In the specific context, a wide range of methods can be used for a plan to
gather information from the university’s librarians. One method is the use of
interviews so that the librarian can be asked relevant questions. Another
method to collect data involves the use of a questionnaire. It can contain
insightful questions that can help to capture relevant details from the librarians.
The final method that can be used is documentation reviews. It can provide
anin-depth insight into the current activities and the expectations that the
librarians have from the new automated system (Overview and information
gathering tools: Literacy basics, 2021).Out of the viable methods, the two most
feasible and effective methods are personal interview and questionnaire. The
personal interview is suitable since it can helpto engage with the librarians
and get a thorough idea of what they want the new automated system to
simplify for them. The use of a questionnaire can give anobjective insight into
their input. It can help to devise a concrete blue print on which the new
automated system will be based upon. These methods can simplify the data-
garnering process and influence the quality of the automated system that can
be introduced in the library, which contains 1000 books on diverse subjects.
At a university’s library, the circulation desk is where patrons come for
assistance, so three methods I would use to gather the information would
include:
• Requesting information from librarians for background knowledge of the
services provided by the circulation desk. This information will allow me
to do an analysis of how the tasks are being delegated or handled, as
well as the procedures settings at the circulation desk.
• Observing the activities of patrons and librarian at the circulation desks.
Using observation, I can gather the volume and frequency of tasks/
activities at the circulation desk. This will be helpful to categorize /
prioritize the interface /GUI design.
• Interviewing librarians and patrons for the needs of automation tasks.
Each patron that comes to the library might have different needs –
from checkout, return, pickup holds, pay fines, etc. so the services
provided by the librarians are vary for each patron. There are activities
that can be completely automated (i.e., self-checkout, extend loan time,
pay fines), some activities can be partially automated (pickup holds or
request inter-library holds). So, interviewing both librarians and patrons
will help collect users’ expectations and design of the automation system.
The two methods I think would be best to record the information in this
case would be voice recording (for interview) and a list notes using
spreadsheets to categorize and prioritize information. If I were to schedule a
meeting with librarians to discuss the functioning, I would consider an
interview process, observations, and questionnaires. For the interviews, this
would be a one-on-one with the employees and librarians that can answer my
questions and get a better understanding of the functionality of the library.
Observations are when I would just monitor the overall day-to-day activity in
the library to make notes for myself of my observations, then I would go
over them with the head of the facility. Lastly, questionnaires, surveys, and
checklists are another way to gather information without the stress of having
one-on-one. Most of the time, this can shed some light of the excellent
practices being performed. Also, this can also allow individuals to not be
targeted if they highlight critical errors. For the two methods to record
information, there really isn’t a wrong answer. It depends on the person taking
record of the different methods above. Most individuals use notes and then
consolidate them into a report on either a word document or spreadsheet. Just
to eliminate any confusion of what was actually said, I would use a recording
device just to simply document the words to be later transcribed at a later
time. The way I would approach the project is by:
• Methods to gather information
1. First – I would conduct interviews. For theinterview I would prepare
and use both open and closed ended information. Thefirst interviews
would be with mangers and higher level leaders. From this Iwould get
a high level understanding of what the goal of the job is and the
tasksneeded to be completed. I would also ask what the goal of the
new program indetail. Next I would conduct interviews with the
librarians and supervisors tounderstand how the tasks are completed in
detail
2. Second – I would do observations of the tasks beingperformed to see
first hand what is being completed.
3. Third – I would look and review all thedocumentation I could find on
the current systems
4. Forth – I would completed follow up interviewswith selected people with
very specific closed questions on gaps in the processof information I
collected.
• Methods used to record the information gathered
1. The first method I would use is taking notes
2. Second I would record the interviews and observations.That way I could
go back later to review in case I am missing notes.
The three different methods that I would use to gather information from the
librarians are, one, using questionnaires. I would have the library team and
users fill out questionnaires geared towards gathering input about what they
think can be improved about the system. Second, I would use interviews to
dig deeper and get a more individualized introspective about the current system
and what the would like to see improved on. The third approach would be
documentation review. I would review previous and current documentation about
the operations of the library to see how they operate and try to incorporate
as much of what works as possible so that integration can be smooth. I
would definitely use voice recorders during interviews, to easily reference
accurate information. I would also take good old fashioned written notes during
the process and organize my note taking at the end of each day of research
for easy reference.
The following are some of the finest approaches to get information from
librarians in order to properly create an application for the university library's
automation requirements. Interviewing You are welcome to ask the librarians
questions about the systems they presently use and any areas they would want
to see improved. By conducting group, individual, or combination interviews,
you may discover firsthand what works and what doesn't. You may also
discover how the new program can increase librarian productivity and make
their work easier.
