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: n/a

Observer's comment: n/a

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

Successful__X___                     Unsuccessful______

Observer's comment:
Interlibrary Loan

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, using the interlibrary loan link.

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:

Find Articles, scrolled through list. Student said "Can't search". Home. Research by Subject. Student said "Can you search there?" Home. Student said "I don't know." Library Catalog. Student said "Can I search here?" eJournals A-Z. Student said "Can I search there?" Typed in health benefits of chocolate, hit enter.

Number of Links: 7

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

This student tried the Find Articles first, seemed to be looking for a search box.

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

Student's response:

She recommended having a link called Search Article by Subject. She wondered if she needed to know the exact tile of the journals.

Q5: What is your status at BU?

Student's response:

Undergraduate __X__     Graduate ____    Faculty ____     Staff ____    Other ____