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Let's start at the very beginnning
- What do you want to know; i.e., what's your research question?
- Why do you want to know?
- Who wants to know?
- How will you link your question to a larger concern; for instance the library's or university's mission statement?
- What information do you already have that will help you answer your question?
- Do you have the staffing/time to fully address the question? Be honest with yourself; define a reasonable time frame for data collection and analysis.
- If not, who will help you? Office of Assessment? Other staff members?
- Could you address a part of the question?
- Is there an alternate method of getting at the answers you need that requires less effort?
Doing the Assessment
- Gather the data needed for the assessment activity. Do you need to mine data from your library systems, or create an entirely new instrument for the assessment?
- If creating a completely new survey or focus group protocol, etc., DO A PILOT STUDY. You will learn a great deal about the clarity and focus of your instrument. (The Inigo Montoya Rule: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.")
- Leave ample time for both data collection and analysis.
- Pay special attention to the things that don't make sense. How can you delve more deeply to find an explanation?
- At the conclusion of your study, decide if you got the information you needed, and then:
- Triangulate! Find a different way to study the same question in order to provide solid conclusions.
- Consider repeating the study at an appropriate interval.
- to track changes over time.
- to identify anomalies in the results.
- to refine your techniques
Crafting an Assessment Plan
- At the very least, include the following components:
- Why you are conducting assessment (to ensure that you are supporting your institutional mission, for instance)
- Your research question(s)
- Data used to explore your research question(s)
- Intervals at which you will conduct/repeat the research
- Who will be responsible for conducting the research
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