Using Primo for undergraduate research: a usability study

Published date21 November 2016
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-05-2016-0052
Pages566-584
Date21 November 2016
AuthorGreta Kliewer,Amalia Monroe-Gulick,Stephanie Gamble,Erik Radio
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information user studies,Metadata,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet
Using Primo for undergraduate
research: a usability study
Greta Kliewer
Department of Digital Initiatives and Discovery Services,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Amalia Monroe-Gulick
University of Kansas Libraries,
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
Stephanie Gamble
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA, and
Erik Radio
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to observe how undergraduate students approach
open-ended searching for a research assignment, specifically as it affected their use of the discovery
interface Primo.
Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 undergraduate students were provided with a sample
research assignment and instructed to find resources for it using web tools of their choice, followed by
the Primo discovery tool. Students were observed for 30 minutes. A survey was provided at the end to
solicit additional feedback. Sources students found were evaluated for relevance and utility.
Findings Students expressed a high level of satisfaction with Primo despite some difficulty
navigating through more complicated tasks. Despite their interest in the tool and previous exposure to
it, it was usually not the first discovery tool students used when given the research assignment.
Students approached the open-ended search environment much like they would with a commercial
search engine.
Originality/value This paper focused on an open-ended search environment as opposed to a
known-item scenario in order to assess studentspreferences for web search tools and how a library
discovery layer such as Primo was a part of that situation. Evaluation of the resources students found
relevant were also analyzed to determine to what degree the students understood the level of quality
they exhibited and from which tool they were obtained.
Keywords Academic libraries, Usability, Information technologies, Interfaces,
Undergraduate research, Discovery layers
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The University of Kansas (KU) Libraries has employed the Primo web-scale discovery
interface since fall 2012. An Ex Libris product, Primo provides a subscription index of
online content from various providers. A prominent feature of Primo is the single-
search box feature on its primary interface, a style widely used by commercial search
engines. The present study builds upon two previous usability studies at KU that
examined graduate and undergraduate use of the tool, targeted major issues with the
interface, and tested usersability to complete both open-ended and, to a larger extent,
known-item search tasks (Hanrath and Kottman, 2015). By contrast, the current study
was focused on observing and analyzing how students used Primo in an open-ended
search scenario, and how well it performed in meeting user expectations and needs.
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 34 No. 4, 2016
pp. 566-584
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-05-2016-0052
Received 13 May 2016
Revised 13 July 2016
Accepted 3 August 2016
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
566
LHT
34,4
Conducted in the spring of 2015, the current study analyzes undergraduate patrons
information-seeking habits within the Primo interface. Undergraduates make up the
largest user group of KU Libraries, and library instructors often use or discuss Primo in
library instruction sessions that deal with research topics at an introdu ctory level. The
prominent Primo search box on KU Librarieshome page is an entry point for students
as well if they are already using the Librariesresources for a project. Consequently,
this usability study attempts to provide a better understanding of undergraduatesuse
of Primo, specifically in a more open-ended setting. While many studies discussed
below have focused on the use of Primo for known-item searching, none focus solely on
open-ended searching. An examination of this type of search scenario is warranted
since it is a common research situation. The research questions this study aimed to
answer include:
RQ1. How do undergraduates approach and conduct academic research using
Primo or other tools?
RQ2. What strengths and weaknesses of Primo did students encounter while
completing an open-ended research task?
RQ3. What implications do our findings have for future use of Primo in academic
research at the undergraduate level?
Literature review
When undergraduates begin a research assignment they are often unaware how much
information exists on a topic and may browse library resources while formulating an
approach to their research (Gustavsson and Karlsson, 2015). Web-scale discovery tools
have changed studentsexpectations for this process (Majors, 2012). Undergraduates
are accustomed to finding the inf ormation they need in a disinterm ediated
environment. The information they seek is available instantaneously and often
without the assistance of a librarian or other mediator (Rempel et al., 2013). Academic
libraries rely on index-based discovery services to make their resources accessible to
patrons who are used to retrieving information via Google and other single-search box
environments (Breeding, 2015). Web-scale discovery tools provide a starting point that
allows students to begin research without knowing how to use the library catalog,
specific databases, or other library resources with which they may not be familiar
(Rose-Wiles and Hofmann, 2013).
A considerable body of literature has been devoted to the usability and impact of
web-scale discovery tools since their inception in 2007. A small but notable number of
these studies have focused specifically on Primo, centering on trends in usersability to
learn the interface and the successes and frustrations they encountered (Nichols et al.,
2014). Sadeh (2008) conducted a usability study on the beta version of Primo in which
users demonstrated positive attitudes and willingness to learn the tool, as well as an
appreciation for facets that allowed them to filter large amounts of search results.
In two subsequent studies, users reported high satisfaction with Primo despite
difficulty completing complex research tasks (Hanrath and Kottman, 2015). Sadehs
and Comeauxs studies, as well as Jarret (2011), all indicated that users had positive
experiences regarding ease of use, effectiveness, and search results relevance, as well as
exhibiting greater use of facets and other refining tools as search tasks increased in
complexity (Nichols et al., 2014). Niu et al. compared use of Primo to that of VuFind
using log analysis. They found that users relied heavily on search defaults, using facets
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Using
Primo for
undergraduate
research

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