Deep Log Analysis Study
Understanding the behaviours of users is essential in developing an e-book market that provides users with the e-books they need and that meet their expectations.
The deep log analysis (DLA) study was undertaken by CIBER at UCL. The study commenced in January 2008 and completed in summer 2009. The study had two key aims, to collect qualitative and quantitative data on e-book user behaviours and to measure the impact of making e-books freely available at the point of use on publisher’s print sales and library circulation figures. During 2008 and 2009 a wealth of data was collected:
- Benchmarking user surveys carried out in January 2008 and in January 2009 explored current users’ awareness, perceptions and attitudes towards e-books. Together, these surveys received over 52,000 responses.
- Raw server logs were analysed to see exactly how users discovered, navigated through and used the course text e-books.
- Focus groups were held at 8 universities. Data gathered from the focus groups held with students, teaching staff and librarians has been analysed against the log data to explain user behaviours and attitudes.
- Library circulation and retail sales data were analysed against the usage of the e-books.
The DLA study has completed and the final reports on the user surveys, log analysis, focus groups and impact on print sales are all available on the reports page.
Further research 2009 – 2010
The huge amounts of data that have been collected in the DLA study are of great value to JISC Collections, publishers and libraries. There is still much that we can learn from the data and CIBER has been funded to undertake further analysis in 4 areas:
- Understanding users concerns – CIBER will analyse the responses to the question asked in the benchmarking user surveys ‘“Is there anything you want to add regarding course texts, print or electronic, or about your university library”? This was an open question with more than 11,372 responses. Analysing this data will offer an unvarnished and spontaneous account of the attitudes and concerns of users across the land.
- User market segmentation – Compared with other industry sectors, especially other service industries, publishers and librarians have very little insight into the demographic patterns that shape demand for their services. Are there significant differences in behaviours from users coming post 1992 universities and other universities? Are there geographic differences, for example between users in urban and rural areas? What if any are the differences between ages and genders? The analysis of such data could help us to profile users according to geography and type of institutions and academic level and so enable libraries and publishers to better meet their needs.
- Analysis of change – The exit user survey repeated many of the questions used in the entry survey so that we can monitor self-reported change in attitudes and behaviours in course text e-book adoption. CIBER will analyse the data to monitor the effectiveness of a major national intervention in a standard form. It should offer some valuable lessons for future Observatory models and offers a novel form of project evaluation.
- Putting the Observatory data into a wider context – CIBER’s will use the data findings to explore the wider context of the future for course text e-books. As an example, what do the findings around seasonal use tell us that might inform licensing deals? What are the ideal conditions for creating a market for course text e-books, based on a synthesis of views and concerns expressed by students, faculty and librarians? How do users interact with electronic texts and how could interfaces be further enhanced?
Further information on DLA: