The world’s libraries. Connected. Qualitative Inquiry in Social and Cultural Contexts The Critical Incident Technique CoLIS, Copenhagen, Denmark August 22, 2013 Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist OCLC @LynnConnaway [email protected]
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Qualitative Inquiry in Social and Cultural Contexts
Panel presented at CoLIS 2013: 8: International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science, August 22, 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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The world’s libraries. Connected.
Qualitative Inquiry in Social and Cultural Contexts
• Allows categories or themes to emerge rather than be imposed
Critical Incident Technique (CIT)
(Flanagan, 1954)
The world’s libraries. Connected.
• Sir Francis Galton
• Aviation Psychology Program of US Army Air Forces in WWII
• Analysis of failure in learning to fly
• Used in proceedings of elimination boards
• Research for selecting pilots
• Reasons for failures of bombing missions
Origins of CIT
(Flanagan, 1954, p. 2)
The world’s libraries. Connected.
• Combat leadership studies
• Gather specific incidents of behavior
• Helpful or inadequate in accomplishing mission
• “Describe the officer’s action. What did he do?”
• Resulted in “critical requirements” of combat leadership
Origins of CIT
(Flanagan, 1954, 2)
The world’s libraries. Connected.
• Radford (2006) Tice (2001)
• Evaluate CLASP (Connecting Libraries and Schools Project)
• YA attitudes toward public libraries
• Fisher & Oulton (1999)
• Staff development needs
• Library decision-making
• Tool for librarian entering management positions
• Hamer (2003)
• Information seeking of LGBT youth coming out
• Wilkins & Leckie (1997)
• Investigate information needs & information-seeking behavior of university staff
• Used in addition to questionnaire
CIT in LIS
The world’s libraries. Connected.
Critical Incident Technique Examples: Our Research
The world’s libraries. Connected.
• Studied habits & needs of virtual reference services (VRS) users and non-users to identify characteristics for informing library system and service development
• Four phases:
• Focus group interviews
• Analysis of 850 QuestionPoint live chat transcripts
• Online surveys of VRS
• 137 VRS Users
• 173 VRS Librarians
• 134 VRS Non-users
• Telephone interviews
• 76 VRS Users
• 100 VRS Librarians
• 107 VRS Non-users
• Generalizable through large sample sizes, multiple methods of data collection, and triangulation of results.
“I was looking for books on bilingual communication in the setting of sports teams and I needed at least three book references and I wasn't able to get them on time, so I think it was unsuccessful because I ended up not getting the information I needed for research I was working on.” Cyber Synergy (VS43, Male, Age 19-25)
The world’s libraries. Connected.
• Can be applied to a range of studies
• Allows categories or themes to emerge rather than be imposed
• Provides clear examples that prove the value of your services
• Users speak for you
Using CIT in YOUR Research
The world’s libraries. Connected.
Connaway, L. S. & Radford, M. L. (2011). Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and recommendations for virtual reference. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research. Retrieved from http://www.oclc.org/reports/synchronicity/full.pdf
Connaway, L. S., Lanclos, D., White, D. S., Le Cornu, A., & Hood, E. M. (2012). User-centered decision making: A new model for developing academic library services and systems. IFLA 2012 Conference Proceedings, August 11-17, Helsinki, Finland.
Connaway, L. S., & Powell, R. R. (2010). Basic research methods for librarians. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.Fisher, S., & Oulton, T. (1999). The critical incident technique in library and information management research. Education for Information, 17(2),
113–126.Flanagan, J. C. (1954). The critical incident technique. Psychological Bulletin, 51(4), 327–358.Geertz, Clifford. (1973). The interpretation of cultures: selected essays. New York: Basic Books, 6. Hamer, J. S. (2003). Coming-out: Gay males’ information seeking. School Libraries Worldwide, 9(2), 73–79.Radford, M. L. (summer, 2006). The critical incident technique and the qualitative evaluation of the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project.
Library Trends 54(1), 46-64. Radford, M. L. (1999). The Reference Encounter: Interpersonal Communication in the Academic Library. Chicago: Association of College &
Research Libraries, A Division of the American Library Association. (Publications in Librarianship #52).Radford, M. L., Connaway, L. S., & Shah, C. (2011-2013). Cyber Synergy: Seeking Sustainability through Collaboration between Virtual
Reference and Social Q&A Sites. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Rutgers University, and OCLC. Retrieved from http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/synergy/default.htm
Tice, M. (2001). Queens Borough Public Library and the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project. Journal of Youth Services in Libraries, 14(3), 11–13
White, D., & Connaway, L. S. (2011). Visitors and residents: What motivates engagement with the digital information environment. Funded by JISC, OCLC, and Oxford University. Retrieved from http://www.oclc.org/research/activities/vandr/
Wilkins, J. L. H., & Leckie, G. J. (1997). University Professional and Managerial Staff: Information Needs and Seeking. College & Research Libraries, 58(6), 561-74.