User research. By putting up side-by-side comparisons, you may understand
firsthand how the system is now used and operated. This allows you to
comprehend the actions taken by the librarians, as well as any prospective
efficiencies or faster methods that would allow them to automate their current
approach. It also allows you to assess whether or not they have upgraded
from an obsolete legacy system to a more current type of storage, such as
Microsoft Azure or AWS for cloud storage, for maintenance and updates.
Documents being examined. Document analysis may be used if there are any
anomalies in the way the librarians are currently recording their work and the
volumes. This allows your program to consider the documentation component
while developing it and allows for changes in how to keep track of the
books and what is owed, among other things. I would input the information
in two places: a Microsoft Word document and an Excel spreadsheet. Notes
may be added and prioritized in the word document by utilizing categories.
The spreadsheet will contain the number of volumes the library has on hand,
classifications, usage graphs, late returns, and so on.
In this type of scenario, the methods I would use to gather requirements
would be interviews, observation, and interface analysis (assuming that there are
interfaces). Interviews would be helpful to gather various opinions and facts
since each user brings a unique perspective to the table. I would make sure
to interview users from all permission levels and all job assignments to get
the fullest understanding of the requirements of each person and position. I
would also observe the users since it is valuable to see how they currently
do their job tasks and where efficiency can be improved Finally, I would do
an interface analysis. I would find out which programs need to be able to
access and exchange information with the new system. In some cases, the
information may be merely converted to the new system, but there are times
this is not possible. Through all three of these methods, user expectations
should be considered and managed.
The two methods I would use to record the information would be to
prioritize requirements and confirm, confirm, confirm. The first method of
prioritizing requirements is to attempt to determine which requirements could
potentially slow down or halt the project. Finding what the users would
consider deal breakers early in the process can help to mitigate or create
fixes early in the process. The second method I would use is the confirm,
confirm, and confirm the data. No matter how much I think I may
understand the requirements, confirming that I do is extremely important. I
may have no in-depth knowledge of library functioning and the library
employees may not have in-depth knowledge of systems development. To make
sure that both sides are understanding the other, many conversations must
occur, and probing questions must be asked. Understanding the needs and
requirements is one of the most important pieces to a project like this. I
would listen to the librarians to learn what problem they are trying to solve
with the automation and how they envision it to work. Any features that they
would like but you think is unnecessary, question on what they think it’s
needed. Then I would use the five W’s and one to help the librarians answer
who, what, when, where why and how. I would then study and interview the
librarians. Sometimes when asked direct questions, a user may not give the
information needed so watching their routine is important. I would then copy
the existing system that the librarians are doing manually. Automate as much
of the manual process as possible. Finally, I would brainstorm with the
librarians to gather all their ideas and then sift through each to see which of
those ideas is worth pursuing further. Once the information gathering is
completed, I would use Unified Modeling Language which lets me show how
parts of the system should function. I would also use user stories as part of
recording requirements. This way I can show the librarians how the system
will automate a certain activity. xx To better understand how the librarians, go
about their daily lives I would first like to observe them. Not in a National
Geographic, type of way, but I would like to shadow a librarian to see what
sections she uses the most and how easy it is for her to find exactly what
they’re looking for. Secondly, I’d like to interview the librarians one by one,
because each answer in unique. I’m not a fan of group interviews because
people usually tend to get shy about what they find difficult. Lastly, I’d like
to send questionnaires to the librarians, so that they could do it in their own
time and anonymously. Having anonymous answers has its perks because
people usually tend to be blunter. I’d record the librarians answers using user
stories and use cases. When using user stories I would create two word
documents. One document will contain positive stories and the other would
state the negative stories. This will help define what needs to be worked on
first. When using Use cases, I would prefer to do them on an excel sheet. I
would do the same thing for excel sheets when it comes to dividing them
between negative or positive. The only difference would be that in the
extensions part of the use case, I would include my observations of how I
see the librarian going about that specific topic. One on one interviews with
each librarian would be a good one to use for this. There are probably few
librarians on staff for this size of a library and getting with each one to
find out what functionality the program would need and what type of
automation would be needed such as automatically tracking the person checking
out the book, how long they have had it, e-mail reminders for overdue books
etc. This information could also be obtained with brainstorming, or a focus
group comprised of the librarians to discuss the programs needed functions.
During the interview I would write user stories laying out what the individual
person would want from the system being developed. This would be quick
notes about what functions they are looking for in the system and what they
would want to see the system do for them. These could be used during
testing to see if the functionality the user wants is working as they outlined.
