Getting to Know Your Users through Interviews and Focus Groups

$250.00

Dates: May 6 - June 2

Credits: 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

How do we know what our library users are thinking? Listen to their stories! The purpose of interviewing is to discover the in-depth experiences and perceptions of others—just what we need to know about our ever-changing clients. This course provides participants with the basics in good interviewing techniques and tips, including interview structure, length, and interviewer demeanor. Participants will learn how to ask the right questions and follow up smoothly to gather more detail. Participants will learn how to interpret and report respondents’ stories reliably and accurately, and to recognize and correct interviewer bias. The course will provide readings, exercises, discussion, and online resources.

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize fitting topics for interviews, and select suitable respondents
  • Understand how to make contact and establish rapport with potential respondents
  • Design interview questions, and understand how to order questions and follow up for best effect
  • Implement typical best practices in conducting interviews
  • Interpret and report interview data accurately and reliably.

This course can be taken as one of six courses needed to earn our Certificate in User Experience (UX), but can be taken as a stand-alone course as well.

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Course Information

Session

Credits

1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

Registration dates

We accept registrations through the first week of classes, unless enrollment is full, and unless the class was canceled before it started due to low enrollment.

Course Description

How do we know what our library users are thinking? Listen to their stories! The purpose of interviewing is to discover the in-depth experiences and perceptions of others—just what we need to know about our ever-changing clients. This course provides participants with the basics in good interviewing techniques and tips, including interview structure, length, and interviewer demeanor. Participants will learn how to ask the right questions and follow up smoothly to gather more detail. Participants will learn how to interpret and report respondents’ stories reliably and accurately, and to recognize and correct interviewer bias. The course will provide readings, exercises, discussion, and online resources.

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize fitting topics for interviews, and select suitable respondents
  • Understand how to make contact and establish rapport with potential respondents
  • Design interview questions, and understand how to order questions and follow up for best effect
  • Implement typical best practices in conducting interviews
  • Interpret and report interview data accurately and reliably.

This course can be taken as one of six courses needed to earn our Certificate in User Experience (UX), but can be taken as a stand-alone course as well.

Jennifer Sweeney

Jennifer SweeneyJennifer Sweeney is a management planning and evaluation consultant for libraries, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, and a lecturer at the Information School, San Jose State University. With a background of 18 years as a professional librarian, she has logged over 20 years of evaluation research in library program planning, process analysis, strategic and facilities planning, environmental action, diversity, literacy, and human services support. Dr. Sweeney’s research has included numerous studies on library program impact and quality, and educational program outcomes for minority and disadvantaged populations. She was the 2010 recipient of the American Library Association Diversity Research Grant, awarded to support a national study of library services to juveniles in detention. Her book, Literacy: A Way Out for At-Risk Youth (Libraries Unlimited, 2011) explores the challenges facing libraries serving juveniles in detention. Dr. Sweeney earned her MSLS at Catholic University and her PhD in Information Studies at UCLA. She is a trained facilitator in ToP (Technology of Participation) and the Leadership Challenge methods.

How to Register

To enroll yourself or other participants in a class, use the “Register” button that follows the description of each course. If the “Register” button does not show up, try loading the page in a different web browser. Contact us if you have technical difficulties using our shopping cart system or would like to pay for an enrollment using another method. On the payment page in the shopping cart system, there is a place to add notes, such as the names and email addresses of participants you wish to enroll. We will contact you to request this information in response to your processed payment if you do not include it in the “notes” field. Prior to the start of the workshop, we will send participants their login instructions.

Payment Info

Our shopping cart system allows you to pay with a credit card or with PayPal.

Alternatively, if it is an institutional payment, we can arrange to invoice you. Contact us by email, and we can make arrangements to suit your institution's business processes.

Special Session

Please contact us to arrange a special session of this class for a group of seven or more, with a negotiable discount, or to be notified when it is next scheduled.

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