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  • 1.  Questions for testing online collections portal

    Posted 11-22-2016 10:15 AM

    Hello,

    We're in the process of updating our collections database and having a public portal for people to search the collection online for the first time. We want to do a "beta" test with a select group of invitees. But, we want to have a set of questions for them that will provide us information to make adjustments before the portal goes fully live.

    Has anyone done that? Do you have a set of questions or any document you produced? Any thoughts or suggestions if you've gone through this process.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Linda

    ------------------------------
    Linda Endersby
    Registrar/Collections Mgr
    Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Missouri - Columbia
    Columbia MO
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Questions for testing online collections portal

    Posted 11-22-2016 10:34 AM
    Hello Linda,

    It can help to start by listing out your audiences and thinking about what types of tasks they might need to complete. For example, you might have these audiences:

    Museum Professionals
    Journalists
    Museum Visitors
    Scholars and Researchers
    Etc.

    And, for each audience, you could identify the types of tasks they might need to complete. So...

    Museum Professionals (inside your museum or outside):
    • Research on a theme, topic or time period
    • Searching for a specific work of art
    • Browsing by artist
    • Make a loan request
    • Identify works as part of your permanent collection vs. loans
    • Identify works by donor
    • Etc.

    Once you identify these tasks or information needs, your testing plan becomes a checklist to complete those tasks. It is often better to observe testers while they do this work do you can note the places where things break down. But, you could also develop a companion survey to help guide them through providing written feedback if you need that for time.

    If you need help developing the audiences or the testing checklist or survey, let me know. I'd be glad to chat with you about it.
    Despi

    Despi Ross
    Founder & Lead Strategist

    The Museum Playbook
    317.260.7850




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  • 3.  RE: Questions for testing online collections portal

    Posted 11-23-2016 06:41 AM

    From your description, it sounds like you want to conduct a usability study (aka formative evaluation) with some number of intended users. It is best to test with a diverse but likely cross-section of users - e.g. students, academics, non-specialists...

    A standard test approach is to invite respondent(s) (alone or in dyads) to solve a specific problem - which can be one of their own design – such as searching for information about X, or searching for object X, etc. At the start of the test, ask the  respondent to 'think aloud' while they set out to perform the search ('I'm looking for X, so I click on this link' or 'I'm seating for X so I will enter the keyword Y in this field'). They do this until they successfully conclude their search or fail to conclude their search. If respondents work in pairs, their conversation (without you) will also be helpful information to you.

    As they work through their own thought process for solving their search problem, you (the test admin) should observe - but without offering verbal or other clues - how prospective users may try to use your interface or your database structure.

    If you need to provide verbal or written clues about navigation or functionality, you very likely need to refine either the design of the user interface or the structure of the dataset.

    cheers,

    ------------------------------
    Kevin Coffee
    Oneida Community Mansion House
    Oneida, NY

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Questions for testing online collections portal

    Posted 11-23-2016 11:24 AM

    Hi Linda:

    May I ask what software you are using?

    Thanks

    Sue

    ------------------------------
    Susan Goganian
    Director
    Beverly Historical Society & Museum
    Beverly MA

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  • 5.  RE: Questions for testing online collections portal

    Posted 11-28-2016 08:20 AM

    Argus.net

     

     

    Linda Endersby, Registrar/Collections Manager

    Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Missouri

    EndersbyL@missouri.edu

    573-882-5077

    115 Business Loop 70 W.    Room 2021

    University of Missouri

    Columbia, MO 65211-8310

     

    http://maa.missouri.edu/

     

     




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