Lean Ethnography

LEAN ETHNOGRAPHY: GAIN INSIGHTS TO IMPROVE THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE

Kate Lawrence, VP User [email protected] Information ServicesFebruary 17, 2017 | ALIA Information Online

@bykatelawrence

LEAN ETHNOGRAPHY

Agenda:

•Why ethnography• Determining your sample• Planning your session• Conducting your session• Distillation & synthesis of findings• Tying it all together• Let’s stay in touch

Ground Rules:

• Ask any question!

• Be interactive

• Give examples from your institution

• My support continues when you get home

Agenda & Ground Rules

BUT FIRST: THE RESEARCH PLANGet everyone on the same page

From “Write a Research Plan Stakeholders Love” by Tomer Sharon (Google):• 1-‐page document• Title• Author, Stakeholders• Date• Background (“The Why”)• Goals• Methodology (highlight areas of questioning/testing)• Participants• Schedule• Script placeholder (tbd)

v Request a copy of a research plan – email [email protected]

Source: smashingux.com Tomer Sharon January 2012

WHY ETHNOGRAPHYBecause what users say they do is different than what they actually do

WHY ETHNOGRAPHYStudying people in their environmentmeans studying people in their natural, comfortable state. You are also learning about the setting in which they do whatever it is you are curious about.

Why ethnography vs. usability testing

Ethnography is most effective for a specific market or a population:“We want to learn more about how [who] approaches/thinks about [what big thing].

“But what if I don’t hear about [my product/company/big thing]?”

Tip Call your study a “Contextual Inquiry”

DETERMININGYOUR SAMPLE“But how do you know your findings are applicable or extensible based on your sample?” -‐ Tom, the guy who asks this every time we present research

USABILITY: JAKOB SAYS 5. I SAY MORE.

Source: nngroup.com 2014

STEVE SAYS 3. I SAY, BE CAREFUL!

Source: stevekrug.com 2014

“I believed that with a little bit of instruction most people could do a lot of what I do themselves, since much of it just seems like common sense once you hear it explained.”

– Steve Krug

> Krug video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QckIzHC99Xc

SAMPLE SIZE: CONTEXTUAL INQUIRYWhat the User Research Group at EBSCO does; what I recommend you do

User Research @EBSCO:

Usability sample size:7-10 participants

Ethnographic sample size: Start with 12 (8+50%), end at 20+.

Recruit by persona?Yes

You:

Usability sample size:5-7 participants

Ethnographic sample size:8-10 participants

Recruit by persona?No

Two words about recruiting: It’s difficult Social Media!

PLANNINGTHE SESSIONS

PLAN YOUR SESSIONS• Plan the topics to be discussed with each participant and get stakeholder

agreement (don’t be concerned about adhering to a script!). Try: “Talk to me about [x]”:– How research is assigned, what is their process for conducting research, last topic I

searched, how I learned– Library & librarian interaction, who do they ask for help– Mobile, printing, saving, sharing– What are their challenges in the research process– Social media, more

• Researchers per session (2, 3 is max)• Schedule sessions for 1-‐1.5 hours each• Participants must sign release forms!• For researchers – recording app on phone, plan for parking, food, bio breaks

CONDUCTINGYOUR SESSIONSGo to your users

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!

It starts with a simple question. And remember, the user is driving the session.

Start with When was the last time you searched in support of your studies? Next: Can you please show me how you did that?

You’re there to learn about “Jane”, to explore her world.

Not to validate stakeholder assumptions.

You’re waiting for the moment when Question-‐Answer into Question-‐Story (be patient!).

YOUR JOB AS RESEARCHER

Focus on ‘connectors’ – threads that will help you weave the story together later.

Example of connector: John Green book/VlogBrothers/YouTube.

-‐ Source: Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users

Four phases:IN THE SESSION

• Background (tell me about you)

• The Main Body (the question + subjects)• The Projection/Dream Question (magic wand)

•Wrap-‐Up (it sounds like you….)


Use other methods as needed:IN THE SESSION


Method Sample Question

Tasks Can you draw a map of the library?

Participation Can you show me how todownload an eBook?

Demonstration Show us how you search for a vlog on YouTube.

Role-‐Playing I’ll be the student and you be the librarian and I’ll ask for help in narrowing my topic.

Observations Look around apartment,office, coffee shop etc

DISTILLATION &SYNTHESIS

QUICK & DIRTY METHOD• Each researcher brings their notes to a synthesis session

• Write post-‐its from notes – focus on user actions. One per note.

• Map notes into themed hierarchies that align with your subject categories (large groupings, such as “Search”, “The Library” etc).

Search

MORE COMPLEX: AFFINITY MAPPING• Distill down findings with team after each session

• Create first-‐person notes from findings:

– Good note: He googles his institution’s library + a specific database as a first step in his research process.

– Poor note: He uses Google.

– 30-‐60 notes per session, print notes, pin them into hierarchies.

TYING ITALL TOGETHER

STAKEHOLDER REVIEW

• Invite stakeholders (and others!) in to “walk the walls”.

• Provide post-‐it notes and sharpie markers, let people write notes/comments about product ideas, features, services.

• Document hierarchies and ideas!

Personalize and visualize your findings for stakeholders.

• Use participant quotes to illustrate pain points.• Use screenshots to illustrate and reenact experiences.• Use topic headings from research to guide categorization of findings.

•What we thought/what we learned format works well (Kate to show samples).

PROCESS:WRITING A REPORT

QUESTIONS?THANK YOU

@[email protected]

Lean Ethnography

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