User-Centred Library Websites. Usability Evaluation Methods

233 Pages·2008·1.637 MB·English

by  Carole George (Auth.)

User-Centred Library Websites
C
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User-Centred Library
Websites
Usability evaluation methods
C A. G
AROLE EORGE
Chandos Publishing
Oxford· England
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FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2008
ISBN:
9781843343592(paperback)
9781843343608(hardback)
1843343592(paperback)
1843343606(hardback)
©CaroleA.George
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List of figures and tables
Figures
1.1 Library website back-end and front-end 2
2.1 Example of a question to determine experience
with search software 43
3.1 Sample questions to determine characteristics
of user groups 64
3.2 Example of a checklist 65
3.3 Examples of short answer questions 66
3.4 Examples of a rank ordering question 66
3.5 An example of rating scale items 67
3.6 Example of open-ended questions 68
3.7 Sample questions that show vaguely defined
choices and clearly defined choices 69
3.8 Example of questionnaire items that show
problems with prerequisite knowledge 70
3.9 Example of questionnaire items that show
problems with vague timeframe 70
3.10 Example of questionnaire items showing
personal versus less personal wording 71
4.1 Example of an affinity diagram 101
5.1 Example of a heuristic evaluation form to
report usability problems 134
6.1 Example of a task scenario for a library
website usability test 145
vii
List of figures and tables
6.2 Example of a task scenario that includes
enough information for participants to
complete the tasks 146
6.3 Examples of general and specific wording for
task scenarios 147
6.4 Examples of task scenarios for usability
testing of a library website 148
6.5 Example of items that can be used for a rating
scale in a post-test questionnaire 150
6.6 Examples of essay-type items used in a
post-test questionnaire 151
6.7 Excerpt from a usability report showing use
of participants’ verbalisations 164
6.8 Table to report quantitative data (e.g. task
completion rate) in think aloud protocols 169
6.9 Exampleuseofparticipants’quotationstohelp
illustrate a point in the usability test report 169
Tables
3.1 Suggestions for survey length 61
3.2 Example – planning a focus group 94
3.3 Example – moderating a focus group session 95
4.1 Example – planning an affinity diagramming
session 107
4.2 Example – facilitating an affinity diagramming
session 108
4.3 Example – planning for a card sorting session 116
4.4 Example – facilitating a card sorting session 117
5.1 Example – conducting a heuristic evaluation 136
6.1 Example – planning for a think aloud
protocol 172
6.2 Example – facilitating a think aloud protocol
session 173
viii
About the author
Carole A. George is a human factors researcher with the
Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. She joined the
UniversityLibraryin2000.Withanemphasisonimproving
users’ access to information, Ms George’s work focuses on
usability studies of library websites and evaluation studies
of library services. Her research interests and efforts have
been directed towards user-centred interface evaluation and
information behaviour studies.
Herworkinusabilitystudiesattheuniversityemphasises
the need to involve users in design and development
activities and hear what they have to say. Despite all best
efforts at detecting usability problems based on guidelines,
usability specialists need to rely on users’ feedback as it
relates to designing a user-centred website. Ms George
strivestoprovideinformationthatinformsthedevelopment
of user-centred libraries, thus making finding and using
libraries’ information resources and services easier,
ultimatelyencouragingtheuseofinformationthatsupports
academic as well as nonacademic endeavours.
Previously, Ms George was a research associate at the
Learning Research and Development Center at the
University of Pittsburgh. She holds a M.Ed. in Research
Methodology and Evaluation and an Ed.D. in
Administrative and Policy Studies.
The author may be contacted at:
E-mail: [email protected]
ix
Preface
More frequently than ever before, students, faculty and
others are accessing the resources of college and university
libraries using the library’s website. For that reason it is of
immediate importance to be certain that the website and
other digital interfaces or website pages are easy to use and
understandbytheusers.Thisisreferredtoasauser-centred
website.Involvingusersintheprocessofwebsitedesignand
developmentisthebestmethodofensuringthatthewebsite
is user-centred.
This book covers methods that can be used to gather
feedbackfromusersofyourwebsiteabouttheorganisation,
navigation, terminology and general usability of a website.
This book is a guide to usability evaluation techniques that
are employed to design a user-centred website.
Thisbookwillguideyouthroughtheusabilityevaluation
methods from the early stages of design to the late stages of
testing a finished website. It will help you to determine
which evaluation method will provide you with the best
feedback at every stage of the development and design or
redesign cycle of your website. It will help you to
understand the evaluation methods, prepare for the session,
recruit participants, facilitate the session, analyse the
results, and write the report. With feedback from the
xi
Preface
targeted users, you will learn whether they can understand
your terminology, navigate your site, and find the
information that you provide.
Examples are provided to help you with the letters, e-
mails, forms and questionnaires that you might need. By
involvingthetargetusersinthedevelopmentandevaluation
of your website throughout the design and development
cycle, you will be better prepared to design a user-centred
website that your users will continue to use to access your
information resources.
xii
1
What is user-centred design?
Tobeginwith,thinkaboutthewebsiteashavingaback-end
and a front-end. The back-end of the website is not visible
to the end-users, the primary target users (students, faculty
and others) who are trying to find information and
complete tasks using the library website. The back-end
includes the information, resources and functionality
offered by the website – such things as the scholarly
databases, the library catalogue, and the software that
enables functionality, such as simple and advanced
searching of the library catalogue and searching special
collection documents by words or phrases.
The front-end, the website end-user interface, is what is
visible to the people using the website. It might be what
many think of as the website. The front-end includes such
things as screen displays, font sizes and colour, the
terminology, the primary and secondary navigation (the
linkstothemainfeaturesandpagesofthewebsite),andthe
simple and advanced search pages. As shown in Figure 1.1,
the front-end is designed to collect information from the
end-user and process the information in order to access the
back-end components.
User-centred design often refers to the design and
usability of the front-end of the website – the end-user
1