Another way to record it would be as a use case. Explaining how they
would want the system to not just track when the book was checked out and
back in, but by who, how long they had it, when it should be returned, and
including an e-mail notification system to notify if the books are overdue and
what charges are incurred. It could also have details explaining what happens
to the book when it is returned such as information on where it goes so it
is put in the correct bin to be put back on the shelves, or to contact
another person if there is a waiting list for the book. xx A library's
infrastructure of programs and personnel is its most asset, providing the
foundation for everything it does and aspires to do, which is why assessment
is so vitally important. Librarians use a variety of research methods to make
decisions and to improve performance. Research can be broadly defined as the
careful, systematic, patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge,
undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles. The 3 methods that I
would use when it comes to gathering information from a library are
observations, interview, and existing record reviews. When observing a library, I
would watch how the librarians work in their day-to-day activity. Watching
how others work gets you a better understanding of how librarians work and
how they use the system. Next, I would interview one of the librarians like
how they are able keep track of books using the system? Or how do you
know when someone is borrowing books and when it’s supposed to be
returned? I’m sure these are the things that is an important part of being a
librarian. Lastly, I would investigate record reviews. Records that are reviewed
in research may be either public or private. An example would be researching
and collecting information about a disease from patient medical records.
Researching and collecting information based on records is another way of
understanding how systems work. You could either ask someone about it or
look through records. These are ways that can help you gather information on
what you need to know and do. To record the collected information, I would
use my phone to record the interview questions I asked, so that I can listen
to it and understand how system works. Another method I would use is by
having written notes that you have jotted down in your notebook. That way
if there’s something you don’t understand you could always research online to
get a better understanding on what you don’t get.
Methods to gather information from the university's librarians.
Listen to Customers (and Users)
People develop skills in what the app does, its workings of it, and its
design. Problems to be solved quickly are often and a not clearly defined
explanation that a computer will solve the issue. Listening to the people as
much as I can on what is being said and ideas that can be implemented.
Focus is key to solving the problem instead of the solutions from the people's
perspective so that the necessities are flexible.
Use the Five Ws (and One H)
People have trouble describing what needs to be done. Help them by asking
the five Ws and an H (who, what, when, where, and why) and one H (how).
Study Users
Interviews are fantastic to get information but sometimes it's not the best
because sometimes people will not give out the information that is being
asked. Questions can be hard to answer that the dev team will find important
to them.
Copy Existing Systems
Replacing systems with a new one by using replacing existing ones can be of
use for the requirements. This approach is linear.
Clairvoyance
People will look at the goals, see it through, and start increasing the required
parts.
Brainstorm
Using the copy and clairvoyance approach is great but its downfall is not
likely to have innovative solutions. Being creative is revolutionary!
Methods to record the information that is being gathered.
UML
User Stories
Using stories to explain what the system is doing with the user.
Use Cases
Interactivity between actors either from users or different parts of the
application.
Prototypes
A mockup that allows users to see what its design feels like and its behavior
from the descriptions from stories and cases.
Requirements Specification
Writing a simple and easy-to-learn specification for the software to fill out
forms.
Suppose I was to help a library to automate the 1,000 books that they have
that cover 5 subjects, I can't imagine what those subjects would be. In that
case, I first want to interview with focus groups of those of different roles
to determine what type of automation they are looking for and how or who
will be the author and customer of the system itself. From there I would
probably want to start brainstorming and thinking of ways to get a basic
prototype out to see what the conscious of the concept is. I would probably
give a survey to see what everyone’s thoughts is and if it's looking good
then I may go to complete the final product.
The best way I can foresee taking down the information is to keep my
stakeholders informed and show how I am progressing in finishing this project.
I could also make sure that if they think something is more important than
what others are calling for, then I can create a list that shows prioritize
requirements.
In order to efficiently collect and record information in a research project
which would automate the university's library it is important to first identify
the specific requirements. I would gather requirements by means of interviews,
user observations, and use cases. This information is then used to create
requirements and specification documents for the project.
First, I would interview stakeholders in the project to get their feedback about
the project and find out what their specific requirements would be. These
could include what they want the new system to do and how they want to
use it. I would also interview end users of the system to find out about the
features they think the system should have and how they would prefer to use
the system. If appropriate, I would also interview people who have experience
using the system currently to get feedback on any problems they have
encountered and how the system could be improved. This would ensure that
the new system meets the requirements of the users who will be using it. It
could also be used to make recommendations on any new features or
functionalities that would be useful to add.
