The document describes a study that designed and administered a questionnaire called UsoDEU to Galician college students to gather empirical data on their use of dictionaries, particularly electronic dictionaries online. A pilot study using the initial questionnaire was conducted with 171 students. The results showed profound changes in dictionary use patterns, including widespread use of online dictionaries via devices and a decrease in paper dictionary use. The study aims to help lexicographers better understand user needs and improve dictionary design.

1. How do Galician college students
use dictionaries today?
Carlos Valcárcel Riveiro
The UsoDEU questionnaire as a data collection tool
PORTLEX

2. How to assess the needs of dictionary users?
There is still a great need of data on dictionary users
Lexicographers often must intuit users’ needs and expectations
❖ Surveys (Hartmann)
❖ Log files analysis (Kemmer)
❖ Simultaneous Feedback (de Schryver)

3. Surveys as data collection tools
The most common method of data collection
There are great differences on certain points:
❖ Number and type of respondents
❖ Established goals
❖ Asked questions / items

4. The UsoDEU questionnaire
Uso de Dicionários por parte de Estudantes Universitários
Main goal:
To design a questionnaire to obtain, within the
context of the European Higher Education Area,
empirical data on the use that students make of the
main types of dictionaries available, and, in
particular, of electronic dictionaries online.
Mª
José Domínguez (USC) & Carlos Valcárcel (Uvigo)

5. Why to focus on students' use of dictionaries?
★ Students are more accessible… and we
are teachers!
★ They readily adopt new trends
★ They represent a very important
segment in the lexicographic market

6. UsoDEU deployment strategy
1 Selection and study of reference works
Domínguez & Mirazo & Vidal, 2013
Al-Salami & Hattab, 2008
Ekwa Ebanéga & Moussavou, 2008
Hartmann, 1999
Maridé & Pihler, 2004
Ripfel, 1989
Tu, 2000
Wiegand’s work
2 Questionnaire design
3 Small-scale pilot study
4 Data analysis and questionnaire redesign
5 Large-scale implementation
Current phase

7. Questionnaire design
Questionnaire items are arranged in four thematic blocks:
1 Personal data and academic information
2 Linguistic repertoire: communication proficiency in different languages
(B2 level / Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
3 Internet use patterns
(connection time, connection devices, connection point, connection purposes)
4 Dictionary use patterns
❖ Use of paper, cd-rom and online dictionaries
❖ Use purposes
❖ Consultation point
❖ Satisfaction degree
❖ Interactions with:
❏ dictionary staff
❏ other dictionary users
❏ dictionary content

8. Pilot study
Where?
Data must be undertaken with caution
Campus of Pontevedra
University of Vigo
When?
May 2013
Within 30 days
Universe
3931 students
How?
Online survey
Unipark
Survey sample
171 students
Statistical reliability
Margin of error (high) ± 7.3%
Confidence interval of 95%.

9. Presentation of the main data collected
Domínguez, M.J. & Valcárcel, C. (2014): "Hábitos de uso de los diccionarios entre los estudiantes universitarios europeos: ¿nuevas
tendencias?", in Domínguez M.J., Gómez X. & Valcárcel, C. (eds.): Lexicografía de las lenguas románicas II. Aproximaciones a la
lexicografía contemporánea y contrastiva. Berlin, De Gruyter.
PORTLEX
To be published:
Within the framework of:

10. Description of some data collected
1. Frequency of use per dictionary format

11. Description of some data collected
2. Main reasons for choosing online dictionaries

12. Description of some data collected
3. Uses of online and paper dictionaries

13. Description of some data collected
4. Satisfaction degree with online and paper dictionaries
How often do
you find the
information
you need in a
dictionary?

14. Description of some data collected
5. What students do when they don’t find the information in a dictionary?

15. Main conclusions
❖ Some items of the UsoDEU questionnaire must be redefined (e.g. user interaction and participation)
❖ The pilot survey reveals profound changes in the patterns of dictionary use:
● Widespread use of online dictionaries via laptops and smartphones
● CD-ROM dictionaries have become obsolete
● The use of paper dictionaries is currently decreasing
● App versions of online dictionaries have a great potential in the near future
● Authority concept could be being reformulated within the context of Web 2.0
(digital reputation / brand reputation)
❖ Should a teaching of dictionary use be integrated in digital skills acquisition?