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 an Article we Don't Own

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, this student did, 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:

Clicked on eJournals A-Z, used drop down, student said "No Subject", so typed in the health benefits of chocolate. Hit enter.Then clicked on KW and took out health benefits of, so still had KW chocolate. Hit enter. Scrolled through the list of journals. Said "didn't seem to work." Back to eJournals A-Z. Did a search using exact phrase, typed in chocolate, hit enter and scrolled. Said "it's the same thing." Read directions at bottom. Back home. Said "going home to see if any other place to look." Chose Research by Subject. Chose Health and Medicine. Chose Public Health, and scrolled. Said "Nothing jumping out. Health too broad. Going back to home page. Chose eJournals A-Z. typed health and chocolate, hit enter, => no hits. Then tried exact phrase with same search, hit enter, => no hits.

Number of Links: 13

Observer's comment about underlying question of: Do students use the "find articles link" to find articles? Not this student.

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

Student's response:

She said she typically used the Catalog. Liked the Catalog box's location and color scheme.

Q5: What is your status at BU?

Student's response:

Undergraduate _X___     Graduate ____    Faculty ____     Staff ____    Other ____