Card-Sorting Usability Tests of the WMU Libraries' Web Site

Autor/in	Whang, Michael
Titel	Card-Sorting Usability Tests of the WMU Libraries' Web Site
Quelle	In: Journal of Web Librarianship, 2 (2008) 2-3, S.205-218 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1932-2909
Schlagwörter	Research Libraries; Academic Libraries; Library Science; Methods; Internet; Higher Education; Testing; Web Sites; Information Management; Library Materials; Catalogs; Feedback (Response); Expectation; Michigan; Washington + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? College; Colleges; University; Universities; Libary; Libraries; Hochschule; Fachhochschule; Universität; Bibliothek; Hochschulbibliothek; Bibliothekswissenschaft; Method; Methode; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Testdurchführung; Testen; Web-Design; Procurement of information; Informationsbeschaffung; Catalog; Catalogue; Catalogues; Katalog; Expectancy; Erwartung
Abstract	This article describes the card-sorting techniques used by several academic libraries, reports and discusses the results of card-sorting usability tests of the Western Michigan University Libraries' Web site, and reveals how the WMU libraries incorporated the findings into a new Web site redesign, setting the design direction early on. The article briefly describes open and closed card-sorting techniques and quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data commonly used in computer and library science fields. Findings from this study allowed the library design team to vastly improve its initial redesign decisions for a new Web site tabbed navigation system. Card sorting not only helped the design team validate its redesign decisions, but it also opened the WMU libraries to outside innovation, inviting Web site visitors to redesign the Web site free from the libraries' influence. The simple and inexpensive techniques used here may be useful to any Web librarian or design team embarking upon redesign and usability testing of their own sites and interested in building a more compelling, insightful Web site. (Contains 5 figures and 31 notes.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	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
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10