ResearchingResearchers:AvalonMediaSystem'sEthnographicStudyofMediaCollec;onUsage
EvvivaWeinraub,AULDigitalStrategiesNorthwesternUniversity
JonDunn,AssistantDeanforLibraryTechnologies
IndianaUniversityBloomington
CNIFallMee;ng2016December13,2016
WhatisAvalon?
AvalonMediaSystemenableslibrariesandarchivestoeasilycurate,distributeandprovideonlineaccesstotheirA/Vcollec;onsforpurposesofteaching,learningandresearch.
www.avalonmediasystem.org
WhatisAvalon?
OpensourcesoSwaresystemcurrentlydirectedbyIndianaUniversity&NorthwesternUniversity
HydraSolu;onBundle
ProjectFunding
• 2010-2011:IMLSPlanningGrant• 2011-2015:Na;onalLeadershipGrantfromtheIns;tuteofMuseumandLibraryServices
• 2015-present:AndrewW.MellonFounda;on
EarlyPlanningDecision
• Focuson:1. Infrastructureformediacollec;ons
managementanddelivery*OR*2. End-usertoolsforteaching,learning,and
researchuse?
• Chosetofocusini;allyonop;on1
GoalsofcurrentMellongrant
1. Developaddi;onalAvalonfunc;onality2. Conductstudiesofuseofaudioandvideo
collec;onsbyhumani;esresearchers3. Developandimplementacommunity-funded
businessandgovernancemodel4. DeployAvaloninahostedSaaSmodelfor
tes;ng/pilot
LearningToolsInteroperability
FromOurMellonGrantProposal:• Theproposeduserresearchwillbemul;-method,
thoughprimarilyethnographicincharacter:
• Iden;fyatleasttwodisciplinesforfocus,suchasmusictheory,ethnomusicology,orfilmstudies.
• Conversa;onswiththeseresearcherswillenableustoselectasetofresearchersforfocuswhorepresentawiderangeofmediaresearchusecasesandarewillingtoworkwithusduringthegrant.
h_ps://www.nngroup.com/ar;cles/which-ux-research-methods/
Whyethnographicresearch?
h_ps://www.nngroup.com/ar;cles/which-ux-research-methods/
Whichethnographicresearch?
askusers’mgmt
askuserswhattheylikeorwant
askuserswhattheydo
askuserswhattheydid
watchuserswork&discuss
makeitup—we’resmart!
askmarke;ng
readpubs
discovering user needs
studyrealar;facts&data
Uncoverissuesusershavetryingtousestreamingmediawithintheirresearchprojects.Lookatthetechnologytheyemploy,andhowtheyusetechnologyinwaysthathelpandhindertheirresearchprocesses.
Avalon’sUserResearchFOCUS:
UserResearchMethodologyWHATISCONTEXUALINQUIRY
Thekeydifferen;atorbetweencontextualinquiryandotheruserresearchmethodsisthatcontextualinquiryoccursincontext.It’snotsimplyaninterview,andit’snotsimplyanobserva;on.Itinvolvesobservingpeopleperformingtheirtasksandhavingthemtalkaboutwhattheyaredoingwhiletheyaredoingit.
UserResearchMethodologyCONTEXUALINQUIRY-OBSERVATION
Project
Descrip;on
Goalsfortoday
Media
MediaUsed(Formats)
Experience
Issues
Applica;ons
AppUsed
Experience
Issues
Equipment
EquipmentUsed
Experience
Issues
StepbyStep
ProcedureNotes
UserResearchMethodology
UserResearchMethodologyCONTEXUALINQUIRY:Followupinterview
UserResearchMethodologyDIARYSTUDY
StudyResultsForscholarsofalllevels:Moreimportanceisputoncontentandaccessingit,lessoninterface.
Theywillusewhateverplayer/toolisavailabletoaccessthefilm/music/footagetheyneedfortheirproject.
StudyResultsNooneusesjustonetoolwhileaccessingandresearchingmedia.
RippingHandBrakeMakeMKVViewersAdobeSuiteiMoviePreviewQuickTimePlayerYouTubeNoteTakingHandwri_ennotes(legalpad/scrapsofpaper)TextEdit
Wri;ngGoogleDocsKeyNoteMicrosoSWordPagesScrivenerCollec;ng/Ci;ngExternalHardDriveDropBoxEndNoteZotero
“MycomputerisparQcularlyslow,Ishouldrestartit,butIhavetoomanydocumentsopen.”
StudyResultsCOMMONFRUSTRATIONSUSINGMEDIAforSCHOLARSHIP:Difficultyloca;ngfilesonownmachine.
StudyResultsCOMMONFRUSTRATIONSUSINGMEDIACOMMONFRUSTRATIONSUSINGMEDIAforSCHOLARSHIP:Lackoftrainingintechnologyforresearchneeds.
“IshouldreallylearnhowtouseiMovieproperlybutIdon’thavetheQmeandmyresearchbudgetdoesn’tallowfortakingaclass.”(TenureTrackStudyParQcipant,Northwestern)
“IwaslookingforsomethingelseformyresearchandIfoundthisprogramtouse.”(GraduateStudentParQcipant,Northwestern)
“Irelyonmytechie-friendsandstudentstohelpmewhenIgetstuck.”(VisiQngProfessorParQcipant,Northwestern)
StudyResults
h_ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37XhIuqsWVk
COMMONFRUSTRATIONSUSINGMEDIAforSCHOLARSHIP:Difficultygeqnghi-resscreenshotsforpresenta;ons/publica;ons/useasevidence.
StudyResults
h_p://7thhouseontheleS.com/2011/10/love-lucy/
COMMONFRUSTRATIONSUSINGMEDIAforSCHOLARSHIP:Lackofauthorita;vesources
StudyResults
SanddunesintheRub'alKhali("Emptyquarter")ofSaudiArabia,COURTESYWIKIPEDIA
LessonsLearnedThusFar
• Recruitment
LessonsLearnedThusFar
• Workingfrom2separateins;tu;ons
ConsistenttraininganduseofmaterialsCrucialprojectsbasedonimmediateins;tu;onalneedsChangesinstaffingacrossbothprojectteams(includinglossofini;alleadershiponstudy)Policydifferencesacrossins;tu;ons
We’relistening…
EvvivaWeinraub,NorthwesternUniversityAssociateUniversityLibrarian,[email protected],[email protected]