Project name: Reference Service Focus Groups
Timeframe: Fall 2003; report of key findings to be submitted to ISMC by the end of the fall term.
Project Purpose: To learn more about what our users think about reference service. Broad questions are: what are we doing now that our users like, what we are doing that could be improved, and what are we not doing that they would like us to do?
Context: ISMC is undertaking a review of reference service. The results of the review are intended to set direction for reference service for the next five years; these results are to be informed by an understanding of what our users need and expect from the service.
Project Team: Christy Branston, Shabiran Rahmann, Jackie Stapleton, Melanie Watkins will serve as core members of the Project Team; Christy will serve as the Team Facilitator. The Team reports to ISMC and will consult with the Community Needs Assessment Committee, especially during the planning phase. As necessary the Team may engage others in the Project.
Scope includes:
Planning the project taking into account the number of focus groups to be held, the number and composition of participants in each group, the time and location of the meetings, incentives used to recruit participants, and specific questions to be used for the focus group discussions (these questions will be consistent with the ones listed above under Project Purpose).
Preparing an Application for Ethics Review of Research with Human Participants.
Determining what training needs staff conducting the focus groups may have and determining how that training might be done.
Conducting and recording focus group discussions.
Analyzing the focus group discussions.
Preparing a report of key findings for ISMC.
Scope excludes:
Planning or conducting focus groups which include Library users who are not UW students or faculty members.
Expanding the focus to include anything other than reference service (e.g. library instruction).
Making recommendations associated with the findings of the focus groups.