Evidence‐based design for discoverability: A case study

Key points

• Lean methods can give rich insights: Even a few, short sessions with a handful of users can generate useful inputs for a user‐centric design process.
• Design for beginners: An interface that supports novices will also support experts.
• Keep it simple: Focus on functionality that supports core search and discovery tasks.
• Popular or high‐value features should have prime position and rarely used or low‐value features should be hidden or removed.
• Visual cues are important for usability, as is balancing the visual space.

     

Measuring Law Library Catalog Web Site Usability: A Web Analytic Approach

ABSTRACT

Although there is a proliferation of information available on the Web, and law professors, students, and other users have a variety of channels to locate information and complete their research activities, the law library catalog still remains an important source for offering users access to information that has been evaluated and cataloged by experts. The usability of the catalog needs to be effectively measured before any necessary improvements can be made. This study was undertaken to investigate the information retrieval patterns of users of the Rutgers Law Library Online Public Access Catalog and to develop the catalog into a more effective search tool for these users. This study used an experimental approach to measure the usability of our catalog by analyzing the transaction logs from the OPAC system and the results from Google Analytics. The findings provided not only important information on user demographics and their computer systems, but also more insight on the search behaviors of users. The specific findings included the following:

1. As a Web-analytic tool Google Analytics provided extensive information on the OPAC and the navigational behaviors of users.

2. Fifty-eight percent of our users visited the Web site regularly.

3. The most popular search method, which was employed by 37% of our users, was by title.

4. Most patrons used computer systems with a high resolution and color depth monitor and visited the catalog Web site with a high-speed Internet connection.

5. Suggestions were made by the authors to improve the users’ search experience of the catalog Web site.

This study is significant to libraries with Web catalogs because it demonstrates the potential value of using Google Analytics as a Web analytics tool in combination with the OPAC transaction logs to measure catalog usability.     

Access to Research: An innovative and successful initiative by the UK publishing industry

• Access to Research is an online service for local libraries across the UK.
• Many large STM publishers have provided free walk‐in access to their content.
• The initiative is in response to a recommendation in the government‐commissioned ‘Finch Report’ on improving access to publically funded research.
• The service has just completed a 2‐year pilot, and toward the end of the pilot, research was commissioned to understand its impact.
• The research demonstrated the value of the service to local library users, so publishers’ local libraries have decided to continue providing the service.

     

The effectiveness of the practice of correction and republication in the biomedical literature

Objective:

This research measures the effectiveness of the practice of correction and republication of invalidated articles in the biomedical literature by analyzing the rate of citation of the flawed and corrected versions of scholarly articles over time. If the practice of correction and republication is effective, then the incidence of citation of flawed versions should diminish over time and increased incidence of citation of the republication should be observed.

Methods:

This is a bibliometric study using citation analysis and statistical analysis of pairs of flawed and corrected articles in MEDLINE and Web of Science.

Results:

The difference between citation levels of flawed originals and corrected republications does not approach statistical significance until eight to twelve years post-republication. Results showed substantial variability among bibliographic sources in their provision of authoritative bibliographic information.

Conclusions:

Correction and republication is a marginally effective biblioremediative practice. The data suggest that inappropriate citation behavior may be partly attributable to author ignorance.

Highlights

• The citation of flawed articles occurs at a rate nearly equal to that of corrected versions.
• The practice of correction and republication is only marginally effective and does not prevent the continued citation of flawed articles post-correction, with the analysis finding only a slight reduction in the citation of flawed articles after publication of the corrected version.
• Neither MEDLINE nor Web of Science consistently alert users when dealing with corrected and republished literature.

Implications

• The practice of correction and republication would be more effective if prominent sources of bibliographic information were more consistent in providing users with information about the status of corrected and republished articles and the existence of post-publication modifications to the literature.
• It is incumbent upon the scientific community to raise the profile of post-publication changes to the literature to prevent the wasteful and potentially tragic consequences of scientists and medical professionals applying flawed information. Failure to do so will surely result in a reduction of public trust in the reliability of the scientific literature and its users.

     

CAL Download – an innovative approach to making books more accessible

Key points

• The number of people who struggle to access the printed word is increasing exponentially.
• Calibre Audio Library worked with i‐Publishing Consultants to transform the way the blind, partially‐sighted, and those with reading difficulties access their audio library.
• Providing entirely audio prompts allows visually impaired users the independence to manage their own library.
• Calibre and i‐Publishing Consultants won the 2017 Stationers’ Company Innovation Excellence Award for Social Development.

