Research Abstract:
This study seeks to understand how users locate specific information with the use of metadata, such as key terms and tagging. In particular, we are interested in metadata related to historical photographs within the collections of the Library of Congress (LOC), including those located within the LOC’s Flickr public photo-stream known as “The Commons.” Our research surrounds the usefulness and quality of the LOC/Flickr metadata. We pose the question, is the current metadata relevant to degree that the photographs they reference are searchable to public users?
To answer this question, we conducted a pilot test of our data collection instruments which asked six participants to locate four pre-selected photographs on the Internet. From this pilot study, we adjusted data collection techniques and instruments for future use. The units of analysis are the study participants and the Websites that maintain the photographs. From these units, the variables of interest are user-generated search terms, LOC meta tags, and Flickr tags. The following are the instruments and data collection techniques we will employ for the proposed study: 1.) a post-task questionnaire 2.) the participant’s Internet browsing history 3.) Flickr tags generated about selected photographs, and 4.) metadata from the photographs on the LOC Website. From this data we hope to gain insight into information seeking behavior by better understanding how users operate within the context of a media inquiry.
We realize an imposed task in a lab situation such as this has limitations due to the uncertainty that the participants behave naturally under those conditions. We took care in designing and testing a pilot test which would involve participants in as neutral a study as possible with respect to the test setting, instructions, and researcher behavior in order to minimize the potentiality for skewed data.
We suggest the results of this study can help inform LOC and other cultural heritage institutions who use Flickr in assessing the search behaviors of their Website visitors and contour their metadata standards in ways which can help meet their primary goal, according to their Website, “to increase access to publicly held photography collections” and “provide a way for the general public to contribute information and knowledge” (“FAQ,” 2014). We also suggest that information professionals in general can benefit from this study in further considering the ways in which users can aid them in maximizing the value of their metadata.
