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questionnaires in each university. The two librarians sent questionnaires by email to one
librarian in each of the remaining three Universities and asked them to seek volunteers to fill
in the questionnaires.
3.7. Data collection methods.
3.7.1. Questionnaires.
The research administered a questionnaire to library staff. Open questions targeting detailed
responses were used to harmonise the likert based questions. In consideration the number of
respondents at this group questionnaire was considered to be the best way to collect data from
this group. Twenty-one respondents were able to fill in the questionnaires hopefully with
enough time for them to think and write their answer without being pressured.
To ensure reliability, the questionnaires were pre-tested before they were distributed to
respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select five students from the second year
students of the International Master in Digital Library Learning (DILL). The students chosen
for this pilot study were only those who are working or have worked in libraries before they
joined the program. The aim was to use the respondents who more closely reflect the
intended audience. The results from the four questionnaires received back revealed that there
was consistency in interpreting the questions and they were understood as the researcher
wanted them to be understood
The questions were triangulated to maximize the validity of the findings. The use of alternate
questions was emphasised whereby one question is asked in two different ways for instance
with multiple choices and then rephrased later with text box for the respondent to write the
answer. This was aimed to compensate for the absence of interviews, which were not feasible
to undertake due to time and distance constraints.
3.7.2. Using secondary data.
Secondary data are useful to this research in many respects. The need to establish the state of
use of intellectual capital in libraries depended much on the review of secondary data.
Secondary data provided more feedback needed to support research questions and enable the
objectives to be realised. The researcher used Public University Libraries websites to look for
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