The Critical Incident Technique and the Qualitative Evaluation of the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project

This article describes Flanagan’s Critical Incident Technique (CIT) for those seeking guidance in its application. Examples in the library and information science (LIS) fi eld are discussed, including an indepth example of a CIT study conducted as part of a qualitative evaluation of the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project (CLASP) in New York City. The CLASP study analyzed critical incidents from 2,416 fi fth and seventh grade students regarding their perceptions of interactions with urban public librarians and library staff. For both positive and negative critical incidents, the most important factor in these preadolescent’s perception of successful library visits is the attitude of the librarian or staff member they encounter. Introduction This article discusses Flanagan’s (1954) Critical Incident Technique (CIT) and describes its applications in the library and information science (LIS) fi eld. The CIT is a qualitative method designed to draw out the most memorable aspects of an event or experience from the study’s participants (Ruben 1993). It has been used to evaluate programs or services and to inform their improvement. CIT questions typically have this format: Remember a time when you had a successful (specify activity)? Please describe. What was it about (specifi ed activity) that made it successful? Or the negative: Remember a time when you had an unsuccessful (specify activity)? Guidance is provided by this article for those considering using CIT in their research by discussing an example of a CIT study conducted by the author as part of a qualitative evaluation of the Connecting Libraries and The Critical Incident Technique and the Qualitative Evaluation of the Connecting Libraries and Schools Project