[Web4lib] Alternatives to "Best Bets", etc. ?

John Kupersmith jkup at jkup.net
Tue Jan 12 23:46:28 EST 2010


Web4Lib & Usability4Lib folks
(with apologies for cross-posting) --

At MPOW we have been having a terminology conversation I expect you'll
recognize:  In a subject list of article databases, how to indicate which
ones our librarians have designated as especially useful?

Our discussions so far have been inconclusive.  There's not much published
data on this question (though a University of Washington study in 2004 found
that "Users are more likely to use 'Best Bets' than 'Core Resources'":
http://www.lib.washington.edu/Usability/by-subj/).

We're preparing an online survey to see if users have a clear preference.
 The draft survey question offers these alternatives:

~~~
   Best Bet
   Core
   Recommended
   Staff Pick
   other: ___________________
~~~

Based on your experience, are there other alternatives we should include?
 Any relevant usability test data?

If this survey turns up anything useful, I'll share it with y'all.

--jk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  John Kupersmith
  Reference Librarian, Doe/Moffitt Libraries
  University of California, Berkeley
  jkup at jkup.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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