     

Towards universal accessibility: The UK policy landscape and supporting technology

Key points

• The UK policy landscape supports access for the users whilst allowing publishers to maintain business models.
• Advancements such as EPUB 3, aligning publishing with web technologies, and the Inclusive Publishing hub help publishers reach accessibility compliance.
• Print impairment is not an on/off switch, and each reader has his or her own unique set of requirements – a fact that is supported by EPUB 3.
• The time is ripe for publishers to make firm commitments to accessibility initiatives.

     

Putting an end to download‐and‐go: The website's role in a content marketing ecosystem

Key points

• Publishers must think of their websites as marketing tools as well as content delivery systems.
• The five major strategies of content marketing are promotion, personalization, targeting, consumerization, and analysis and optimization.
• Publishers must treat readers as customers, not simply as end users.
• Content marketing is about the environment in which content exists, as well as the form that it takes.
• To compete with pirate sites, publishers need to provide a richer user experience.
• Content marketing benefits authors and readers as well as publishers.
• Readers want the same enjoyable user experience and tailored content on all sites they visit.
• Content marketing can increase site traffic, lengthen visits, boost revenues, thwart piracy, and heighten brand impact.

     

An availability study of electronic articles in an academic health sciences library

Objectives:

The purposes of this study were: to determine the number of articles requested by library users that could be retrieved from the library''s collection using the library catalog and link resolver, in other words, the availability rate; and to identify the nature and frequency of problems encountered in this process, so that the problems could be addressed and access to full-text articles could be improved.

Methods:

A sample of 414 requested articles was identified via link resolver log files. Library staff attempted to retrieve these articles using the library catalog and link resolver and documented access problems.

Results:

Staff were able to retrieve electronic full text for 310 articles using the catalog. An additional 21 articles were available in print, for an overall availability rate of nearly 80%. Only 68% (280) of articles could be retrieved electronically via the link resolver. The biggest barriers to access in both instances were lack of holdings and incomplete coverage. The most common problem encountered when retrieving articles via the link resolver was incomplete or inaccurate metadata.

Conclusion:

An availability study is a useful tool for measuring the quality of electronic access provided by a library and identifying and quantifying barriers to access.

Highlights

• Lack of holdings, including access to recent articles restricted by embargoes, was the most common barrier to locating full text, accounting for over 90% of all identified problems.
• Availability rates for electronic articles varied by year of publication and by the database in which the OpenURL request originated.
• Link resolver error rates varied widely based on the source of the request and frequently resulted from incomplete or inaccurate metadata.

Implications

• An availability study is an inexpensive, practical tool for assessing the quality of electronic access to journal articles.
• The results of an availability study can help libraries identify barriers to access and thereby allocate limited resources to areas that will provide the most benefit to users.
• Link resolvers might be more accurate if the quality of metadata in OpenURLs was improved and the behavior of full-text targets was standardized.

A user who attempts to access an electronic article expects the process to be seamless: click a link or two, and the article appears. Unfortunately, this process is not always so simple. Many factors can prevent users from retrieving an article, including:

• Collection and acquisition problems: The library may not subscribe to the desired journal, or the article and/or journal may be unavailable for some other reason.
• Cataloging and holdings problems: The journal may be cataloged or indexed incorrectly, or the library''s holdings data may be wrong.
• Technical problems: Problems may occur with the journal provider''s site or the library''s proxy server.

While many libraries use link resolvers to make it easier for users to retrieve articles, these can introduce additional points of failure. The resolver might not be configured correctly, the knowledgebase (database of library journal holdings) might include incorrect information, or article metadata from the source database might be incomplete or incorrect.At the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Library, users occasionally complained about access problems. These complaints provided anecdotal information about barriers to access, but library staff needed more solid data on which to act: How often were users able to retrieve a desired article? What problems did they encounter in the process, and how often did these problems occur? An availability study was conducted to answer those questions.First described by Kantor [1], an availability study is a method for evaluating how well a library satisfies user requests and identifying barriers to satisfying those requests. An availability study consists of the following steps:

1. gather actual user requests (or simulate them)
2. try to fill those requests using the same tools and methods a user would use
3. record what happens
4. analyze the results

     

Making Health Information Clear and Readable for the Masses

Objectives: The purpose of this assignment is to increase students’ understanding of health campaign messages and material design. Upon completing this assignment, students should be able to:

• Understand the importance of effective health campaign material design and the potential problems and implications of ineffective health campaign materials,

• Evaluate health campaign materials for clarity and readability, and

• Design effective health campaign materials that are clear and readable for the lay person.

