Remote User Testing: Methods and Tools to Take Your Testing Outside of the Library

Abstract

Libraries are increasingly paying attention to the usability of interfaces and techniques for studying how users interact with them. Most of this research centered on in person observational studies and interviews that may place library users in unnatural surroundings that may not reflect exactly how they interact or experience an interface. In the usability field, there is increasing attention paid to collecting data in more natural environments through ethnographic field research and remote usability testing methods. Not only is testing in a lab not natural to users, but it also only allows for testing of users that can physically come to the library or other testing site and does not include users who do all their work virtually and never come to the library, distance education students, and disabled users who may require specialized software to use computers. This presentation will provide an overview of ethnographic methods and how to apply them to user research in your library. We will then describe various free and low cost methods including online card sorting, user feedback forms, analytics, tracking tools, and video conferencing software that libraries can utilize to collect data from their users remotely. Real world examples will be employed when possible, as the presenters have experience collecting user experience data from a grant funded study that examines the information seeking habits of researches working for a multinational company. There will also be a discussion as to how audience members can design studies geared towards remote users of their library.