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Summary: On reading a library's OPA

Putting awareness into practice: practical steps for conducting usability tests

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describes the methods and findings of two research projects undertaken to explore user behaviour and usability issues relating to the use of Web-based resources by people with disabilities. Design/methodology/approach – Whilst the aims of the research differed, the methods adopted were similar – including observation, talk aloud protocols, questionnaires and focus groups. Findings – The findings from both studies provided evidence of the problems faced by disabled users when using Web-based resources. It provided evidence of the types of features users liked and disliked, how they overcame navigational problems and what types of features enhanced their experience, all of which can be fed back into recommendations for the design of electronic resources. Practical implications – The richness of the data collected for both studies confirmed the importance of involving users in accessibility and usability assessments. Analysis of both the findings and the methods for both studies also enabled a checklist to be developed, outlining issues that should be taken into consideration when planning a usability test. Originality/value – Document analysis of past and current usability studies revealed that suggested methods are often directed more towards expert usability testing, rather than managing the user testing in-house. Although it may be preferable to engage an expert, in reality practical guidance is also needed. The checklist aims to address gaps in usability advice identified, by providing practical guidance to enable providers and developers of web-based resources to conduct their own effective usability testing

An improved method of studying user-system interaction by combining transaction log analysis and protocol analysis

The paper reports a novel approach to studying user-system interaction that captures a complete record of the searcher's actions, the system responses and synchronised talk-aloud comments from the searcher. The data is recorded unobtrusively and is available for later analysis. The approach is set in context by a discussion of transaction logging and protocol analysis and examples of the search logging in operation are presented

An exploratory study of factors that influence student user success in an academic digital library.

The complex nature of digital libraries calls for appropriate models to study user success. Calls have been made to incorporate into these models factors that capture the interplay between people, organizations, and technology. In order to address this, two research questions were formulated: (1) To what extent does the comprehensive digital library user success model (DLUS), based on a combination of the EUCS and flow models, describe overall user success in a prototype digital library environment; and (2) To what extent does a combined model of DeLone & McLean's reformulated information system success model and comprehensive digital library user success model (DLUS) explain digital library user success in a prototype digital library environment? Participants were asked to complete an online survey questionnaire. A total of 160 completed and useable questionnaires were obtained. Data analyses through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling produced results that support the two models. However, some relationships between latent variables hypothesized in the model were not confirmed. A modified version of the proposed comprehensive plus user success model in a digital library environment was tested and supported through model fit statistics. This model was recommended as a possible alternative model of user success. The dissertation also makes a number of recommendations for future research

Multilinguale Herausforderungen in der Sacherschließung

In einer Zeit, in der vermehrt automatische Verfahren der Inhaltserschließung eingesetzt und (weiter)entwickelt werden, leistet die vorliegende Studie einen Beitrag zur Diskussion um die Bedeutung der intellektuellen Sacherschließung beim Information Retrieval in einem multilingualen Kontext. Am Fallbeispiel des Online-Katalogs des Ibero-Amerikanischen Instituts wird in einem Retrievaltest die Beteiligung der überwiegend deutschsprachigen Schlagworte aus einem lokalen Thesaurus beim Auffinden von Dokumenten evaluiert. In der Studie werden 80 aus einem Logfile gewonnene Suchanfragen getestet, die in zwei gleich große Purpose Samples unterteilt wurden: ein deutsch- und ein fremdsprachiges. Ein zentrales Ergebnis der Analyse ist, dass die Indexierung mit lokalen Schlagworten für einen erheblichen Anteil der zu den Suchanfragen aufgefundenen Dokumenten verantwortlich ist. Es lassen sich jedoch unter Berücksichtigung der Multilingualität der Suchanfragen deutliche Unterschiede mit Blick auf die Bedeutung der lokalen Schlagworte ausmachen. Auch das Verhältnis der intellektuellen Sacherschließung zur automatischen Indexierung von Elementen der Kataloganreicherung (Inhaltsverzeichnisse, Volltexte o.Ä.) wird näher beleuchtet und Stärken und Schwächen der verschiedenen Erschließungsformen werden diskutiert. Abschließend werden Möglichkeiten aufgezeigt, das Potential der lokalen Schlagworte insbesondere für fremdsprachige Suchanfragen stärker einzusetzen, um die zeit- und damit kostenintensive intellektuelle Sacherschließung sinnvoll nachzunutzen

Understanding Novice Users\u27 Help-seeking Behavior in Getting Started with Digital Libraries: Influence of Learning Styles

Users\u27 information needs have to be fulfilled by providing a well-designed system. However, end users usually encounter various problems when interacting with information retrieval (IR) systems and it is even more so for novice users. The most common problem reported from previous research is that novice users do not know how to get started even though most IR systems contain help mechanisms. There is a deep gap between the system\u27s help function and the user\u27s need. In order to fill the gap and provide a better interacting environment, it is necessary to have a clearer picture of the problem and understand what the novice users\u27 behaviors are in using IR systems. The purpose of this study is to identify novice users\u27 help-seeking behaviors while they get started with digital libraries and how their learning styles lead to these behaviors. While a novice user is engaged in the process of interacting with an IR system, he/she may easily encounter problematic situations and require some kind of help in the search process. Novice users need to learn how to use a new IR environment by interacting with help features to fulfill their searching needs. However, many research studies have demonstrated that the existing help systems in IR systems cannot fully satisfy users\u27 needs. In addition to the system side problems, users\u27 characteristics, such as preference in using help, also play major roles in the decision of using system help. When viewing help-seeking as a learning activity, learning style is an influential factor that would lead to different help-seeking behaviors. Learning style deeply influences how students process information in learning activities, including learning performance, learning strategy, and learning preferences. Existing research does not seem to consider learning style and help-seeking together; therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effects of learning styles on help-seeking interactions in the information seeking and searching environment. The study took place in an academic setting, and recruited 60 participants representing students from different education levels and disciplines. Data were collected by different methods, including pre-questionnaire, cognitive preference questionnaire, think-aloud protocol, transaction log, and interview. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed to analyze data in the study. Qualitative methods were first applied to explore novice users\u27 help-seeking approaches as well as to illustrate how learning styles lead to these approaches. Quantitative methods were followed to test whether or not learning style would affect help-seeking behaviors and approaches. Results of this study highlight two findings. First, this study identifies eight types of help features used by novice users with different learning styles. The quantitative evidence also verifies the effect of learning styles on help-seeking interactions with help features. Based on the foundation of the analysis of help features, the study further identified fifteen help-seeking approaches applied by users with different learning styles in digital libraries. The broad triangulation approach assumed in this study not only enables the illustration of novice users\u27 diversified help-seeking approaches but also explores and confirms the relationships between different dimensions of learning styles and help-seeking behaviors. The results also suggest that the designs and delivery of IR systems, including digital libraries, need to support different learning styles by offering more engaging processing layouts, diversified input formats, as well as easy-to-perceive and easy-to-understand modes of help features

Constellations: A participatory, online application for research collaboration in higher education interdisciplinary courses

The research establishes a model for online learning centring on the needs of integrative knowledge practices. Through the metaphor of Constellations, the practice-based research explores the complexities of working within interdisciplinary learning contexts and the potential of tools such as the Folksonomy learning platform for providing necessary conceptual support