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ERIC Number: EJ891814
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1932-2909
EISSN: N/A
The Usability of the Journal Finder Interface
Ellington, Beth
Journal of Web Librarianship, v2 n2-3 p307-337 2008
This study evaluates the usability of the Journal Finder integrated search interface, developed at the Jackson Library at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. This interface provides electronic access to publications including journals, newsletters, newspapers, and magazines. This study was conducted to determine how intuitive and learnable the interface is for accessing online publications. The participants consist of four user subgroups: undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and faculty. The study evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of the interface to support the participants' tasks of accessing online publications by using pretest questionnaires, task-analysis techniques, think-aloud protocol, scenarios, and post-test questionnaires. This study also evaluates the Journal Finder online tutorial. The study finds that the Journal Finder interface is easy to use, simple to learn, efficient, and effective for all subgroups. The effectiveness error rate and efficiency-time-to-completion measurement is comparable for all four subgroups in completing their tasks. The areas recommended for improvement to enhance the intuitiveness of the Journal Finder interface are the understandability of the navigational features, icons, and terminology and the creation of an easy-to-understand online tutorial. This study is novel because it examines the efficiency and effectiveness of the interface to facilitate access to electronic publications for not only students but also for faculty and staff. (Contains 18 figures, 1 table and 18 notes.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: North Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A