wikiSearch – From Access to Use

Abstract

A digital library (DL) facilitates a search workflow process. Yet many DLs hide much of the user activity involved in the process from the user. In this research we developed an interface, wikiSearch, to support that process. This interface flattened the typical multi-page implementation into a single layer that provided multiple memory aids. The interface was tested by 96 people who used the system in a laboratory to resolve multiple tasks. Assessment was through use, usability testing and closed and open perception questions. In general participants found that the interface enabled them to stay on track with their task providing a bird’s eye view of the events – queries entered, pages viewed, and pertinent pages identified.