Web Advisory Group

DSpace web site usability test results

Site tested: http://libraries.mit.edu/dspace

Margret Branschofsky, Coordinator
August/September 2002

Test Team
Margret Branschofsky, Coordinator
Eileen Dorschner
Nicole Hennig
Susan Jones
Janet Littell
Kate Connell

The Test
The aim of this test set was to improve the end-user portion of the DSpace interface. (A previous test was conducted to improve the content submission interface.) Six users were tested, representing the various user groups we expect will use DSpace. The test consisted of a list of tasks to perform on DSpace plus a post-test questionnaire.

Problems to Fix – in (approximate) order of importance

Problem 1.
Help page – Users don't realize that help page is separate window. Unable to get back to main DSpace from help page.
Solution 1. – make link to DSpace home from help page
Solution 2. – make home page much smaller so it's obvious that it's in a new window.
Solution 3. – have help page come up within same window as DSpace
Solution 4. – keep navigation bar on help page so users can navigate
Solution 5. – “close window” buttons at top and bottom of (throughout) help page

Problem 2. (related to above problem 1)
Help page – if user doesn't close the help page window, and somehow gets back to DSpace, when they try to click on “help” again, nothing happens.
Solution 1. – Can window be made to jump to the foreground?
Solution 2. – Smaller help page as above would make it more obvious that it's open.

Problem 3.
Users are confused when navigation bar browse functionality changes when user is in community or collection. (By contrast, search box in navigation bar always applies to “all of DSpace”)
Solution 1. – Have navigation bar remain static. Browses in navigation bar apply to all of DSpace all the time. (preferred by several users and group members).
Solution 2. – Have different looking navigation bar when in collections or communities.

Problem 4.
On community & collection pages, the browse options don't follow the drop-down DSpace/Collection/Community choices. When a user selects Community, he expects the browse to be limited the same way.
Solution 1. – Keep browse(s) as is, but change wording to be specific about which community or collection is being browsed. (as in box below)
Solution 2. – Change browses to follow drop-down.
Solution 3. - Have only one option for search on Community & Collection pages

Problem 5.
The title, author & date browses on the community & collection pages are not noticeable enough. Even the users that found it took some time to get there. One user clicked on the submit button, just because it was a prominent button.
Solution 1. – Make them part of the box that has search in it.

Problem 6.
Item metadata display - Users don't realize that the underlined file name at the bottom of the metadata display is a link to the content file. When the abstract is long they don't even see this link.
Solution 1. Move this box to top of metadata. New brief/long display would serve purpose.
Solution 2. Add “view / open file” button next to file name.

Problem 7.
Searching on community name didn't yield results.
Solution 1. Index community and collection names – this is already on our features list for the next release.

Problem 8.
Home page – too repetitive of elements already in navigation bar; doesn't explain what contents are.
Elements requested:
- Information about contents – MIT only, how complete?, not published elsewhere?
- Search box
- List of communities
- Help at top
- Browse
Solution: Nicole and Margret are drafting a new home page, incorporating these ideas and other suggested changes from problems above.

Problem 9.
Users are confused by “ not logged in” message.
Solution 1. Only display “logged in” message. Do not display “not logged in” message. Most users will never log in.

Problem 10.
Help page. Users didn't notice the buttons on top.
Solution 1. Make them more prominent by using background color or other means

Problem 11.
Author browse result page – at top – one user typed author name in box with first name first.
Solution: Change wording to say “enter first few letters of last name”

Problem 12.
Author browse result page - Users don't realize that several versions of author name may be the same person.
Solution: Add a line at the top of the list explaining that multiple names could be the same person.

Suggestions for improvement – but not problems:
Add advanced search
Add subject search
Add search by format
Sort result sets
Column headers on results page
Search within results (follow-on search)
Abstract icon on results page
Brief description of item on results page
Ability to search multiple communities and collections at once
Links to Barton, MIT, MIT Libraries
On results pages, put buttons on top and bottom
Change navigation bar link to “Collections by Community”