Mobile Strategy Report Mobile Device User Research

This report encapsulates the findings and recommendations from a mobile device user research project conducted summer of 2010 by the California Digital Library. Methodology In order to capture UC academic behavior in regard to mobile devices, we gathered both quantitative and qualitative data. We conducted two surveys to collect quantitative data regarding mobile device ownership, preferences, and activities. Most of the respondents to the first survey were librarians, so only their responses were analyzed. The second survey was distributed to random undergraduate, graduate, and faculty at UC Berkeley. We also gathered qualitative data through interviews to better understand user motivations and workflow processes. We conducted 14 interviews with CDL service users or potential users. Findings The following is a snapshot of the key information discussed in more detail in the findings section of this report. • Slightly more academic survey respondents own mobile phones without internet (61%) than mobile devices that with internet (53%). Faculty were the most likely respondents (63%) to own a mobile device with internet, followed by graduate students (53%) and then undergraduates (41%). • Of academic survey respondents who own mobile devices with internet, the majority own iPhone (53%) or iPod Touch (20%) devices. The next highest device was Blackberry (10%), and then Droid (9%). • Of those who do subscribe to data plans, 78% of survey respondents reported using the cellular network frequently to access the internet, whereas only 49% report using WiFi frequently. • Most interviewees told us that they prefer to use internet from their laptops rather than their mobile devices, yet many don't carry laptops to campus or have internet access at home. • Some of the most common uses of mobile devices with internet include finding information and accessing email. They are used less for academic purposes, such as accessing campus or library websites or completing coursework. • Most interviewees told us that they did not read academic content on mobile devices. Some noted that they prefer to read PDFs on their laptops, while others stated a preference for reading material on paper. • Out of survey respondents who use internet on their mobile devices, 26% said that they read " academic content (e.g. books, articles) " on their devices at least daily. • Few survey respondents are using eBook devices and tablets for academic reading. • Most interviewees noted that they did not want to do actual academic research on …