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: The student clicked on the "request a book or article we do not own " link.
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)? This student did not have any trouble finding the ILL page through the link in 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: The student started by clicking on the "find articles" link. She then clicked on the link to the medical library and then library catalog. She did a subject heading search for health benefits of chocolate. She then tried a search for health and chocolate. She changed the search to a keyword search for health chocolate and gave up.

Number of Links: 6

Observer's comment about underlying question of: Do students use the "find articles link" to find articles? This student did use this link.

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

Student's response: The student said that the page looks pretty simple. It does not look difficult to use. "The page is simple if you have used the library before."

Q5: What is your status at BU?

Student's response:

Undergraduate __X__     Graduate ____    Faculty ____     Staff ____    Other ____