Newsletter Issue 3

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User Interfaces and Visualization

User Interfaces and Visualization

  

Tiziana Catarci and Stephen Kimani describe the outcomes from a questionnaire-based study and gives her conclusions.

 

Results from the Questionnaire-based Study

  

The User Interfaces and Visualization cluster carried out a questionnaire-based study in order to establish the functional and non-functional requirements of digital libraries as described previously in our report in issue 1. In this issue, we report the digital library requirements based on the results that we obtained from the study. (See the study here). In particular, we present:

  

an overview of the set-up of the questionnaire-based study

  

background information regarding DL users and stakeholders who participated in the study and

  

an analysis of the results obtained from the results from the study

  

Overview of the set-up of the questionnaire-based study

  

The cluster adopted an online questionnaires-based approach and composed two separate questionnaires, one for digital library end-users and one for digital library stakeholders. The questionnaires were designed such that they could gather information pertaining to user background and demographics; users' current experience; DL functional requirements; and DL non-functional requirements.

  

Demographics and user background

  

There were 45 library end-users (14 female, 25 male, 6 not specified) who responded to the online questionnaire. Most of the respondents ranged from 20 to 55 years in age and they all came from Europe. It was noted that while many of them worked in the field of computer science, the sample contained very divergent respondent backgrounds (from computer scientists to humanities studies and librarians). A small number of participants reported a considerable degree of disability in one or more of the cognitive, intellectual and visual categories. This sample of 45 DL users was also characterised by multilingualism, a high level of education, considerable experience of computing and the Internet, as well as relatively high experience of DLs.

  

The questionnaire results indicated that the users frequently accessed a digital library and thus they were generally aware of the weaknesses, advantages and drawbacks of current digital systems. In addition, it was noted that as far as the type of access used for data retrieval was concerned, the vast majority could be typified as public or free access, indicating that most users were not willing to pay a lot for retrieving data and knowledge from a digital archive. Moreover, Web access was by far the most popular medium. Two thirds of the DLs identified in the completed questionnaires supported English as the only language of interaction. Slightly less than a quarter of all the DLs mentioned supported both English and some other local national language. Very few DLs identified by respondents offered multilingual support or just the relevant national language.

  

Data analysis regarding functional and non-functional requirements

  

The cluster analyzed the results in order to determine the needs and requirements concerning both the functionality of digital libraries and other non-functional characteristics related to interaction which would be important for user interface design. Toward this end, high- and low-importance requirements were identified for both DL stakeholders and end-users, in order to provide a basis for the development of a taxonomy of functionalities and interaction characteristics which will inform the design, implementation and evaluation of future digital libraries.

   

Stakeholders appeared to pay particular attention to functions for locating and organising resources, including functions for creating cross-reference links among similar resources, as well as functions for storing metadata about resources and checking for inconsistencies among the DL resources. Another interesting observation was that all accessibility requirements (i.e. for all kinds of disabilities) occupied a significant position in the list of high-priority requirements of DL stakeholders; whereas usability requirements reached only the list of medium-priority requirements, except the need for 'ease of use' of the DL. DL stakeholders also placed all kinds of functionalities related to the administration and management of registered DL users on the list of high-priority requirements. On the other hand, the group of requirements that appeared to be of lower value to DL stakeholders included most of the miscellaneous functional and non-functional requirements, as well as usability requirements related to novice users. Furthermore, History facilities and multilingual support also proved to be of relatively low value to these DL stakeholders.

  

DL end-users, just like stakeholders, paid a lot of attention to all types of DL facilities for locating useful information by subject. Nevertheless, they, in contrast to stakeholders, seemed to pay particular attention to certain miscellaneous non-functional requirements such as system performance, security, privacy, safety, and other ethical requirements. Printing and Up- or Downloading facilities were also assigned significant importance by DL users, followed by general usability requirements and accessibility for people with motor impairments (i.e. mobility and dexterity impairments). On the other hand, personalisation did not appear to assume great importance for DL end-users, and facilities for user-to-user communication and collaboration hardly proved of interest at all.

  

Overall, it appeared that DL stakeholders were striving for enriched functionality, whereas DL users paid more attention to the perceived behaviour and reliability of a DL.

  

Conclusions

  

Three issues surfaced in the analysis conducted. Firstly, while end-users view DLs as personalised environments where privacy is protected, stakeholders appear to view DLs as more collaborative environments. Secondly, the traditional "paper document" metaphor is still seen as prevailing, which may prove a challenge when it comes to a purely digital environment. Finally, there is a conceptual rift between the end-user and the stakeholder in respect of DL non-functional aspects.

  

The prioritization of requirements identified in this deliverable has the potential to provide a framework for DL user interface design. Toward this end, at least two future steps are planned. First of all, a further extension of the study. Secondly, an investigation into the DL lifecycle in order to get an insight into how a digital library is expected to evolve as regards the interaction of users and stakeholders, as well as how the different phases of the lifecycle relate to both functional and non-functional requirements.

  

Author Details

 

Tiziana Catarci
Cluster Leader
User Interfaces and Visualization Cluster (UIV)
Università degli Studi di Roma "La Spienza"
E-mail:
url: http://www.dis.uniroma1.it/~catarci/
Telephone: +39-06-4991 8331
Fax: +39-06-4991 8331

  

Stephen Kimani
University of Rome "La Sapienza"
DIS, Piano 2, Stanza 233
Via Salaria 113
00198 Rome
Italy
url: http://www.dis.uniroma1.it/~kimani/
E-mail:
Telephone: +39-06-49918548

  

 

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Publication date: June 2005
File last modified: Monday, 22-May-2006

The Delos Newsletter is published by the Delos Network of Excellence
and is edited by Richard Waller of UKOLN, University of Bath, UK.

    

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