ANNOUCEMENT: THIS WEEK'S THIS THURSDAY @ FIS
This Thursday @ FIS (Nov.2) 4:10-5:30,
Title: “Why do they do that?” Modelling Contextual Interaction in the
Digital Archive Domain
Speaker: Andrea Johnson, PhD Student
University College Cork
Computer Science Department
Cork, Ireland
Email: [log in to unmask]
Location:
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Torotno
140 St. George St.
416-978-3234
Room 728 (Take elevator from main lobby to 7th floor)
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Bio of speaker:
Andrea Johnson is a PhD Computer Science student at University College Cork,
Ireland. Her research interests include the use of digital archives, the
information seeking patterns of digital archive users, user modelling,
contextual inquiry, evaluation methodology and discourse analysis.
She is a project management consultant specialising in project specification
and development and user-centred evaluations. Andrea is a member of Ax-SNET
the international research partnership; the IDEAS research group University
College Cork and an active member of the Society of Archivists, Ireland.
Andrea is in Toronto under the supervision of Prof. Wendy Duff, for the next
month she plans to undertake a series of user studies and seek feedback on
her doctoral research.
Email: [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]
_____________________________________________________________________________
Abstract for This Thursday @ FIS (2nd November 2006)
1. Introduction
The paper examines the challenges of modelling the contextual use of digital
archives.
The model presented in the paper draws on the author’s previous experience
of evaluating large-scale digitisation projects and the findings of a
comprehensive domain analysis.
2. Background to Doctoral Research
The author’s under graduate thesis involved undertaking a summative
evaluation of a large-scale archival digitisation project [1]. The results
of this research identified several areas appropriate for further
investigation, three worth noting in particular were:
2.1. Range of information-seeking behaviours and their effect on the search
outcome.
2.2. Difficulty in navigating and searching digital archives.
2.3. Difficulty in contextualising the digital object and understanding
representational relationships.
The general consensus of research to date has shown that users continue to
find digital archives difficult to navigate and search [2].
3. Collecting the Behaviours of Digital Archive Users
For over three years the author has embarked on a process of observing
digital archive users, this has been done in conjunction with a detailed
examination of the digital archive domain. The main areas under
investigation were:
3.1. Who uses digital archives and for what purpose?
3.2. How do users use digital archives? What are their information-seeking
behaviours?
3.3. What skills do digital users require to effectively search within this
domain? What Archival Intelligence do they require?
3.4. What contextual factors effect the interaction between the user and the
system?
3.5. How could digital users be supported through enhanced design and new
technologies?
3.6. How do the findings from this specialist problem domain fit into the
wider theoretical information seeking and retrieval field?
Whilst collecting the behaviours of digital users it became evident that
areas such as use of language, the use of technology, the hierarchical
arrangement of the archive and the archival expertise of the archivist play
a key role in supporting archive users.
These areas do not neatly transfer over into the digital environment, where
the problem is further compounded by deep data structures and an innate
difficulty in understanding the representational relationship between the
surrogate and the primary source.
4. A Process of “Data Transformation”
Observing users over a sustained period of time has afforded a unique
insight into how users search and navigate the digital archive domain. It
soon became apparent that on viewing the results of their search, users
employ a strategy of “data transformation”.
This process involves the user distilling and transforming the information
displayed before them into a format that “makes sense” to them and their
particular information need i.e. an active construction of meaning by the
user. In effect the transformation of data is an explicit contextualisation
of information intended to meet a defined and articulated need for that user
at that time. The level of expertise required to support this construction
of meaning has a direct correlation to the perceived complexity of the
information seeking task by the user.
If the user cannot construct the meaning of the digital object they
consistently and almost without fail actively seek out sources of expertise
to aid them in translating the results of their search. The sources
of “expertise” range from tapping the person on the shoulder who happens to
be sitting next to them to seeking out archival expertise via digital
reference or through the traditional reference desk.
There is very little research being undertaken to discover how users employ
this strategy of data transformation or how the user could be supported in
the process of seeking out expertise to aid them in transforming their
search results to meet their information need.
5. Modelling Contextual Factors in the Digital Archive Domain
Unlike the digital library domain, there is a distinct lack of fundamental
concepts and models in archival literature regarding users and how users
interact with digital archives. Based on Yakel & Torres framework of
Archival Intelligence [3], the author has begun to model the processes and
contextual factors that together form the user’s interaction experience.
In addition to contextual factors, three types of knowledge are also under
investigation:
5.1 Archival Intelligence
5.2 Subject Knowledge
5.3 Artifactual Knowledge
6. Analysis Using Activity Theory
In a recent paper Prof. Tom D Wilson advocates Activity Theory as a
conceptual framework for information science research [5]. Activity Theory
can be used to highlight a range of contextual factors in both the design
and analysis of information research. It offers an interdisciplinary
framework through which the complex use of information technologies
by individuals or groups in a social context can be examined.
Activity Theory has recently been identified as a tool through which the
analysis of the author’s model of contextual interaction of the digital
archive domain will be undertaken.
7. Conclusion
The presentation of the paper will afford the opportunity to present the
latest version of the author’s model of contextual interaction for
discussion with faculty members. One of the outcomes of observing user
behaviour over the past three years is witnessing the “Age of Google” and
the ensuing change in user behaviour. It only by understanding how
users interact in this highly specialised domain that we will be able to
provide innovative, robust technological solutions . . . facilitating access
for all.
Bibliography
[1] Johnson, A. “The Mersey Gateway Project: How was it for you?” A user-
centred evaluation of an archival digitisation project. BSc Thesis, Edge
Hill College, Lancaster University (2004)
[2] Examples include: Johnson, A. “The Big Experiment: A Multifaceted
Approach to Evaluation” Forum for Archives & Record Management Education &
Research (FARMER 2006) (2006) http://www.aber.ac.uk/visitors/farmer/
Harley, D. et al “Use and Users of Digital Resources: A Focus on
Undergraduate Education in Humanities and Social Sciences”. (2006)
http://cshe.berkeley.edu/research/digitalresourcestudy/report/
Education for Change, ““The Fund’s ICT Content Programmes” (2006)
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/assets/er_digi_final_rep.pdf
[3] Yakel, E. Torres, D.A. “AI: Archival Intelligence and User Expertise”
In: The American Archivist. Vol. 66 (1) Spring/Summer p 51-78 (2003)
[4] Wilson, T.D. “A re-examination of information seeking behaviour in the
context of activity theory” In: Information Research Vol. 11 (4) 2006
http://informationr.net/ir/11-4/paper260.html
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