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Evaluation Design/Planning and Methodology for the NIH Web Site—Phase I Final Report March 31, 2000 Abridged Version QRC DIVISION OF MACRO INTERNATIONAL INC. 7315 WISCONSIN AVENUE • SUITE 400W • BETHESDA, MD 2081 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project, Evaluation Design/Planning and Methodology for the NIH Web Site—Phase I, was conducted by QRC Division of Macro International Inc. (formerly Quantum Research Corporation) for the NIH Office of Communication and Public Liaison and the Office of the Deputy Chief Information Officer as Task Order 10 under NIH Contract N01-OD-7-2114. Macro International Inc. and UserWorks, Inc. participated as subcontractors. Macro provided valuable expertise in content analysis and the customer service methodologies, including the pilot online focus group. UserWorks conducted the heuristic review and pilot usability tests of the NIH Web site. We also wish to thank those individuals who participated in the various methodology pilot tests. QRC wishes to acknowledge the valuable assistance and support of Dennis Rodrigues, NIH OCPL, and Anna Perrone, NIH/ODCIO, who served as Task Leaders on this project. The Task Leaders provided insight into the early development of the NIH Web site, assisted with selection of pilot test respondents for the pilot surveys, and offered useful suggestions and comments throughout the project. We hope NIH and the Institutes and Centers will find this Evaluation and Performance Measures Toolkit useful as they assess their respective Web sites. Mary V. Look Project Director QRC i Division of Macro International Inc. CONTENTS Acknowledgments........................................................................................................i 1. Executive Summary..............................................................................................1 2. Introduction...........................................................................................................3 3. Investigative Methodologies.................................................................................5 3.1. Document Analysis......................................................................................5 3.2. Literature and Web Site Reviews ................................................................5 3.3. Site Mapping................................................................................................6 3.4. Webmaster and Staff Survey .......................................................................7 3.5. Expert Critique.............................................................................................8 3.6. Summary of Investigative Methodologies.................................................10 4. User-Centered Methodologies ............................................................................11 4.1. Usability Tests ...........................................................................................11 4.2. Transaction Log Analysis ..........................................................................13 4.3. Email Content Analysis .............................................................................13 4.4. Customer Satisfaction Focus Groups.........................................................15 4.5. Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires.......................................................16 4.6. Summary of User-Centered Methodologies ..............................................17 4.7. Other Emerging Methodologies.................................................................18 5. Performance Measurement .................................................................................20 5.1. Extensiveness.............................................................................................20 5.2. Customer Service.......................................................................................20 5.3. Effectiveness..............................................................................................21 5.4. Impact ........................................................................................................21 6. Conclusion ..........................................................................................................23 APPENDICES Appendix A-1. Literature and Web Site Reviews ....................................................25 Appendix A-2. Sample Survey of Webmasters ........................................................38 Appendix A-3. Heuristic Guidelines for Expert Critique of a Web Site ..................58 Appendix A-4. Web Site Usability Test Plan ...........................................................66 Appendix A-5. Usability Pilot Test Documents .......................................................68 Attachment A: Screening Questionnaire ............................................................69 Attachment B: Demographics Questionnaire .....................................................71 Attachment C: Informed Consent / Video Release Form ...................................73 Attachment D: Facilitator’s Guide and Final Questionnaire ..............................74 Appendix A-6. Email Content Analysis Pilot Test...................................................82 Appendix A-7. Summary of Process for Conducting an Online Focus Group........89 Attachment A: Focus Group Recruitment Screener ...........................................97 Attachment B: Follow-up Email Letter ............................................................100 Attachment C: Reminder Email Letter .............................................................102 Attachment D: Focus Group Moderator’s Guide..............................................104 Attachment E: Focus Group Participant Survey...............................................109 QRC ii Division of Macro International Inc. Appendix A-8. Customer Satisfaction Survey.......................................................111 Appendix A-9. Implementation Details of Web Site Evaluation Methodologies .117 Appendix A-10. Performance Measures................................................................120 QRC iii Division of Macro International Inc. 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Effective health information dissemination strategies and services are essential to extend the value of the knowledge resulting from biomedical research. NIH’s ability to fulfill its mission to discover and disseminate new knowledge leading to improved health for all Americans has been strengthened by the rapid development and accessibility of the World Wide Web. The Web has become an essential tool supporting NIH’s mission to disseminate health information to the public. That tool has matured to the point that it is now advisable to examine and evaluate the current state of the NIH Web site, identify its most important user populations, and learn how the Web site can be used most effectively and efficiently to meet the various needs of different user populations. Web site evaluation can help NIH and the Institutes and Centers (ICs) be responsive to legislative mandates and Executive orders. It can also provide information to help manage information technology resources and respond to Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requirements in performance measures, goal setting and goal measuring, and customer service. Evaluation can also help serve NIH and IC missions by ensuring access of information to all segments of the Web-enabled public including those who are accessibility-challenged. The Evaluation and Performance Measures Toolkit described in this document can be used to assess the effectiveness of any Web site. The specific methodologies used for an evaluation depend on what is already known about the site and its users, and the resources available for the evaluation. The methodologies can be summarized as follows according to the sequence in which they are likely to be used and what is learned from each: • Background information • Document analysis • Literature review and Web site reviews • Web site information • Site mapping • Webmaster and staff questionnaires • Usability and accessibility issues • Heuristic review/expert panel • Usability testing • User information • Web server log analysis • Email content analysis • Customer service • Customer satisfaction questionnaire • Customer satisfaction focus group The first steps are collecting background information and information about the characteristics of the site to be evaluated through document analysis, literature reviews, site mapping, and Webmaster questionnaires. To look at customer satisfaction, usability, and accessibility issues QRC 1 Division of Macro International Inc. and conduct focus groups, more specialized skills and knowledge are required. Each of these methodologies is more labor-intensive than the more automated tasks, but each provides high quality information and the evaluator has considerable control over the type of information collected. The overall evaluation design focuses on the experience of the user and is organized around performance measures that can be used in preparing responses to Federal legislation and Executive Orders. Together, the evaluation methodologies are complementary in their focus on specific performance measures—extensiveness, customer service, effectiveness, and impact— that can be used to assess the Web site. QRC 2 Division of Macro International Inc. 2. INTRODUCTION This document describes the final evaluation design, methodologies, performance metrics, and data collection instruments that have been developed and pilot tested for assessing a