Methods for Evaluating the Adoption and Use of Digital Technologies in GLAMs

Abstract

This article provides a method from which the breadth of adoption and use of digital technologies may be evaluated. Whilst the method can be used for individual devices, it was designed as a means for understanding the well-being of all devices within a site, and especially as an overview method for multiple institutions within a city or in far larger studies involving multiple organisations over large geographical distances. Our method is digital technology neutral. Digital technologies may be of any types, belonging to any category but can be extended to include both emerging and unconventional systems as long as the variables provided in this article can act as metrics for their evaluation. The approach used here is a mixture of quantitative and qualitative evaluation.Qualitative evaluation using thematic analysis is applied for the understanding of phenomenon identified within our quantitative methods. • Technology neutral approach to understanding the institutional adoption and use of digital systems • Broad evaluation method suited to the evaluation of multiple digital technologies at the institutional level, or large studies involving multiple organisations over large geographical distances. • Uses a mixture of quantitative analysis for revealing trends and qualitative evaluation for understanding phenomenon