A benchmark is a point of reference from which performance is measured against. Benchmarking is the process of comparing the processes of an organization to industry "best practices" or to practices of successful organizations in the area being evaluated. The goal of benchmarking is to add value, focusing on processes, rather than the end result. There are several types of benchmarking perspectives, for an overview see "What are the different types of benchmarking?". In 2005, the Libraries developed internal process based benchmarks establishing targets in the areas of facilities, collections, resource sharing, technology, public services, fundraising and staffing (2005 Library Benchmarks). In 2010, the cycle completed and progress towards the benchmarks were evaluated and reported on (2010 Library Benchmarks).
Focus Groups:
A Focus Group is a traditional market research technique where a handful
of participants are brought together for a moderated discussion on a
topic. The technique is particularly helpful in marketing, planning, or
evaluating services or products providing qualitative data for analysis.
The intent is to solicit people's perceptions, beliefs, or attitudes
about a product or service. Group members discuss a common topic, and
often in the process discover a common language or shared similar
experiences. Wikipedia provides a
discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the technique as well as
descriptions of different varieties of focus groups one can conduct.
Associate Professor Glenn David Blank of Lehigh University's Computer
Science Department provides step-by-step
instructions for the planning, and conducting of a focus group.
Surveys or Questionnaires:
Surveys or questionnaires are common methods of systematic information
gathering from a sample population. The Libraries use surveys extensively
to learn about our user base, and to assist in assessing internal needs.
ARL's LibQual survey has been conducted every
third year since 2002, assisting the Libraries to better understand our
user's opinions of service quality. There are a myriad of varieties of
surveys that can be conducted. Strengths of surveys include that they can
be designed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to provide
a more complete picture for researchers, and they can be administered
entirely online or in print needing the involvement of relatively few
individuals. Colorado State University provides a Survey
Research Writing Guide discussing different strengths and weaknesses
of the methods. As of 2011, the Libraries subscribe to Survey Monkey a surveying and
questionnaire tool, used internally and externally, assisting in decision
making processes. Contact Al Cornish
for login credentials.
Task Analysis:
There are a variety of applications and methods for conducting task
analyses. A task analysis involves direct observation of a subject
attempting to complete a specific task or tasks. Subjects are often
directed to think aloud to assist the researcher in documenting the
cognitive processes occurring in addition to any physical activity in the
process. The goal is often to identify bottlenecks that prohibit the
subject from completing the task or to identify improvements, that once
made will ease the burden when interacting with the product. Task
analyses are a common method employed in the Libraries when conducting
usability studies of web-based products like the Libraries website or WSU Worldcat. For a better
understanding of the types of tasks often used in web-based usability
studies, look at this example designed for usability
testing of WSU Worldcat.