I would observe the current use of the system and carry out detailed user
tests on a sample of users to find out the specific features and functions that
they would like to see in the system. 2 methods to document requirements
includes Prioritizing Requirements and Talk to the Right Stakeholders and
Users. I would use the 3 methods of 1) user observation, 2) user surveys in
a workshop, and 3) brainstorming in a workshop. I have some experience with
these and had success. The user observation would look like it sounds,
visually observing the librarians at the front desk during a work shift, noting
how they are doing their work. The user surveys in a workshop would be
written questions for them to answer about how they would like the
automation to work. Lastly the brainstorming in a workshop would be
gathering any and all ideas on a large format like a white board.My two
methods of recording the information would be the written papers from the
surveys and digitally capturing (pictures) of the brain storming activities. I
believe both of these would fall under the Design Tools method. The follow-
up to confirm what I captured vs. what the librarians wanted or needs
expressed will be a critical step. During the requirement gathering process I
would use a few different methods to gather information and record that
information in a way the makes requirements clear and covers everything that
the clients need.
One method I would use is Document Analysis. This method is used for
examining the existing system being used within the library and taking a look
at the requirements for that system to determine what this system was created
for.
Method two would be interviewing the librarians to determine what their goals
and expectations are for the system.Method three would be Observation. I
would use this method to observe the current system being used to get a
better understanding of the system and its steps while also looking for
potential points to improve. As far as the recording methods go there are
two, I would use in this case. The first one would be the UML (Unified
Model Language) because it will allow me to record the information in a
way that will show how certain parts of the system should work. It works
by creating diagrams of two categories and then breaking them down into
specific types with a set of rules. The process isn't perfect but does a good
job of showing how the system should work based on the requirements. Next,
I would use user stories to record the information. This way I can record the
information from the librarians in a way that shows how they would want to
do something with the system. In order to properly create an application for
automation purposes for the university library some of the top methods in
which to gather information from the librarians are the following.
1. Interviewing. Interviewing the librarians give you the opportunity to find
out what they have in place now system-wise and also what they personally
want to have improved. By doing either group interviews or individual or
both, you are able to know first-hand what things work as they should and
what doesn't work and what ways the new application can approve the
librarian's efficiency making their job easier.
2. User observation. By setting side-by-side observation, you can see firsthand
the current application and functionality of the system they have in place. This
allows you to know what steps the librarians make and what possible
shortcuts or shorter processes could allow them to automate their current
process. Also allows you to see if they are using an older legacy system or
could possibly update to more current means of storage like AWS or
Microsoft Azure for cloud storage for maintenance and updates.
3. Document analysis. Document analysis allows you to see how the librarians
currently document their work and the books and if there are discrepancies
with how they are currently doing their documentation. This allows for your
application when created to take into consideration the documentation portion
and allow for improvement on ways to keep track of the books and what's
owed etc. Two ways that I would record the information would be with a
Microsoft word document and an excel spreadsheet. The word document would
allow for notes to be entered and prioritized based on categories. The excel
spreadsheet will allow for the number of books the library holds, categories,
and graphs on usage along with late turn-ins, etc. In order to assist the
librarians in automating the front desk activities, I would definitely use
Interviews, User observation and surveys to best understand the functionality of
the library as well as the desires and the end goal of the automation.
I would use the user observation technique and surveys most likely. I would
first conduct surveys with the librarians. I would want to know what they use
as their current processes for the front desk, and I would also ask them what
they would like to be automated in the process. I think this is very
important because often people want to automate a process but do not
necessarily know if that is even possible or if they may have to change or
alter the process to automate it.
Next, I would conduct user observation. I would want to see how they
execute the processes they told me about in the surveys. It is common when
people describe how things function or how they do things, that they may not
explain it correctly or leave out key details in the process that they didn't
feel were vital in order for us to automate things. The three different methods
I would use to gather information are Interviews, questionnaires/surveys, and
user observation. I think the best way to get information is a conversation. I
like the openness of this approach as I feel you can get the most
information this way. It is also important to observe how they use the system
now and seeing what works and what does not. The last is a questionnaire
or survey. My go to would be an interview, there are situations where a yes
or no is best.The two different methods I would use to record the information
I gathered would be Talk to the Right Stakeholders and users and be
transparent with requirements. As above with information gathering. You need
to talk to the right people. First, you need to talk to the stakeholders. What
is their understanding of what is needed? Then you need to talk to the
people who will use it. What are they expecting? What do they want? Then
you need to need to talk to everyone and make sure your understanding of
what they want is correct. I deal with this daily at my job. I create Tableau
reports. I always ask if the end users have a sketch of what they want. I
find this helps A LOT in the design phase and it helps get us in the same
page. I tend to keep it all in an excel spreadsheet. I also use a Rocketbook
for sketches and notes. The first thing I would do is watch the librarians in
their daily activities to see their workflow and the workflow of the library.