Courses: Health Communication, Communication and Aging, Health Literacy, Health and Medicine Writing, Social Marketing, Health Message Design     

Characteristics of personal health records: findings of the Medical Library Association/National Library of Medicine Joint Electronic Personal Health Record Task Force

Objectives:

The Medical Library Association (MLA)/National Library of Medicine (NLM) Joint Electronic Personal Health Record Task Force examined the current state of personal health records (PHRs).

Methods:

A working definition of PHRs was formulated, and a database was built with fields for specified PHR characteristics. PHRs were identified and listed. Each task force member was assigned a portion of the list for data gathering. Findings were recorded in the database.

Results:

Of the 117 PHRs identified, 91 were viable. Almost half were standalone products. A number used national standards for nomenclature and/or record structure. Less than half were mobile device enabled. Some were publicly available, and others were offered only to enrollees of particular health plans or employees at particular institutions. A few were targeted to special health conditions.

Conclusions:

The PHR field is very dynamic. While most PHR products have some common elements, their features can vary. PHRs can link their users with librarians and information resources. MLA and NLM have taken an active role in making this connection and in encouraging librarians to assume this assistance role with PHRs.

Highlights

• A variety of personal health records (PHRs) exist with some tied to medical health records and others offered as standalone products.
• Librarians can be connected to PHR users through inclusion of an assistance statement in PHRs.
• PHRs offer librarians another means of providing consumers with quality health information.

Implications

• PHR user support is a new role for medical librarians.
• Medical librarians need to be proactive in their communities to educate consumers about PHRs.
• Given the dynamic nature of this market, medical librarians should make a concerted effort to stay abreast of trends in this area.

     

Full discovery: What is the publisher's role?

Key points

• Our collective authorship and publishing practices do not always end up ensuring that scholarly content is discoverable by readers.
• Readers of all kinds rely on a variety of ‘discovery pathways’, such as search engines, library systems, and various electronic links, some of which are blind to the content they desire.
• Efforts over the years to improve content discoverability have made great progress, but an increasing amount of freely available content brings up new issues.
• The National Information Standards Organization (NISO)’s Discovery to Delivery (D2D) Topic Committee has developed a grid comparing various ways in which content is shared with various ways in which users discover such content.
• This article brings to light a few of the current obstacles and opportunities for innovation by publishers, aggregators, search engines, and library systems, and invites Learned Publishing readers to step up and identify others.

     

The rise of the machines: Artificial intelligence meets scholarly content

Key points

• New forms of human/machine dialogue are emerging as robots understand vast amounts of content rather than simply indexing content as strings of characters.
• Recognizing strings of characters as entities (e.g. = names = authors) allows for meaningful associations between entities and reasoning over these relationships.
• Web‐scale adoption of the Semantic Web approach has been slow because it is too complex to implement and does not scale.
• User intent, discovered through conversational models of human–computer interaction, allows for a deeper understanding of exactly what researchers are looking for.
• Personal agents hold the promise of finding information that we will find useful before we have started to look for it.
• Publishers can use Academic Knowledge APIs to interpret academic user queries and find rich information from the Microsoft Academic Graph.

     

Making the Critical Appraisal for Summaries of Evidence (CASE) for evidence-based medicine (EBM): critical appraisal of summaries of evidence

Objectives:

Standards for evaluating evidence-based medicine (EBM) point-of-care (POC) summaries of research are lacking. The authors developed a “Critical Appraisal for Summaries of Evidence” (CASE) worksheet to help assess the evidence in these tools. The authors then evaluated the reliability of the worksheet.

Methods:

The CASE worksheet was developed with 10 questions covering specificity, authorship, reviewers, methods, grading, clarity, citations, currency, bias, and relevancy. Two reviewers independently assessed a random selection of 384 EBM POC summaries using the worksheet. The responses of the raters were then compared using a kappa score.

Results:

The kappa statistic demonstrated an overall moderate agreement (κ = 0.44) between the reviewers using the CASE worksheet for the 384 summaries. The 3 categories of evaluation questions in which the reviewers disagreed most often were citations (κ =  0), bias (κ = 0.11), and currency (κ = −0.18).

Conclusions:

The CASE worksheet provided an effective checklist for critically analyzing a treatment summary. While the reviewers agreed on worksheet responses for most questions, variation occurred in how the raters navigated the tool and interpreted some of the questions. Further validation of the form by other groups of users should be investigated.

