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 Read
Most Popular Pages
What Folks Searched For
Visitors to Site
Usage Statistics for Blog:
Psych, Soc, Ling, and CSD at the Library
1,018
1200
1000
Page Loads
The 2nd month during the
semester (Oct. and Feb.) is
when most of the
instructional classes occur.
534
247
283
306
163
130
59
53
107
75
106
71
137
82
13
33
300
362
309
381
488
507
Returning Visitors
177
219
121
100
133
221
329
375
425
400
200
First Time Visitors
554
535
600
92
79
Number of Hits
800
Unique Visitors
0
Sep-06
Oct-06
Nov-06
Dec-06
Jan-07
Month
Feb-07
Mar-07
Apr-07
May-07
Where Folks Came From
How Readers were Led to the Blog, Number of Hits
Jan to April 2007
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.
Links from Other Websites,
50
Links from WebCT, 62
Links from InfoPoint, 22
From Search Engines, 472
From Subject Guides to
Content Pages, 385
From Subject Guides to
Welcome Page, 205
What Folks Read:
Most Popular Pages
Usage Statistics Between January and April
Types of Pages, Number of Hits
Encyclopedias, 151
Events, 101
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 HumanDog Communication & Society
Research Topics, 512
Databases, 147
Search Techniques, 456
Tests and Measures, 274
What Folks Read:
What Folks Search For
What Google Searches Led Readers to My Blog
others, 15
events, 40
books, 12
databases, 25
subject specific
encyclopedias, 62
this blog, 36
Approximately 63% of the
Research Topics searches
looked for Stanley Milgram
and his obedience
experiments
journals, 29
search techniques, 111
research topics, 437
tests & measures, 98
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 women
2 from U.S., 1 from Taiwan
1 ½ hour, recorded discussion of
blogs, wikis, and this particular blog
Transcribed recording; excerpted
themes
They 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 Entertainment
But 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 website
A psychology student from California
asked me about access to APA
journals in south Florida
2 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 Blog
IP 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/link
s/index.php?title=Academic_libraries