Welcome to the 365 McIlroy blog, hosted by the University of Arkansas Libraries. Today, the Scholarly Communications team is interviewing Prof. Dinesh K. Gauri, the Walmart Chair in Marketing at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. He shares his thoughts on making research available in the institutional repository ScholarWorks@UARK with our team.
Scholarly Communications: Thank you for participating in this interview-style blog. You have posted several research reports in ScholarWorks@UARK. Our blog readers will definitely be interested in the two most recent: one on customer choices about where to make purchases (Online or In-Store ) and the other about their delivery choices (Delivery Preferences ).
In a few words, could you tell us about these studies?
Prof. Gauri: Yes, of course. These research reports are about studying the shopping preferences of US households and to know about the current trends and preferences that are there in their attitude towards shopping and getting items delivered to their homes, picking them at the store or using technologically advanced solutions such as self-driving robots or drones.
Scholarly Communications: Were you expecting what you discovered? Were you surprised?
Prof. Gauri: It is a combination of some things we do expect but others we did not expect. For example, we were not surprised by knowing from the survey results that most people prefer delivery to their door-step. But, we were surprised by finding that 59% of respondents now expect same day delivery of items.
Scholarly Communications: Clearly, you’re excited about this research! Who is the audience for these reports? In other words, who needs this information? How will they use it?
Prof. Gauri: These reports are meant for anyone to read and find some latest trends in shopping preferences of US households. The audience are students, faculty, other researchers and practitioners who may want to know more about how various current shopping preferences are evolving amongst the broader US shoppers.
Scholarly Communications: We are honored to host your research in ScholarWorks@UARK. Could you tell us why you decided to put these reports in the repository? What are the benefits for you and the people who need this information?
Prof. Gauri: I found ScholarWorks@UARK to be the perfect place to disseminate these research reports as anyone can visit the site and download the detailed report if they choose to. I found the process of uploading the reports to be very easy with a friendly staff who assists very promptly, and I am able to see regular statistics on how many views and downloads happen and from where in the entire world!
Scholarly Communications: These reports certainly are reaching web users! Online or In-Store has already had 108 viewers from 10 different countries. And Delivery Preferences has had 75 viewers from 17 different countries.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to blog readers?
Prof. Gauri: I would like to encourage others to consider disseminating their research by using ScholarWorks@UARK and making their research reach a broader audience at a faster pace and make an impact in the community.
Scholarly Communications: Thanks again for participating in this interview. We look forward to hosting – and reading – your next report!