Chapter 3: Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction
This chapter describes the methodology designed to investigate the user peception of digital
reference services in university library. This chapter also will discuss on reserach design,
population and sample, insrumentation, data collection and data analysis.

3.2 Research Method

The data about the research will be collected with a few set of questionnaire that will be
distribute to the correspondence. The question that will be asking is about the level of
awareness, quality and usablility of digital reference services in PSB. The questionnaire will
be distribute to the university students which is among UiTM Merbok students . The
questionnaires were created based on an extensive literature review in the area of digital
reference services. To measure the effectiveness of DRS, the researchers adapted a series
of quality standards that had been used to evaluate quality of DRS by Gross et al. (2001),
Kasowitz (2000), McClure and Lankes (2001), and McClure et al. (2002) (as cited in Wan
Ab. Kadir Wan Dollah & Diljit Singh 2010). Data was analyzed using frequency count,
percentages, mean and standard deviation, presented in tables.

3.2.1 Population
As this study focuses on digital reference services in library, the population for this research
is an undergraduate university student which is UiTM Merbok students. This is because
university student is a group of people that usually use the digital reference services in
library. The total population students in UiTM Merbok is 4497 students. 4497 students
consist of all program that offered in UiTM Merbok including diploma students and degree
students. 2575 are diploma students and 1922 are degree students. From 4497 students in
UiTM Merbok, this research only take 300 respondent in order to answer the questionnaire.
All the respondent that will be participate will pick randomly to answer the questionnaire.
This is because this research not focussing on one particular subject such as focusing on
one particular faculty. This research conducting to all student from all faculty. By that the
researcher will get the result based on the objective that have been stated.

Table 3.1 Population Size of Undergraduate Students in UiTM Merbok by Programs

Programs
Diploma
Degree
Pre University
Total Population

Number of Students
2517
1922
58
4497

Table 3.2 Population Size of Undergraduate Students in UiTM Merbok by Faculty

Faculty
Number of Students
Accountancy
525
Administrative Science & 508
Policy Studies
Art & Design
349
Business Management
2400
Computer & Mathematical 120
Sciences
Information Management
Law
Others (Pre University
Total Population

3.2.2

537
0
58
4497

Research Instrument: Questionnaire

This research uses the questionnaire as the instrument. Questionnaires was choose as a
research instrument because it reduce bias. There is uniform question presentation and no
middle-man bias. The researcher's own opinions will not influence the respondent to answer
questions in a certain manner. There are no verbal or visual clues to influence the
respondent (Walonick, D. 2004) The questionnaires also practical, easy and large amounts
of information can be collected from a large number of people in a short period of time and in
a relatively cost effective way. For sampling method, the researcher use simple random
sampling. The randomness in sample selection guarantees the unbiased representation of
the findings about the population under the study (Sharon Q. Yang, 2013). The
questionnaires were distributed to students and faculty who came to the library, introducing a
bias against those who were less likely to visit the library (Lili Luo Viscount B. Buer, 2015).
The questionnaire will be distribute to the UiTM Merbok students and the question that will

be ask must be valid, easy to answer and also understandable. This is because the answer
that they will give are important to fulfill this study.

3.3 Measurement of Research Variables

The researcher was distributed questionnaire among UITM Kedah students. The location for
distributing the questionnaire is a place that have attraction to the students such as library.
The questionnaire was designed and assigned into three section. Section A is focussing on
demographic are which contain question about the personal information of the respondents
such as gender, age and faculty. Under section B, the question asking about the awareness
and existence of DRS while the section C the researcher asking about the quality of DRS.
Some of the questions are based from Likert scale and the principals as respondents need
to evaluate themselves to answer it. Table 3.2 show the summary of research variable
instrument and Table 3.3 show the structure and content of the questionaire in the next page
contains description of questionnaire. The questionnaire can be referred in appendix section.

Table 3.3 Summary of Reserach Variable Measurement

Variable
Operational Definition
Awareness & Existence of 4

Source of Instrument
Marian S. Ramos Christine

DRS
Quality of DRS

M. Abrigo, (2012)
Wan Ab. Kadir Wan Dollah &

Diljit Singh (2010)

Table 3.4 Structure and Content of the Questionnaire

Cover Letter
Sections
Section A

Contents
Demographic
Gender
Age

Section B

Program
Faculty
Awareness and

Existence

of

Digital

Reference Service (DRS)

Quality of Digital Reference Service (DRS)
Open-ended question
"Any other comments or suggestion on
Courteous Note

digital reference services in PSB?"

