ships to the laboratory or to integrate IODP data with laboratory data. An in-depth study of the divergent data practices in deep-sea biosphere research allows us to: - Better understand the social and technical forces that shape data stewardship throughout the data lifecycle; …

"Democracy" In A Virtual World: Eve Online's Council Of Stellar Management And The Power Of Influence, Jessica Ireland

Theses and Dissertations

Interest in virtual worlds has grown within academia and popular culture. Virtual worlds are persistent, technologically-mediated, social spaces. Academic literature focuses on issues such as identity, sociality, economics, and governance. However studies of governance focus on internal or external modes of control; less attention has been paid to institutions of governance that operate within both the virtual and real worlds.

In EVE Online, the Council of Stellar Management (CSM) represents a joint venture between developers and users to shape the direction of EVE's virtual society. As a group of elected representatives, the CSM represents societal interests to the game's developer, …

Curating The Ethnographic Moment, Andrew D. Asher, Lori M. Jahnke

Andrew Asher

Digital technologies have vastly increased the volume of materials that ethnographic researchers are able to collect. They have also enhanced possibilities for rapidly sharing data not only with other researchers, but also with research subjects and the public at large. However, the relative ease of collecting digital materials can quickly outpace the data management skills of researchers, who usually have little or no training in recordkeeping, preservation, or curation strategies. Making digital data available online can also compound ethical dilemmas faced by ethnographers, who often find themselves torn between contradictory imperatives to share data publically and to protect the privacy …

Faculty In The Mist: Ethnographic Study Of Faculty Research Practices, Marilyn R. Pukkila, Ellen L. Freeman

Faculty Scholarship

A report on ethnographic research on college faculty research and teaching methods, with their use of information resources, library services, technology, and academic IT support.

Faculty In The Mist: Ethnographic Study Of Faculty Research Practices, Marilyn R. Pukkila, Ellen L. Freeman

Marilyn R. Pukkila

A report on ethnographic research on college faculty research and teaching methods, with their use of information resources, library services, technology, and academic IT support.

Visual Approaches And Photography For The Study Of Immediate Information Space, Jenna K. Hartel, Leslie Thomson

Jenna Hartel

This methods-oriented paper introduces visual methods and specifically photography to study immediate information space (Lee, 2003); that is, information-rich settings such as offices or homes. It draws upon the authors’ firsthand ethnographic field experiences, a review of relevant theoretical and methodological literature, and an analysis of cases within information studies that have made use of visual and photographic techniques. To begin, the traditions of visual research within anthropology and sociology are traced and major epistemological, methodological, and disciplinary debates associated with visual scholarship are presented. Then, investigations of immediate information space that utilize photography are analyzed, including examples from the …

Information In The Hobby Of Gourmet Cooking - Four Contexts, Jenna K. Hartel

Jenna Hartel

This chapter aims to characterize the information activities and information resources that underlie the hobby of gourmet cooking in America. Gourmet cooking has roots in French haute cuisine and is a manner of food preparation that entails high quality or exotic ingredients and advanced technical skills (Wilson 2003). It is featured today at many high end or “white tablecloth” restaurants, associated with cultural icon Julia Child, and has been adopted by millions of Americans as a hobby. Given its complexity to execute, gourmet cooking is information intensive and generates a vast multimedia information universe. Altogether, this hobby is a rich …