Blogging with my Peeps: Communication with Liaison Departments in Psychology, Sociology, and Linguistics

Merrie A. Davidson, MLS

University of Florida

Research Question

How can librarians most effectively use blogs and wikis to develop ongoing and rich communication with their research communities – faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates – in liaison departments in the behavioral and social sciences?

Abstract

A librarian wrote articles approximately bi-weekly for a blog directed to her liaison departments, including information about new acquisitions to the library, instructions on using features of databases, services of the library, and case studies for research topics. Although the blog was used (over 4,398 hits) after 8 months the blog was reformatted to a wiki with the hope that the change would encourage more interaction as comments to the blog were received from librarians, library workers, and people from off-campus, not the target audience.

Abstract (cont’d)

Usage statistics during the 8 months indicated greater usage during the 2nd month of the semester with a drop-off during the rest of the year. Most interest was in the Research Topics and Test & Measures along with Search Techniques and least with new materials in the library. The Focus Group suggested that graduate students may see blogs as resources for primary sources and entertainment, but not yet for secondary, academic analyses.

Methodology –Usage Statistics

Collected usage statistics on blog (StatCounter.com).

Monthly Page Loads, Unique Visitors, First Time Visitors, Returning Visitors; 9/06-4/06

Keyword Searches from Google and Google Blog, Collapsed into types of pages

Links where users came from, Collapsed into types of websites; 1/07-4/07

Most Popular Pages, Collapsed into types of pages

Usage Statistics on Blog

StatCounter.com

Visitors to Site

Where Folks Came From

What Folks ReadMost Popular Pages

What Folks Searched For

Visitors to SiteUsage Statistics for Blog:

Psych, Soc, Ling, and CSD at the Library

133

535

425

329

554

1,01

8

534

283

92

221

219

177

375

488

362

306

163

79

121 137

106

300

381

309

247

130

13

100

82 71 75

107

53 59

33

507

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Sep-06 Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06 Jan-07 Feb-07 Mar-07 Apr-07 May-07

Month

Nu

mb

er o

f H

its

Page Loads

Unique Visitors

First Time Visitors

Returning Visitors

The 2nd month during the semester (Oct. and Feb.) is when most of the instructional classes occur.

Where Folks Came FromHow Readers were Led to the Blog, Number of Hits

Jan to April 2007

Links from Other Websites, 50

Links from WebCT, 62

Links from InfoPoint, 22

From Subject Guides to Content Pages, 385

From Subject Guides to Welcome Page, 205

From Search Engines, 472

From Links in E-Mails, 21

Though most folks come from the library’s subject guides, some professors link to the blog and there are email referrals as well.

What Folks Read: Most Popular Pages

Usage Statistics Between January and AprilTypes of Pages, Number of Hits

Research Topics, 512

Tests and Measures, 274Search Techniques, 456

Databases, 147

Events, 101

Encyclopedias, 151

Information on Tests & Measures is always wanted. Research Topics are descriptions of case studies – different resources we have for particular topics like Asperger’s Syndrome or Human-Dog Communication & Society

What Folks Read:What Folks Search For

What Google Searches Led Readers to My Blog

this blog, 36

research topics, 437

tests & measures, 98

search techniques, 111

journals, 29

subject specific encyclopedias, 62

databases, 25

books, 12

events, 40

others, 15Approximately 63% of the Research Topics searches looked for Stanley Milgram and his obedience experiments

Converted the Blog to a Wiki

Wanted more interaction and conversation from readers

The blog requires administrator to invite reader to write or edit article

A wiki allows reader to register him or herself. He or she can decide to write or edit an article.

Can comment without registration.

Focus Group

3 Graduate Students from Sociology (3rd & 4th year students), all women2 from U.S., 1 from Taiwan1 ½ hour, recorded discussion of blogs, wikis, and this particular blogTranscribed recording; excerpted themesThey have seen my blog before, but not worked with it intensively

Themes from Focus Group

This Wiki is Good for their Undergraduate Students

Because like the dog article [Dog-Human Communication] there, I can introduce to the students. But I talk about last week. But tomorrow I have another session and I’ll probably tell them, you know, you can go to wiki and here you can here you can find and here are some ideas you can look into.

Blogs, in general, are for EntertainmentBut then there were some other ones…all about food and then there’s, that was good. Had good recipes on there. So then, I have my uncle’s blog that I read ... on the patch of grass he put in!

Themes from Focus Group (cont.)

Blogs can be used for Primary Sources; Use more traditional sources for sociology

I don’t live and breathe sociology, so…If I were to write a blog, it wouldn’t be about sociology, I don’t think.They [the bloggers] are teaching in Taiwan, doing research in other places. He used. Like he, I mean in his blog…I mean he is a sociologist. He records all the details of his life and all the details of other people’s life that he can observe in his, you know, daily life. So that’s very interesting.

Comments Anyone?

Comments come from librarians and student workers.Helen Hough gave me advice about her Tests & Measurements in the Social Sciences websiteA psychology student from California asked me about access to APA journals in south Florida2 students wrote invited blog articles

Some Other Thoughts

Colleague suggested controversial topic “Narcissism and Undergrads”

someone emailed the link to another person

Does the formality of the blog and wiki discourage participation?

Does the completeness of the articles discourage participation?

Is it just a need for patience for the maturation of the media?

Conclusion

UF Community does use BlogIP address access

WebCT links & Subject Guide links

Increased usage around months when taught in classes

We might need to wait while blogs and wikis mature, until more graduate students and faculty recognize the potential for more academic use. We can help this along by finding and publicizing those wikis and blogs that are already contributing to the scientific community. They serve the academic community as sites for both thoughtful and spontaneous discussion.

Links

Merrie’s Wiki: Psych, Soc, Ling, & CSD @ the Library

http://psychsocling.editme.com/

Blogging Libraries Wiki: Academic Libraries http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Academic_libraries