federated searching feedback from usability testing & focus groups
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Federated Searching FeedbackFrom Usability Testing & Focus Groups
Sarah C. WilliamsAngela Bonnell
Milner Library, Illinois State University
Overview
• Timeline• Current screenshots• Usability testing details• Usability testing highlights• Focus group details• Focus group highlights
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“Search It” Timeline
January – June 2006 CustomizationJune 5, 2006 ImplementationAugust 2006 Usability TestingJune & September 2007 Focus Groups
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Milner Library Homepage
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Milner Library Database Page
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Milner Library Advanced Search
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Milner Library Results Page
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Usability Testing Details
• Purpose– To study ease of use for new users
• Participants– 4 Undergraduate Students & 3 Graduate Students– 4 Males & 3 Females– 1 Science, 6 Social Sciences & 0 Humanities
• Tasks/Questions– See separate handout or
http://www.library.ilstu.edu/page/1199Williams & Bonnell
Usability Testing Highlights
• Quick Search Box– No participants realized that Quick Search box
only included 12 resources.Action: Revised subheading to say, “Search 12 Selected Library Resources Simultaneously”
• Library Catalog– No participants used the “Include Milner Catalog”
option on Advanced Search page.Action: Automatically included the library catalog in most categories and subcategories.
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Milner Library Advanced Search
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Usability Testing Highlights
• Format– Several participants had difficulty finding material
by format.Action: Suggested vendor develop a limit by format option.
• Sort function– Some participants had difficulty finding and
understanding the sort function.Action: Changed alignment of drop down menu and changed wording of drop down menu.
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Milner Library Results Page
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Focus Group Details• Purpose– To gather students’ feedback on
• their use of Search It• their satisfaction with Search It, and• their ideas on integrating Search It into the library’s website
• Participants– 4 Undergraduate Students & 7 Graduate Students– 6 Males & 5 Females– 6 Science, 5 Social Sciences & 0 Humanities
• Questions– See separate handout or
http://www.library.ilstu.edu/page/1199Williams & Bonnell
Focus Group HighlightsUse
• Frequency– Use often: 6 (55%)
5 grads & 1 undergrad– Use occasionally: 5 (45%)
2 grads & 3 undergrads
• Discovery– 4 on their own– 2 from a librarian– 1 from a professor
"I started using Search It when I stumbled upon it one day, and it’s just really cool to search the databases, so ever since I saw it I started using it.”
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Focus Group HighlightsUse
• Why participants use Search It rather than something else– Faster/easier/less confusing– Good beginning point
• Participants use Search It in a variety of ways– To research unfamiliar topics– To find specific items– For thesis research
After two years on campus, participant doesn't understand “the different database thing.”
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Focus Group HighlightsUse
• Advanced Search Only– Use because Quick Search
hasn’t been helpful in the past.
• Quick and Advanced Search– Use both depending on
familiarity of topic– Try Quick Search first, then use
Advanced if unsuccessful
• Quick Search Only– No one relied completely on
Quick Search
“I start with [Quick Search] and then if it doesn’t pull up what I’m looking for then I’ll go to the Advanced…”
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Focus Group HighlightsUse
• Change in Research Process– Some changed little because
they preferred familiar tools– Some changed because it
broadened their horizons– Some changed because it
allowed them to easily find reliable sources
– Some do not give up on library research as quickly now.
“Still like to go with what I was taught as a freshman.”“…it’s broadened my perspective on what articles I can find in what databases.”“This whole concept of Search It is like their equivalent Academic Google….”
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Focus Group HighlightsSatisfaction
• Likes and Dislikes– Placement of Quick Search
box on library’s homepage– Reliability/logic of the results
• Helped with Assignment/Research– 5 of 7 respondents said
Search It helped
“A lot of time the word I put in, it brings up off the wall topics.”
“For me it has. I'm doing comprehensive literature reviews. It's a great way to say ‘have I gotten everything?’”
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Focus Group HighlightsWebsite Integration
• Participants did not like current placement on homepage– Right-hand column– Colors
• Most common suggestion was to move it above/below the 5 main options on the homepage
“As far as the placement on the website, goes, I find it could be better… It’s almost like it’s a calendar event which is something not here to stay…. That green background kind of puts it in the background…”
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Milner Library Homepage
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Calendar event?
Sponsored ads?
Focus Group HighlightsWebsite Integration
• University-related websites– University portal– Departmental websites– WebCT
• Wording/Graphics– On library’s site, use simple
wording– Outside library’s site, use
library’s logo/name
Maybe say … “Don't know where to find it … try this.”
Maybe say … “Need a place to start?”
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Focus Group HighlightsWrap-Up
• Additional Features– Limit by format– “More articles like this”
• Should the library keep Search It– 8 of 8 respondents said that
the library should keep Search It
“Students would be better off with Search It than without it.”
“If only to keep people from using Wikipedia and Google.”
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Questions?
Sarah C. WilliamsScience & Technology Librarianssteini@ilstu.edu
Angela BonnellGovernment Documents Librarianabonne@ilstu.edu
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