Saturday, November 10, 2007

5.2.2 Previous research experience

Determining the level of research experience of whakapapa researchers was done through asking several questions including how often they visited the library before they became interested in whakapapa research (Appendix 2, Question 25). Respondents were also asked whether or not they had ever used a library to research an article or report that they had written (Appendix 2, Question 26). Kuglin (2004) found that 58% of respondents used a public library at least 2 to 3 times a month prior to their involvement in genealogy research. In this study the percentage was slightly higher, with 62% visiting that often (Chart 4). A higher percentage of whakapapa researchers had also researched an article or report in a library with 48% of respondents stating that this was the case. In Kuglin’s (2004) study only 39% of respondents claimed to have done this. These results seem to suggest that whakapapa researchers are reasonably experienced library users, perhaps more so than genealogists generally.

Chart 4.

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