Rice ArchivesSpace Usability Testing

Owned by Dara Flinn (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Aug 25, 2015
4 min read

 

Site: http://archives.library.rice.edu//

Subject: Usability Test Script for Rice University ArchivesSpace

  • Web browser should be open to Google, then move to test site

 

Hi, ____________. My name is  ______________, and I’m going to be walking you through this session today.

Before we begin, I have some information for you, and I’m going to read it to make sure that I cover everything.

You probably already have a good idea of why we asked you here, but let me go over it again briefly.

The Woodson Research Center of Rice University will be moving our online finding aids into ArchivesSpace soon. We want to ensure that the new design is useful and pleasing for you to use.

We would like to explore the ways that you use and interact with the newly re-designed website we will show you.

The session should take 30-45 minutes.

We want to see the website the way that you do.

As you use the site, I’m going to ask you to think aloud: that is, to speak out whatever is on your mind; you can describe what you are looking at, what you are trying to do, and what you are thinking. That will be a huge help to us.

Also, please don’t worry about what you say, either something that is confusing or you are thinking out loud, or if you don’t like something. We are doing this to improve the site, so we need to hear your honest reactions.

If you have any questions as we go along just ask them. I will not answer them right away, since we’re interested in how people do when they don’t have someone sitting right next to them to help. But if you still have any questions when we’re done I’ll try to answer them then. And if you need to take a break at any point, just let me know.

 

GET CONSENT FORM SIGNED

____________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any questions so far?

OK. Before we look at the site, I’d like to ask you just a few quick questions.

First, I’m going to ask you to look at this page, and tell me what you make of it: what strikes you about it, what you see first, and what you didn’t notice at first. Just do a little narrative.

(3 or 4 minutes)

Thank you.

 

 Now I’m going to ask you to try doing some specific tasks. I’m going to read each one out loud.

And again, as much as possible, it will help us if you can try to think out loud as you go along.

 

**Read the first task.

**Allow the user to proceed until you don’t feel like it’s producing any value or the user becomes very frustrated.

**Repeat for each task or until time runs out.

 

Thanks, that was very helpful.

 

Do you have any questions for me, now that we’re done?

**Thank them very much!

 

The tests

Test 1:

Tester receives a specific research question from an outsider: 

Choose one of the following specific research questions to research. Identify one collection and location (box and folder number if available) in the collection materials related to the research question chosen: 

  1. Patron is looking for documents on the Civil War and slavery in the Kuntz Louisiana Civil War collection.

 

Answer: Kuntz Louisiana Civil War Collection, Box 1

 

  1. Architect is looking for plans for the development of Buffalo Bayou.

 

Answer: Charles Tapley Architectural Collection, Box 1, folder 15

 

Tester runs the searches in the designated ASpace system: 

 Allow the tester to take their own path to searching. Do not interfere. Record, and then ask why they made choices that seem odd to us (without indicating that those choices seemed odd).

Tester prepares a response (however they see most fit) to the question.

  • Do not direct them to prepare that response in any particular way. Watch how they do it, and ask why they made the choices they did.
  • Ask if they would have preferred another approach to preparing the response.


Test 2:

Tester searches for the unique identifier number for the Provost Office records of Carey Croneis: 

Answer: Provost Office records: Cary Croneis

              UA 093

Based on results received, ask tester what they would do next with this information.

 

Test 3:

Tester is about to teach a lesson on the European reign of Charlotte and Maximilian in Mexico prior to 1900. Ask the tester to find relevant materials to support this lesson.

 

Answer: Charlotte and Maximilian Collection, MS 356

 

  • What is the tester looking for? What is needed to teach this lesson?

Tester selects a few relevant results. Watch which results tester selects, and ask about the choices made. 

Tester collates that information into one place for reference. Watch how tester chooses to do this. Ask what they would like to have done.

 

Test 4:

Tester searches for a very specific item in a specific ASpace system:

For each of the following items, identify the collection name, unique identifier, and location (box and folder number if available.) Tester locates the box number information for the chosen item. Repeat with a second item/system: 

 

  1. The tester is searching for the mechanical model of the Suprathermal Ion Detector.

Answer: John Freeman Papers, Box 9

 

     2. The tester is searching for scrapbooks documenting the 1939 trip to Japan by the head of the Port of Houston.

Answer: J. Russell Wait Port of Houston Papers, Box 35-36

 

Do not assist tester with this test. Ask about actions that seem odd, and observe.

 

Test 5:

Tester searches for a very specific image in the ASpace system:  James Lockhart Autry Portrait

Tester locates the item. 

Ask the tester: where do they go and/or who do they contact to access this item? 

 

Answer: James Lockhart Autry Family papers, box 79, item 1; digital object in ArchivesSpace (wrc02884)

Link to digital object

 

Test 6:

Tester searches for digitized images of Maurice Ravel: 

Tester locates the images.

 Answer: Vera Prasilova Scott Portraiture Collection, Box 13

 

Tester identifies which images are digitized, because those are the only ones that matter for tester's particular needs. (Digitized images are stored in Scholarship.rice.edu)

Location of the digital image: https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/63688

Tester selects one image, and identifies the Intellectual Property rights of that image. 

Ask the tester: what are the Intellectual Property rights? What do they need to do next to use the image? 

Answer:

Intellectual Property rights:
The copyright holder for this material has granted Rice University permission to share this material online. It is being made available for non-profit educational use and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.  

What do you need to do next to use the image:
Contact archivists to review and sign Permission to Publish form.

 

End of Test:

Do you have any additional comments about the site?