You can learn a good bit about the function of the library or other system
by observing the activity. The next thing I would like to do is conduct
interviews with the librarians to get their input about how they do their job.
I will also get their expectations of what the new automation will be and
how it will help them do their job. The last thing I would like to do is
conduct a survey of the customers of the library to get their expectations of
the new system and any suggestions or feedback of the new system. xx
I would use audio visual recording of the observed workflow and the
interviews so I could go back and review them later. I would record the
survey in a computer so they can be searched and filtered to get a good
overview of the data needed to complete the task. xx
Methods to Gather Requirements:
1. Interviews
2. Questionaries or Surveys
3. User Observation
4. Document Analysis
5. Interface Analysis
6. Workshops
7. Brainstorming
8. Role-play
9. Use Cases and Scenarios
10. Focus Groups
11. Prototyping
Methods to Document Requirements:
1. Design Tools
2. Prioritize Requirements
3. Confirm, Confirm, Confirm
4. Talk to the Right Stakeholders and Users
5. Transparent Requirements Documentation
Gathering stakeholder requirements and communicating with them throughout the
design and development of the project helps to ensure that what you provide
to them will meet their needs. Designers and developers who ignore their
stakeholders and don't include them in the process significantly increase the
risks of the design and development efforts failing.I like to focus on
confirmation. I can't underscore how important appropriate confirmation with all
of the stakeholders is. Proper communication and confirmation help to ensure
that there are no misunderstandings with the requirements definitions. It also
helps to ensure that all of the stakeholders and all of the project team
members have a shared vision of the requirements and how they will be
implemented in the software application. Software engineering, project
management, project control, and implementation will run much more smoothly,
efficiently, and effectively with appropriate confirmation and communication.
Interviewing and user observation are great ways to gather reequipments for a
new project. I did not even think about document analysis but it will have
good information about the current system and how it is spoused to operate.
A excel sheet would be a good way to get the observation and reequipment
recorded. I would think automation of the circulation desk at a library would
be like self check out at the works largest retailer. One of the many project
teams that I manage is working on a software application development project
and is currently finalizing requirements definitions. We just had a requirements
review meeting this morning and before the meeting, I took a few minutes to
examine existing documents for one of the functional areas on the project. I
was able to identify some key scoping and requirements details that really
benefited the team as I shared these findings with them in the design review
meeting. It is another example to me of why the activities we are studying
in this course are so important and key to successful software engineering.
Interviewing key users and stakeholders should always be included in the
software engineering requirements gathering process. I am glad that you are
focusing on this activity. Doing so will help you to better understand key
user and stakeholder needs and will help you to better identify their
requirements and use these requirements to create a software application design
that will meet their needs.I think document analysis would be a good way for
gathering information and requirements. Based on the information we have it
seems that this library has been in place for a while and has a system that
they are currently using. Document analysis focuses on examining the existing
system to understand how it operates. It also examines the requirements that
existed when the original system was created to get a better understanding of
why the original system was designed the way it was. Conducting an
interview would be a great start to gathering information, especially when
implementing the five Ws and one H. There are no right or wrong answers
but from their perspective and respectfully listening as they share their views.
It is good to have a reflection on topics of great importance for research
purposes! Being creative and having the innovation for an outside-of-the-box
perspective is a good understanding and usage when it comes to brainstorming
an idea. Focusing on quantity and trying to hold back on criticism is essential
because it creates an environment for thought production without worries of
being told that the information is irrelevant. I agree that communication is
number one when it comes to managing a project. Performing risk management
and a plan for any conflicts that might occur. interviewing others are a great
of knowing what they do at their job and how you can benefit from them. I
can agree with you that by interviewing someone, it would allow you to
focus on what they do at their job, so that you know what to do depending
on the task that is given to you. The interview enables the employer to
determine if an applicant's skills, experience and personality meet the job's
requirements. It also helps the employer assess whether an applicant would
likely fit in with the corporate culture. Part of brainstorming is experimenting
with what is most effective for your team and with the emergence of remote
brainstorming, there are many new exercises that teams can conduct to find
new ideation methods says .Embracing new brainstorming methods, including
asynchronous collaboration, is something that is vital when moving forward and
helps everyone approach innovation with an open mind.
