TWITTERhelpful or hassle?

Abby Bedford, MSI

Why do a study about

Twitter?

““The library world has been far too gullible, far too willing to regard any technical advance as a service advance[.]

Lauer, J. D., & McKinzie, S. (2002/2003). Bad moon rising: A candid examination of digital reference and what it means to the profession. Reference Librarian, 38(79/80), 45-56.

Assessment

Literature

Ownership

Question

Are academic librariesin the United States reaching who they

think they are reaching via Twitter?

Study Design

• Get IRB approval

• Get IRB approval- This EXEMPT research protocol has been approved by the

Human Research Review Committee at Grand Valley State University. File No. 11-156-H.

• Get IRB approval- This EXEMPT research protocol has been approved by the

Human Research Review Committee at Grand Valley State University. File No. 11-156-H.

• Identify U.S. academic libraries with Twitter accounts

• Get IRB approval- This EXEMPT research protocol has been approved by the

Human Research Review Committee at Grand Valley State University. File No. 11-156-H.

• Identify U.S. academic libraries with Twitter accounts

• Send these libraries a survey

• Get IRB approval- This EXEMPT research protocol has been approved by the

Human Research Review Committee at Grand Valley State University. File No. 11-156-H.

• Identify U.S. academic libraries with Twitter accounts

• Send these libraries a survey

• Code followers of the libraries that answer the survey

• Get IRB approval- This EXEMPT research protocol has been approved by the

Human Research Review Committee at Grand Valley State University. File No. 11-156-H.

• Identify U.S. academic libraries with Twitter accounts

• Send these libraries a survey

• Code followers of the libraries that answer the survey

• Analyze data

Methodology

Identification

@researchinglib

485

Survey

via Twitter

via email

113

Sample

• targeting students specifically, university at large, or both

• currently active Twitter account

111

•ANOVA (analysis of variance)

• 2 degrees of freedom

Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155-159.

64

Data

1 - alumni/major/undergrad

2 - professor

4 - librarian/library/archivist

7 - [blank]

site:http://matthew.reidsrow.com/

projects/tweeps/

code:https://github.com/mreidsma/

tweepgrabber

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity

4. Library/Librarian/Library Assn./Library Vendor

5. Local Business

6. Una"liated

7. Unknown

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity

4. Library/Librarian/Library Assn./Library Vendor

5. Local Business

6. Una"liated

7. Unknown

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity Affiliated

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity

4. Library/Librarian/Library Assn./Library Vendor

5. Local Business

6. Una"liated

7. Unknown

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity

4. Library/Librarian/Library Assn./Library Vendor

5. Local Business

6. Una"liated

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity Affiliated

Unaffiliated

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity

4. Library/Librarian/Library Assn./Library Vendor

5. Local Business

6. Una"liated

7. Unknown

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity

4. Library/Librarian/Library Assn./Library Vendor

5. Local Business

6. Una"liated

1. Students/Alumni

2. Faculty/Sta!

3. University Entity Affiliated

Unaffiliated

Unknown

PreliminaryResults

average % based on initial coding of 20 libraries

average % based on initial coding of 20 libraries

What’s next?

More coding!

StatisticalAnalysis

DescriptiveAnalysis

Demographics

Conclusions &Recommendations

Write it up.

Breathe

QUESTIONS?

QUESTIONS?Abby Bedfordbedforda@gvsu.edu@abby_elizabeth