Case Study: Research Study of Users’ Discovery of Library and Museum Resources at the University of Oxford
Clients: University of Oxford, Oxford e-Research Centre, Bodleian Libraries
Project: The Future of Finding at the University of Oxford
Phase one of this project was a one-year, multi-strand research and development project, investigating how students, faculty, and researchers at the University of Oxford find the information they need for their academic research and scholarship (known as “resource discovery”) across the libraries, museums, and gardens. The aim of this research was to both understand the status quo and gauge the potential for new discovery technologies at Oxford. It required us to uncover the mental models, tools, and workflows that diverse users utilize (or struggle with) to manage their work. This project also included an environmental scan, uncovering current practices among other institutions in supporting resource discovery and identifying trends within and beyond the education sector. A21 led the end-user research and user needs assessment strands of the project, working with both local and remote users in several countries. We then led the synthesis and analysis of the data across all of the research strands, authoring the final report. A key part of this report are the recommendations we made for a unified resource discovery strategy for the University for the next 5 years. A21 recommended three specific areas for investment. The final report for the study is available here.
In phase two of this project, which was funded by the University to take forward A21’s first recommendation from the report, A21 designed and led a research and prototyping project to develop and scope entirely new approaches to resource discovery. The project explored new tools and techniques to enable faculty, students, and researchers at Oxford and abroad to understand the full scope of resources and research collections held by the University (even if they are not electronically catalogued) and to find them quickly and efficiently. This research and prototyping project included user interviews, focus groups, and several co-creation workshops.
Services Provided:
Local and International Market Research
Environmental Scan
Strategic Planning
User Needs Research & Analysis
Roadmap Development
Methods Used:
Interviews
Focus Groups
Workshops
Online Focus Groups
Desk Research
Competitor Analysis
Co-creation Workshops
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