Highlights

• Few critical appraisal tools have been evaluated with inter-rater reliability testing.
• The ways that users of evidence-based medicine (EBM) point-of-care (POC) tools interpret how to appraise an evidence summary—particularly when defining the grading of evidence, currency, and bias—may vary even when a standard evaluation sheet is used.
• The Critical Appraisal for Summaries of Evidence (CASE) worksheet had a moderate level of inter-rater reliability, similar to previous evaluative studies of critical appraisals tools.

Implications

• Medical librarians can develop tools useful for librarians, students, and clinicians to guide them in appraising clinical evidence summaries.
• The CASE worksheet can be a valuable tool to consider the quality of individual evidence summaries and to see patterns of overall quality in EBM POC tools.

     

The Emerging Informationist Specialty: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Purpose:

A systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize what is known about informationists, highlight program models, and suggest areas for future research.

Methods:

Articles retrieved through database searching were reviewed for relevance. Informationist case reports were identified and coded according to an attributes checklist. Data from other retained publications were synthesized under broad themes. The few research studies found were reviewed for level of evidence.

Results:

Of 113 papers reviewed, the study identified 7 classic and 8 emerging informationist programs. Two major models are apparent, clinical and research, with priorities differing according to program maturity. The literature synthesis also brought together current thinking about informationist qualifications; practice roles; setting characteristics; education and training; organizational, programmatic, and service provider success factors; and challenges and barriers. Program outcomes to date are reported, and future research topics suggested. Specific findings will assist informationist program planners.

Conclusions:

While the informationist concept remains in the early adopter stage, it appears that domain knowledge, continuous learning, and embedding (working in context) are essential to success. The need for librarians to transition to greater specialization and libraries to emphasize customized service was underscored. A research agenda focused on information management, dissemination, behaviors, and economics is proposed.

Highlights

• After years of emphasizing the generalist librarian, health sciences librarians must become more specialized, paralleling the health care environment in which they work.
• An embedded informationist is more likely to achieve credibility, acceptance, and sustainability than an impersonal information service provided at a distance.
• Subject expertise is essential for the informationist.
• Model informationist programs with the greatest stability are library funded.
• Because informationist programs are inherently targeted to small groups, multisite studies are necessary to achieve robust evaluation.

Implications

• A library starting an informationist program should review existing models, identify local needs, set program objectives, and then select the most appropriate approaches for its users.
• Programmatic emphasis should be placed on both technical and service excellence.
• Organizational commitment is needed for knowledge integration into practice and for the informationists'' lifelong learning.

     

Addressing underutilization of consumer health information resource centers: a formative study

Problem: Four consumer health information centers in Richmond, Virginia, provide one-on-one assistance in accessing health information. Because they may not be fully utilized at present, an exploratory marketing study of factors affecting usage of the centers was conducted.Method: Observers counted center passers-by and tracked their paths. Also, brief intercept interviews were conducted with people who had just used a center, people nearby who could have used one but did not, and people on the street. Finally, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with key informants.Results: There was a high degree of satisfaction with the centers among users. Nonusers universally endorsed the center concept. However, most passers-by did not even glance at the centers, and intercept interviewees suggested better signage and promoting the resource centers through various media channels. Key informants added suggestions about interpersonal strategies (e.g., physician referrals) for center usage promotion but cautioned that a large increase in traffic could not be accommodated without increasing staff size or shifting from a model of individualized service.Conclusions: Triangulating findings from multiple data collection methods can provide useful guidance for efforts to promote center utilization. At minimum, steps should be taken to make the largest centers more noticeable. Because center utilization is not only associated with consumer satisfaction with hospitals, but may also foster health literacy, both hospital-based and community-based usage promotion strategies may be warranted. All such promotional strategies should be audience-tested before they are adopted.

Highlights

• Both users and nonusers of consumer health information centers said they would think more highly of a hospital with a center and would refer friends or family members to such a center.
• Study participants classified as nonusers of the centers were unaware of the centers or found them hard to locate.
• Suggestions for increasing center traffic ranged from improving signage to promoting routine referrals from hospital staff.
• An alternative to increasing center traffic is delivering information to places where consumers are located.

Implications

• Those responsible for making funding decisions about health information centers should be made aware that hospitals with health information centers are perceived more positively.
• The potential trade-off between intensive, personalized customer service and serving large numbers of consumers must be considered carefully.