Databases usability study 2025
After launching a new set of features for our research databases discovery platform, we conducted a series of usability tests and interviews to evaluate user attitudes towards the new features. We received positive feedback about the new features from participants, with the majority completing all tasks successfully.
Overview
In August 2024, we deployed a set of new features to our research databases discovery application. These features were designed to improve discovery of databases with special types of content such as government documents, films, magazines, patent information, and more. We also added a filtering mechanism on discipline pages that allowed users to view databases suitable for a specific discipline and containing special types of content.
In the spring and summer of 2025, we conducted remote usability testing with five participants to evaluate these updates. The majority of participants were able to complete all usability tasks successfully and gave us positive feedback about the new features.
When asked to rate the tasks as easy, medium, or hard, all participants rated all three tasks as “easy.” All participants successfully used the radio buttons to filter databases on a discipline page, and all participants successfully identified the librarians in the “Need Help?” section of a discipline page.
When asked to find a database by name, participants were split on the method they chose: three typed the name into the search bar, and two browsed the A-Z list. When asked to find a broad disciplinary area by name, participants were similarly split: three used the red accordions, and two typed the name into the search bar. When asked to find a narrow discipline by name, three out of five participants clicked into the red accordions labeled by broad disciplinary area.
Recommendations
- Continue to provide multimodal approaches to resource discovery; this supports users' varied preferences for searching and browsing.
- Conduct further user research on how users get to these databases and disciplines pages. Only two out of the five participants had seen the main landing page before, but we know that many users get to individual database and discipline pages from QuickSearch analytics.
- Ask the Libraries' Web Team to investigate different approaches to our standard red accordion component, to improve the signaling that accordions are "safe" to interact with. One participant considered investigating content in the accordions, but ultimately didn't click on any.
How We Did It
We conducted five interviews with students who were recruited from our user research opt-in email list. Interviews took place via Zoom. We began with a few introductory questions about the participant’s area of study, then asked participants to share their screen while they completed three tasks in the application. We finished up by asking participants about their experience performing the tasks, and their experience using research databases in general.
Tasks
- Find a database by name. Identify and understand access button, discipline buttons, and features list.
- Find a discipline by name. Use radio buttons in left sidebar to find databases within a discipline that have a format/feature highlight.
- Find databases that include a format/feature highlight.
- Find a top-level discipline by name. (Optional, time permitting.)
