Technology & LIS Coordinator Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 3 PLANO, Texas
Purpose: As a research fellow with the Medical Library Association's Research Training Institute, I underwent a one-year intensive course on research methods. Fellows are called to carry out a research project which falls within their area of interest in the field of librarianship. The purpose of the study is to examine whether a tabletop game developed by FEMA is an effective disaster information literacy tool for children, specifically Girl Scouts aged 8-13 in the U.S. This is a protected target population with specific communication needs; well-designed surveys are essential to good data collection.
Objectives: A) Using skills gleaned from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Center for Health Literacy training entitled Applied Plain Language Writing, build surveys that are specifically tailored for target audiences. B) Submit surveys to UAMS plain language expert for feedback to ensure appropriatness for target audience - Girl Scouts aged 8-13 in the U.S. Methodology: 1) Undergo plain language literacy training: Applied Plain Language Writing. 2) Build surveys using principles learned in training while keeping target population in mind. 3) Condense and submit surveys for assessment by plain language experts - this is key! 4) Modify surveys based on feedback and build final version of survey instruments. Next Steps: Now that the surveys have been adapted to best suit the target audience, the next step is conducting a pilot test and revise the surveys as needed. The instruments will be used for a project examining tabletop games as disaster information literacy tools.
.png)
