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,DigitalStrategiesevviva.weinraub@northwestern.eduJonDunn,IndianaUniversityAssistantDeanforLibraryTechnologiesjwd@iu.edu