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Table 4. 4: Cronbach's Alpha Values for Questionnaires Administered to Students and Academic Staff
Questions Cronbach's Alpha
value for students
Cronbach's Alpha value for academic staff
Main uses of mobile phones 0.745 0.723
Why use mobile phones over other available means i.e. laptop computers
0.672 0.671
Why use of mobile phone is good for offering library services
0.763 0.730
Services to be prioritised for offering on the mobile platform
0.859 0.827
Challenges respondents face/would likely face in accessing mobile library services
0.762 0.788
4.8.5 Member Checking
The researcher also used another technique called member checking to validate the research findings. This is a commonly used technique in qualitative studies, and has been described by Lincoln and Guba (1985, p.314) as “the most critical technique for establishing credibility”.
Member checking involves taking data, analyses, intepretations and conclusions back to the participants so that they can judge the accuracy of the account (Creswell, 2013). The aim is to enable participants check not only the accuracy of the findings but even the language used. In implementing this technique, the researcher sent the university/college librarians and ICT directors findings drawn from the interviews conducted with them through email so that they could verify its accuracy.
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that both quantitative and qualitative data was collected at the same time (Creswell, 2009).
The data collected was integrated in the interpretation of the overall results.
Research data is collected in a number of ways including observations, interviews, documents, and audio-visual materials (Creswell, 2013). These data collection procedures apply to both quantitative and qualitative methods. The question of whether they are used to collect qualitative or quantitative data depends on how they are used. For instance, if a researcher using the observation method records the behaviour observed in prose or in a descriptive way, it becomes qualitative. If, on the other hand, frequency counts are used to record the same behaviour, the data becomes quantitative. Questionnaires are another data collection procedure which are mainly associated with quantitative methods (Delport and Roestenburg, 2011). This particular study used questionnaires and interviews to collect data.
4.9.1 Structured Interviews
As already indicated, interviews can be used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.
In terms of soliciting quantitative data, an instrument called a structured interview is used. A structured interview contains closed questions as is the case with most questionnaires.
However, the difference between structured interviews and questionnaires, according to Coleman (2012), is that the former is administered by the researcher who records the answers rather than the respondents being asked to do this. The data collected could be analysed using quantitative data analysis software such as SPSS. Structured interviews are sometimes favoured over questionnaires in cases where the researcher wishes to boost the response rates.
However, this instrument was not used in this study because it is not ideal for obtaining detailed and in-depth answers.
4.9.2 Un-structured Interviews
Unlike structured interviews, in unstructured interviewing the interviewer conducts the interview without a planned sequence of questions to be asked to the respondents (Sekaran and Dougie, 2010). In this form of interview, the interviewer only has a set of initial questions to start the process but the content of the interview depends on the individual being interviewed, the empathy of the interviewer, and the rapport that grows between them (Coleman, 2012). Unstructured interviews are exploratory in nature, and are used by the
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researcher to identify issues to be pursued further through more detailed interviews (Greeff, 2011). This form of interviewing was not used in this study as the researcher wanted a more focussed and detailed way of soliciting information from the interviewees to ensure that the research questions were adequately answered.
4.9.3 Semi-Structured Interviews
Semi-structured interviews are the commonest type of interviews that are used by qualitative researchers. The researcher used this sort of interviewing technique in conducting interviews with the university/college librarians and ICT directors. This was done to gain a detailed picture of the participant’s beliefs, perceptions or accounts of the issues investigated (Greeff, 2011). Interview protocols used in semi-structured interviewing normally have major questions, sub-questions and possible follow-up questions (Coleman, 2012). Although a set of predetermined questions are available, the researcher is merely guided other than dictated by them hence he/she is at liberty to pose other follow-up questions if the need arises. The researcher used a protocol that met the criteria set out above in conducting the interviews.
The interviews were conducted in the respondents’ offices at a mutually agreed upon date and time. Such interviews were personnally conducted by the researcher.
4.9.4 Questionnaires
Quantitative data was collected through the use of self-completed questionnaires. The questionnaires contained both open-ended, and closed questions. Open ended questions make it possible for the researcher to solicit adequate answers to complex issues and richness of detail (Neuman, 2006). On the contrary, closed questions are easier to respond to and also analyse (Delport and Roestenburg, 2011). The inclusion of both sets of questions in the questionnaire greatly assisted the study by boosting the response rate (as the questionnaires were fairly easy to complete), guaranteeing moderately adequate detail, and also making the questionnaires easier to analyse.
The researcher personally administered questionnaires to academic staff. Academic staff who were randomly selected using university/college staff registries were reached in their offices, and asked to participate in the study. Questionnaires were given to those who accepted to participate, and collected at an agreed upon time after they had completed them. This was
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done to ensure that respondents had adequate time to respond to the questionnaires.
Necessary follow-ups were done to respondents who could not complete the questionnaires within the agreed upon time with the aim of boosting the response rate.
Five research assistants were recruited, and they helped in administering questionnaires to students who were randomly sampled using university/college students’ registry lists. The research assistants helped in locating where the sampled students could be found, and the best time to administer the questionnaires. Just like academic staff, the student respondents were given adequate time to read through and complete the questionnaires. Follow-ups were also done with the aim of boosting the response rate. A record of all questionnaires issued out and those collected was kept by everyone involved in field work to ensure smooth execution of the work.