Research and contributing knowledge to the broader library community has been (and continues to be) an essential focus. Though, I have completed many essays and group projects during my time at the School of Library and Information Studies, I feel the following examples best showcase my research contributions to librarianship and the information profession.
In the Fall semester of 2014, I took Professor Tami Oliphant’s advanced research methods class, where I conducted a pilot usability study financed by the Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship from the University of Alberta. I examined students’ impressions of the NEOS catalogue using tablet computers, in an effort to determine how online library catalogues should be designed for mobile platforms. Four graduate students from the faculty of Education were recruited. Each was asked to complete a series of usability tasks on NEOS, using a tablet of their choice. Participants were also asked a series of semi-structured interview questions regarding the devices they own, their Internet browsing habits, whether or not they would be interested in a mobile app, and their impressions using the NEOS catalogue on a tablet computer. The findings were surprising, and I presented them at the 2014 Forum for Information Professionals (FIP). In general, students did not use a tablet as their primary research tool – instead, preferring traditional desktop and laptop computers. The slow text-entry on tablets was a persistent usability issue, and participants disliked the need to sign into their library account using their student card barcode and library PIN. The participants proposed several potential visual design changes that would modernize NEOS and enhance the overall look and feel of the user interface. Furthermore, participants also revealed their appreciation and respect for the both NEOS and the University of Alberta Libraries. I think the study is important to librarianship, as it contributes to the large body of scholarship regarding online public catalogues, and how mobile computing is affecting our understanding of web design. Below are pictures of my presentation at FIP.
In the same semester, I also took Professor Michael McNally’s information policy class, which was an important component of my graduate degree as it combined my long-time interests in political science and information policy. Our final assignment for the class was to write an in-depth research paper on an information policy issue of our choosing. My deep interest in technology and Internet security led me to examine the relationship between key Silicon Valley companies (Facebook, Yahoo, Google, Apple, and Microsoft) and the NSA – specifically their public and business reactions to United States’ ongoing mass-surveillance program, PRISM. The paper displays my passion for the computing industry and the Internet, and also my ability to synthesize large quantities of primary and secondary sources to form a coherent argument. For this paper I used over forty sources including leaks from whistleblower Edward Snowden, public statements made by each of the companies examined, and blog articles. The subject is something I plan to explore further, and I hope to expand on this work and publish it, as I believe understanding surveillance and privacy are crucial to librarianship and directly related to the profession’s core values.
LIS Capping Project 