Federated Searching Feedback From Usability Testing

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Federated Searching FeedbackFrom Usability
Testing Focus Groups

• Sarah C. Williams
• Angela Bonnell
• Milner Library, Illinois State University

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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 Customization
June 5, 2006 Implementation
August 2006 Usability Testing
June 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.e
  du/page/1199

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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
  librarys 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.e
  du/page/1199

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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 its 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 hasnt 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
  doesnt pull up what Im looking for then Ill 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.
• its 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 librarys
  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 Its almost like its 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
Calendar event?
Sponsored ads?
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Focus Group HighlightsWebsite Integration

• University-related websites
• University portal
• Departmental websites
• WebCT
• Wording/Graphics
• On librarys site, use simple wording
• Outside librarys site, use librarys 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. Williams
• Science Technology Librarian
• ssteini_at_ilstu.edu
• Angela Bonnell
• Government Documents Librarian
• abonne_at_ilstu.edu