Because You’re You: factors influencing item selection in a digital sheet music collection

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing user selection of individual works in a collection of digitized sheet music. Design/methodology/approach – Google Analytics page view data were grouped by source (directing link) and correlated with five factors: inclusion in a collaborative indexing project (Sheet Music Consortium); browse list order; cover appearance; inclusion in mini-collections; and presence of links to audio versions. Findings – Four of the five factors examined showed some influence on user selection: Works listed in the Sheet Music Consortium had more views/work than those not listed; Works at the top of the Sheet Music Consortium browse list had more views by Consortium users than those lower down; Works with cover graphics had more views/work than those with covers containing words alone; Works included in mini-collections received more views/work from users with access to those mini-collections; Works with links to audio versions did not have more views/work than works without links. Practical implications – The most important finding of this study is that the best way to increase the use of individual collection items may be to participate in a large and well-known collaborative index such as the Sheet Music Consortium. Originality/value – This is the first study using Google Analytics to examine factors influencing user selection of individual digital collection items.