[WEB4LIB] Re: Our usability test results distilled

[Michael]

HEINRICH C. KUHN WROTE:
-------------------
<snip>
1.    Replace library jargon with simpler words or at least clarify terms
using descriptive text or pop-up boxes.  These are some examples of words
that users do not understand:  interlibrary loan, periodical, new
acquisitions, database, webliography, search engine.

What would be an equivalent for "database" that is less arcane than
"database"?
</snip>

KEYPOINTS
-------------
I agree. Insider terminology makes it difficult for novice users to match
their goals and tasks with the research tools that libraries provide on
their site. Terms that Heinrich highlighted:

> interlibrary loan
> periodical
> new acquisitions
> webliography

are strictly controlled vocabulary that university students will probably
need to learn as they progress towards graduate studies. These are staple
terms in academia just like TCP/IP and SSH are staple terms for a Network
Administrator, but to new students, for example, these terms are
completely unfamiliar and need to be put into context in order for users
to complete their tasks.


SOLUTION 01
-------------------------
There are a number of ways of solving a semantic problem like this. One
way is to cluster related links together so that users gain meaning
through associative links. For example:


	RESEARCH TOOLS
	     Online Library Catalog
	     Databases and Article Indexes
	     Research Guides by Subject
	     Tutorials to Help You Search for Articles



However this solution requires a whole re-engineering of the site's
architecture, navigation, and content requirements.  This works best for
someone redesigning an existing site or someone building a new site from
scratch.


SOLUTION 02
---------------
Another approach is to use contextual help, or tool tips, afforded by HTML
and CSS itself. You can embed words or string of words using the <acronym>
tag and its associated *title="tool tip content here."* attribute to
provide end-users with some definitions for tricky terms. For instance,


EXAMPLE
----------
Onscreen view:
	Selecting a database to find articles on Sociology

HTML view:
	Selecting a <acronym title=" Think of a database as a type of book
	index where you access its contents not by flipping through its
	pages like a book, but rather through a computer by typing in
	search terms as you do for an online search engine such as Google
	or the online library catalog."> database </acronym> to find an
	article on Sociology


Tooltip view:
	Think of a database as a type of book index where you access
	its contents not by flipping through its pages like a book,
	but rather through a computer by typing in search terms as you do
	for an online search engine such as Google or the online library
	catalog.

Of course the tooltip illustrated here is a bit long because I used a
familiar term (book) to help associate meaning to an unfamiliar library
tool (database).

To see a clear example, scan for the acronym *MPL* and place your mouse
over the three-letter acronym in the first paragraph of text of this site
I created for the Manoa Public Library:

http://www.state.hi.us/hsl/mpl/index2.htm




Michael