Use and Users of Digital Resources: A Focus on Undergraduate Education in the Humanities and Social Sciences April 5, 2006 Authors: Diane Harley, Ph.D., Principal Investigator Jonathan Henke, Shannon Lawrence, Ian Miller, Irene Perciali, Ph.D., and David Nasatir, Ph.D. With contributions from Charis Kaskiris and Cara Bautista Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE), University of California, Berkeley Funders: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Hewlett-Packard Company, the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), the California Digital Library (CDL), and the Vice Chancellor of Research, UC Berkeley Principal Investigator: Diane Harley, Ph.D. Center for Studies in Higher Education South Hall Annex, #4650 Berkeley, CA 94720 (510) 642-5040 Project website: http://digitalresourcestudy.berkeley.edu/ © 2005–2006, Center for Studies in Higher Education Use and Users of Digital Resources — Harley et al./CSHE/UCB April 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................. v Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1. Understanding the Humanities and Social Science Digital Resource Landscape ........................... 1-2 2A. Faculty Discussion Groups and Online Faculty Survey .................................................................. 1-3 2B. Investigation of Transaction Log Analysis and Online Site Surveys .............................................. 1-5 3. Why Study Users? Summary of Digital Resource Provider and User Researchers Meeting ........ 1-6 Introduction and Rationale for the Project ........................................................................................................ 2-1 Research Goals and Methods .............................................................................................................................. 2-5 Overview of the Methodology ................................................................................................................... 2-5 Some Thoughts on User Research Methods ............................................................................................. 2-6 Goal 1: Understanding the Humanities/Social Science Digital Resource Landscape and Where Users Fit Into It ........................................................................................................................................ 3-1 A. Defining the Universe of Digital Resources and Associated User Studies ..................................... 3-1 1. Unrestricted Digital Resources: What Are They? How Can We Organize Them? .................. 3-1 2. Definitions: What Are We Studying? What Do Faculty Use in Their Teaching? .................... 3-2 B. Understanding Use and Users: A Literature Review ......................................................................... 3-3 1. The Larger Context for Understanding Technology and the Humanities and Social Sciences .................................................................................................................................................... 3-3 2. Specific Research on Digital Resource Use ..................................................................................... 3-9 3. Complex New Media ........................................................................................................................ 3-13 C. Developing a Typology—But from Whose Perspective? .................................................................. 3-15 1. The User Perspective ......................................................................................................................... 3-16 2. The Site “Owner” Perspective ......................................................................................................... 3-16 3. Typology Development .................................................................................................................... 3-17 4. Usefulness and Limitations of a Typology Approach ...................................................................3-18 Goal 2: How Are Digital Resources Being Used Among Diverse Communities? ....................................... 4-1 Goal 2A: Faculty Discussion Groups and Faculty Survey ............................................................................. 4-1 A. Discussion Groups – Methods ............................................................................................................... 4-1 B. Faculty Survey – Methods ....................................................................................................................... 4-2 1. Target Population: Institutions and Disciplines ............................................................................. 4-3 2. Sampling .............................................................................................................................................. 4-3 3. Identifying Participants and Finding Contact Information .......................................................... 4-5 4. Delivery Mode: Online vs. Paper ...................................................................................................... 4-6 5. Design of Survey Instrument ............................................................................................................ 4-6 6. Pilot Testing ......................................................................................................................................... 4-7 7. Electronic Survey System .................................................................................................................. 4-7 8. Survey Recruitment: Online and By Mail ....................................................................................... 4-7 9. Human Subjects and Confidentiality ............................................................................................... 4-8 10. Data Cleaning and Calculated Variables ....................................................................................... 4-8 11. Response Rates .................................................................................................................................. 4-9 12. Non-Response Survey ..................................................................................................................... 4-11 13. H-Net Survey ................................................................................................................................... 4-13 http://digitalresourcestudy.berkeley.edu ii Use and Users of Digital Resources — Harley et al./CSHE/UCB April 2006 14. Principle Component Analysis ...................................................................................................... 4-16 C. Faculty Survey and Discussion Group Results .................................................................................. 4-20 1. Aggregate and by Institution Type ................................................................................................. 4-20 a. Types of Resources Faculty Say They Use ................................................................................ 4-20 b. Where People Find Resources .................................................................................................... 4-24 c. Curricular Materials ..................................................................................................................... 4-24 d. How Are Resources Used in Teaching? .................................................................................... 4-25 e. Motivations for Using Online Resources .................................................................................. 4-26 f. Reasons for Non-Use .................................................................................................................... 4-27 g. Barriers to Faculty Use of Resources ......................................................................................... 4-30 h. Activities for Which Support or Assistance is Important ....................................................... 4-32 2. Personal Collections .......................................................................................................................... 4-33 3. Use by Discipline ............................................................................................................................... 4-35 4. The Role of Age in Resource Use .................................................................................................... 4-46 5. Heavy Users, Light Users, and Non-Users .................................................................................... 4-49 6. Highlights from the H-Net Survey ................................................................................................. 4-52 7. Regression and Path Analysis .......................................................................................................... 4-55 8. Clustering and User Profiling .......................................................................................................... 4-62 9. Summary of Findings: Faculty Survey ........................................................................................... 4-66 Goal 2B: Transaction Log Analysis and Website Surveys .............................................................................