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An initial log analysis of usage patterns on a research networking system
Mary Regina Boland1, Sylvia Trembowelski, Suzanne Bakken
1The Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. mab7036@dbmi.columbia.edu
Clinical and Translational Science
|August 14, 2012
Summary
Research networking systems (RNSs) usage data reveals scientists seek information differently online. Retrieving profiles is faster on RNSs, but organization browsing is slower compared to Google searches.
Area of Science:
- Information Science
- Computer Science
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Understanding scientific professionals' information needs and collaboration behaviors is crucial.
- Usage data for research networking systems (RNSs) is generally unavailable.
- Existing research lacks insights into how scientists utilize online platforms for networking and information retrieval.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for evaluating RNS usage.
- To gain initial insights into the usage patterns of an institutional RNS.
- To analyze correlations between RNS usage patterns and user/query types.
Main Methods:
- Designed a logging mechanism for an institutional RNS.
- Defined user categories and task types for analysis.
- Analyzed correlations between usage patterns, user roles, and query types.
Main Results:
- Scientific professionals engage in deeper web searching on RNSs compared to general Google users.
- Retrieving scientist profiles on RNSs is significantly faster (3.5s) than on Google (34.2s).
- Organization-specific browsing on RNSs is slower (117.0s) than on Google (34.2s).
- Usage patterns differ by user role; faculty conduct more informational queries than administrators.
Conclusions:
- RNSs offer distinct advantages for specific information-seeking tasks, such as profile retrieval.
- Differences in usage patterns suggest a need for role-specific user support and RNS design.
- Further research on RNS usage can inform the development of more effective scientific collaboration tools.
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