"Thank you very much for your time and
sincere cooperation"

3.4 Instrument Validity

After finish constructing the questionnaire, will be submit to the advisor the rechecking the
questionnaire. This method have been done in order to check the entire questionnaire
subject. The purpose of this process is to avoid the small mistake that have done by the
researcher during constructing the questionnaire. The things that have to be check are on
the grammar, spelling error, the structured of the questionnaire, and so on. There are two
type of validity in this research such as face validity and pre test.
3.4.1 Face Validity
Face validity means the researcher will distributed the questionnaire to the expert person
such as the advisor for the research in order to make sure that there is no mistake that have
done by the researcher during constructing the questionnaire. If there some any mistake, the
researcher will redo again the questionnaire. The aspect the will be check by the advisor are
on the grammar, spelling error, the structured of the questionnaire, and so on. For this
research questionnaire, there only have some mistake on the grammar and spelling error.
Thus, the researcher constructing again the questionnaire and do a correction from the
mistake that have been done. For this research, the researcher have meet Mr. Mohd Firdaus
Bin Mohd Helmi, lecturer in Faculty of Information Management, UiTM Merbok, Kedah. He
also act as advisor to the researcher in order to completing this research. The researcher will
give the sample of the questionnaire to the advisor, the advisor will check the questionnaire
whether the questions suitable or relating to the title of the research or not. The advisor also
will help the researcher in checking if there have any grammatical error for every each of the
questions that have constructed in the questionnaire. If there have any mistake or problems
with the questions, the researcher will reconstruct the questionnaire for the real
questionnaire that will be distribute to the respondents.

3.4.2 Pre Test

Before distribute the questionnaire to the real respondent, the researcher conducting pretest. When conducting a pre-test, the researcher can identify the level of the questionnaire
that have been construct regarding the research. The researcher can know whether the
questionnaire is easy to complete, easy to understand and so on. In conducting the pre-test,
the researcher distribute around 10 questionnaire to the students in UITM Merbok, Sg.
Petani from the Faculty of Information Management of UiTM. The researcher used the
students of Faculty of Information Management because they are familiar with library
services. After conducting the pre-test, researcher will get feedback and from that
respondent about the questionnaire. By that, the researcher will know that their
questionnaire is need to modify and others. Researcher will monitor respondent while they
were completing the questionnaire. Researcher must have follow up to the respondent in
order to know respondent feedback or any comment to the questionnaire. If there is any
difficulties, researcher need to know how reduce the level of the questionnaire in order to
help respondent complete questionnaire or survey easily for the real respondent. For
example, there have a question that the respondent never understand, the researcher again
will reconstruct the questionnaire. It is because by doing pre-test, the researcher will know
the problem with the questionnaire before distribute to the respondents.

3.5 Data Collection

The data was collected to address the research objectives. In collecting the real data using
the intend samples, a cover letter that explains the purpose and the significance will be
attached together with the questionnaire. The researcher will be distributed the
questionnaires to the samples. The samples are given ten to fifteen minutes to answer the
questionnaire and after they completed the questionnaire, the researcher will collect the
questionnaire. This is an easy way to collect all the data. During the session, the samples
were encouraged to ask if there any inquiries of any clarifications that needs to explained
more. After that the data that have been collected are ready for the next purpose which is
data analysis.

3.6 Data Analysis

Various analyses were performed to test the data. The proposed survey instrument was first
pre-tested with 10 students in PSB from the Faculty of Information Management of UiTM.

The method of measuring reliability in this study is the internal consistency method. From the
first step in designing the questionnaire, the variables and scales is adapted from guidelines
in evaluation of DRS. Its necessary to its reliability to indicate whether the variables produce
consistent results. the statement and question in questionnaire were coded and the data
entered in the statistical software for data analysis, SPSS. For example, the genders of the
users, the level of study and also age. SPSS is stand for Statistical Package for the Social
Science. By using SPSS, it can calculate data and create a charts, reports, descriptive
statistics, and so on.

3.7 Chapter Summary

In this chapter, the researcher discusses only about the research methodology that are used
in this study. This chapter really needed for answering the entire research question.
Somehow, the data must valid and reliable to show the research is effective and success.
Therefore, the implementation of the study was carried out according to established
procedures and the data obtained from this study were required in order to reach the
purpose as well as to support the findings later in the study.