Evaluating Library Support for a New Graduate Program: Finding Harmony with a Mixed Method Approach

Abstract

In 2008, the University of Southern Indiana began to offer a new Doctor of Nursing Practice program via distance education. For the first three years, two librarians at the David L. Rice Library evaluated how well the library supported the study and research of students enrolled in the program. The research project incorporated multiple methods of assessment, including an examination of usage statistics generated by the electronic resources supporting the program, a student satisfaction survey, a review of the students' use of the library's interlibrary loan and article delivery services, and a citation analysis of the references appended to formal papers submitted as part of the required coursework. A significant amount of data was generated from the four methods used in the research, and the findings based on these data have impacted and will continue to impact the library's support of the program, including instruction, collection development, and expansion of services. © 2013 Copyright The North American Serials Interest Group, Inc.