Website Usability

Data

Q1:  Using this printout and keeping in mind that everything on this page is linked:

(a) Please circle any of the links on this page that you have used in the past month.

(b) Can you prioritize these links in order of importance to you: 1 is the most important.

(c) In addition to the links you have followed in the past month, have you used any of the other links on this page? If yes, please highlight them.

User's comment:

Observer's comment:

Q2: Using the library web site, how would you get a book or article we do not own?

Successful__X___                     Unsuccessful______

Observer's comment:

  Request a Book or Article We Don't Own. Student commented "Had to really look before being successful. I'd typically go to services."

  Number of links: 1

Follow-up to Q4 if unsuccessful: If students did not make it to the ILL page, the librarian should ask, "what word or phrase were you looking for, but did not find?"

Student's   response:

Observer's comment about underlying question of: Do students navigate to the ILL page and if so, how (through the how to box or the ILL link)?

 Yes, through the How to... box.

Q3: Using the library web site, how would you find a journal article about the health benefits of chocolate?

Successful_____                     Unsuccessful___X___

Observer's comment:

  eJournals A-Z , typed in health benefits of chocolate, hit enter. Closed popup. Back to home. Find Articles, scrolled, H for health; home; eJournals A-Z, typed in a title search health and chocolate, hit enter; Closed popup, Indexes and Databases, scrolled.

Number of links: 11

Observer's comment about underlying question of: Do students use the "find articles link" to find articles?

The Find Articles link was her second choice after eJournals A-Z. She seemed to be looking for a box to type in a search.

Q4: How would you change the library's web site to make it more useful for you?

Student's response:

"I usually use Business Sources, usually use for online journals, and already here. The first thing should be eJournals A-Z and the second- Library Catalog (Oh, there's a link, not a box). Research by Subject should be higher up. The order should be eJournals A-Z, Find Articles, Research by Subject."

Q5: What is your status at BU?

Student's response:

Undergraduate __X__     Graduate ____    Faculty ____     Staff ____    Other ____