Paul F. Marty

Museum Websites and Museum Visitors: Before and After the Museum Visit

Abstract This article presents results from an exploratory survey (administered to more than 1,200 visitors at nine different online museums) that addressed questions about the role of museum websites in the lives of museum visitors. The results provide details about the use of museum websites before and after the museum visit, and indicate that online visitors frequently use museum websites to complement their visits to physical museums. The article helps museum researchers and professionals better understand the cyclical relationship that exists between museums and museum websites, and provides strategies for supporting the changing information needs of museum visitors before and after museum visits.

Museum websites and museum visitors: digital museum resources and their use

Abstract This article presents results from an exploratory survey (administered to more than 1200 visitors at nine different online museums) that addressed questions about the role of museum websites in the lives of museum visitors. The results provide details about the use of digital museum resources on museum websites, and indicate that the majority of online museum visitors have clear expectations for the interactions that take place between museums and museum websites. This article documents the role digital museum resources play in the lives of museum visitors, and provides strategies for supporting the information needs of all visitors as they use digital museum resources, both online and in-house. The lessons learned underscore the importance of taking a visitor-centered approach when developing digital museum resources, and the need for museum researchers and professionals to better understand how new information technologies have changed the way museum visitors approach museums and their resources.

Composition of scientific teams and publication productivity at a national science lab

The production of scientific knowledge has evolved from a process of inquiry largely based on the activities of individual scientists to one grounded in the collaborative efforts of specialized research teams. This shift brings to light a new question: how the composition of scientific teams affects their production of knowledge. This study employs data from 1,415 experiments conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) between 2005 and 2008 to identify and select a sample of 89 teams and examine whether team diversity and network characteristics affect productivity. The study examines how the diversity of science teams along several variables affects overall team productivity. Results indicate several diversity measures associated with network position and team productivity. Teams with mixed institutional associations were more central to the overall network compared with teams that primarily comprised NHMFLs own scientists. Team cohesion was positively related to productivity. The study indicates that high productivity in teams is associated with high disciplinary diversity and low seniority diversity of team membership. Finally, an increase in the share of senior members negatively affects productivity, and teams with members in central structural positions perform better than other teams.

Museum informatics and collaborative technologies: the emerging socio-technological dimension of information science in museum environments

The museum offers a starting point from which to examine the fundamental nature of collaborative work and interdisciplinary scholarship. This article examines the socio-technological impact of introducing advanced information technology into the Spurlock Museum, a museum of world history and culture at the University of Illinois. It addresses the implementation of such methodologies as computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and computer-mediated communication (CMC) in the museum environment. Discussions are illustrated with examples and scenarios drawn from the Spurlock Museum and emphasize the intimate relationship between the museums social structure and information systems. Viewed in a holistic fashion, such studies of collaborative activities within the museum will help shape the future of museum informatics, an emerging sub-discipline of the field of social informatics.

Research project tasks, data, and perceptions of data quality in a condensed matter physics community

To be effective and at the same time sustainable, a community data curation model needs to be aligned with the communitys current data practices, including research project activities, data types, and perceptions of data quality. Based on a survey of members of the condensed matter physics (CMP) community gathered around the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, a large national laboratory, this article defines a model of CMP research project tasks consisting of 10 task constructs. In addition, the study develops a model of data quality perceptions by CMP scientists consisting of four data quality constructs. The paper also discusses relationships among the data quality perceptions, project roles, and demographic characteristics of CMP scientists. The findings of the study can inform the design of a CMP data curation model that is aligned and harmonized with the communitys research work structure and data practices.

Coping with errors: the importance of process data in robust sociotechnical systems

This paper presents an analysis of written and electronic records that document the collaborative process of packing museum artifacts in preparation for a move. The majority of data recorded detailed the process of packing, while only a small amount of the data concerned which artifacts were packed in which boxes. Museum staff members were able to use these process data to solve the numerous errors that occurred during packing. We explore the design implications for collaborative systems which focus on supporting error recovery rather than error prevention.

Digital convergence and the information profession in cultural heritage organizations: Reconciling internal and external demands

Nearly twenty years ago, W. Boyd Rayward became one of the first academics to examine how electronic information and the functional integration of libraries, archives, and museums has affected, and will affect, the information profession. In doing so, he laid the groundwork for an entire research agenda on the topic of digital convergence, where the increased use of, and reliance on, digital resources in libraries, archives, and museums has increasingly blurred the traditional distinctions between these institutions. This paper explores how Rayward’s early work in this area influenced the development of this topic over time, focusing on how information professionals in cultural heritage organizations can and should reconcile their internal perceptions of identity with the external expectations of their users, particularly those who do not or cannot clearly distinguish between different institutions or the information resources they manage. In a world where the traditional assumptions we take for granted about information organization and access in libraries, archives, and museums are simply not shared by our users, the future of the information profession depends on the ability of cultural heritage information professionals to transcend the traditional boundaries between libraries, archives, and museums to meet information needs in the digital age.

Data curation in scientific teams: an exploratory study of condensed matter physics at a national science lab

The advent of big science has brought a dramatic increase in the amount of data generated as part of scientific investigation. The ability to capture and prepare such data for reuse has brought about an increased interest in data curation practices within scientific fields and venues such as national laboratories. This study employs semi-structured interviews with key scientists at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to explore data management, curation, and sharing practices within a condensed matter physics community. Findings indicate that condensed matter physics is a highly varied field. The fields work practices and reward structures may impede the development and implementation of highly formalized curation policies focused on sharing data within the broader community. This study is an extension of a larger mixed-methods study to examine the life-cycles of virtual teams and will serve as a foundation for a larger survey of the labs user community.

Factors Influencing the Co-Evolution of Computer-Mediated Collaborative Practices and Systems: A Museum Case Study

This article offers an analysis of the process of co-evolution as observed in the computer-mediated collaborative systems and practices of a university museum. It presents results from a longitudinal case study of the design and development of a collaborative process to pack and move a museums collections over a period of five years. Drawing upon a specific set of collaboration records spanning 18 months, the article identifies three factors that influenced the co-evolution of the computer-mediated collaborative systems and practices in use at the museum. The article concludes by examining the potential impact of these factors on the design of computer-mediated collaborative systems, in order to shed light on the wider issue of co-evolution of collaborative systems and practices in all organizations.

Come on down!: a game show approach to illustrating usability evaluation methods

AND PRACTITIONER. Usability professionals encounter complex, multifaceted challenges when working to improve systems design: They must justify the importance of usability analysis, argue for an iterative design process, and employ acceptable and cost-effective evaluation methods. Frequently, they assume the roles of evangelists, analysts, educators, designers, and mediators simultaneously [2, 4, 8]. As Wixon [10] writes, “It’s no accident that most usability testing involves encouraging entire design teams to watch the test, and it is well-known that much of the effectiveness of the test comes from this active participation.” To help usability professionals extend the positive impact that results from allowing a small number of interested stakeholders to watch a usability test [3, 6], this paper presents a “Usability Lab Game Show” approach, which can be particularly effective for introducing large audiences to the value of user testing in a small amount of time.