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Usability Report. | New York Times site |
Due date of Report: | 15.12.2009 |
Actual submission date: | 15.12.2009 |
Revised version: | 15.12.2009 (final) |
Product name and version: | New York times Site |
Organisers of the test: | Kumud Sharma |
Date of the test: | 10.12.2009 |
Date of the report: | 15.12.2009 |
Editor: | Dinesh Sapkota |
Contact name(s): | Kumuds@metropolia.fi |
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Name the product:The Name of the product is New York Times Site. You could have placed the link ibto here.
Purpose/objectives of the test:The main objective of the test is to know the easiness using the navigations in the site.
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The key characteristics of this user group is that they study much and all sectors of the website.Students need the information of all sector of the society.So they are creative,investigator and they are regular reader.They can read new york times many times a day. Where do they read?, what are their needs and preferences e.g. easy navogation, long stories, particular lay out preferences etc.
2.How participants were selected; whether they had the essential characteristics
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There are some differences between the participant sample and the user population. The sample is ideal but the user group can't be. The sample is the regular reader but our user population cant be regular reader always. User population gives the rough results of the success of New York Times. They can't be always correct but we take average result from the user population.
You understood the point wrong it means that those people that tested the site are your sample and how they differ from the actual new yor times readers. Since your selection was random, it is likely that the people in the test differ a lot of those that are actual regular New york Times readers. Here you should have stated the difference.
Context of Product Use in the Test
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There is not any known difference between the evaluated context and the expected context of the use because the site using is same process.open the browser and then go through it. But where physically the test was done and how this differs to the physical context of the actual real readers?
2.Tasks
The main task of the user is to go through the navigation system of the site.How they find it,do they get it easier or difficult?
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The task was selected to know more about the site.When the site is known more,then the problems and shortcoming of the site are well known.As per the website of new york times, we asked the users to test with the navigations and how well it goes to another page.When page opens,is it easier to find what is he looking for.If so,what problems did he noticed?These were some criteria for selecting the tasks.
The task cannot be to know more about the site if the users were regular readers as you state, i.e., then they would already know the site. to ask if they find what they are looking for you shouild first know what they were looking for and you did not have in the description of the user characteristics about what they usually would be looking for. And what you describe above does not answer why you chose navigation as the main task.
4.Describe the source of these tasks
The main source of these tasks is New York Times website http://www.nytimes.com/. no no, the selected tasks shopuld be the important ones for the users, you test if what is the important things the users want to do in the site easy etc.
5.Include any task data/information given to the participants
The participants were not given any data.They were only given the website and to go through the task. So you gave them information about the task they had to perform? This is information and you should have explainef which ay this information was given to the users in the test.
6.Completion or performance criteria established for each task
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As the testing was outside the room,there were much noise which affected our testing process.Students were in hurry,not enough time was also another circumstance which affect the result.The test was not long so that it was well organised.So it was not boring to any participants.
What you state above has quite a lot of effect on the test, you should state how you take this into concideration when analysing your results.
Participant's Computing Environment
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We had five computers for the participants.They first go through the site and then write what they feel about the site in the questionaire we provided.Three of the computers were acer and two of them were macbook pro. System versions?
2.Browser name and version;
The browser we used were safari,mozilla firefox,opera etc. Versions of the browsers?
3.Relevant plug-in names and versions
The plugins were accepted in the browsers.Browsers don't respond if the plugins and pop ups are not accepted.The download helper was installed in the browsers. And these plugins were?
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Display Devices(report if relevant, e.g., Paper prototypes are tested or static prototypes are tested on screen)
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In the experiment, the independent variables were the color of the site and navigation texts.But the control variables which can be controlled during the experiment is the navigation link which the participant can choose or we can control on their decisions. No this means if you had e.g. a control group to be able to compare the tester group and control group. You did not have this kind of setting.
2.Describe the measures for which data were recorded (the scale/scope of the recorded data, if relevant for the particular test, i.e., written notes, think aloud in audio recording, etc.).
The recorded data which we collected from the test can be used in some test again which concerns about the testing of the site based on the navigation.How the website of the news paper should be and what is the criteria which the user likes it is the main outcome of the test.So the data can be safely kept for further purposes and can be used as reference. So you wrote notes? or you used only the questionnaires, about the questionnaires, you should state what the questions concentrated on, what was expected to get as an answer etc.
Procedure
1.Operational definitions of measures
The Task is completed which we were working on.The result of the task which we were looking for came as we expected.The participants worked and helped us in the process.We recorded the data in the computer as well as in the papers. Did you really recor the data, was it audio or video?
Policies and procedures for interaction between tester(s) and subjects (e.g., is the test conductor aloud to answer questions of the user, provide help, etc.)
There were many ways of interaction between the testers and the subjects.We provided the guideline using the websites and about filling the questionaire.We provided support with other news site as well. If you provided that much help, it has to be taken into account in the analysing of the results. Previsouly you mentioned that you did not give any information and now you state that you provided a lot of information. very unclear what you actually did.
2.State used: non-disclosure agreements, form completion, warm-ups, pre-task training, and debriefing
For the process,we gave a brief information what the users do in the test.The test was not long so we did not used much time of the participants but we helped them if they need any kind of helps regarding using of the site and then writing down in the computers and papers.You did not have non-disclosure agreement etc. These are papers that the test persons sign that they agree on doing the test and that they undestand that their names and information will not be publicly available.
3.Specific steps followed to execute the test sessions and record data
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The participants can open other news sites only if needed.He can finish the task as fast as he can.But the participant should fill all the questions.They should go carefully with some links and navigation in the site and note it.
You still ahve not described what the task was? it seems that you had predefined task and not only that the users browse around
2.Task instruction summary
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This means how well data was collected.The new york times was liked by 6 of the 10 people using it every day.The participants were regular users. This means did you count percentages, correlations etc quantative manners to process the data. So your description is not about what should be here
3.Qualitative data analysis
The result was in favour of the site.The users liked the site because everything is there in the site.News are updated as soon as they occurs. They liked lots of navigations in the homepage but they did not liked that the texts are smaller .Too much navigation can makes a confusion.
Here you should have stated manners how you qualitatively analysed your data, i.e., you discussed it together, grouped it? or something like that?
4.Presentation of the Results
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The reliability of the test is important because if the data is used in some valuable places and important occasion,the data should not be faked and should come almost true.The user can vary but the nature of collected should be similar in nature.The questionaire should be correct and the results should be stored in the correct manner.The result should be analysed in the correct way.The data when collected should be valid for some span of time because it can be used in some test similar in nature.
Here you shpould write how your tasks were valid, how your analysis methods fitted the wanted achievements etc.
Summary Appendices
Participant General Instructions
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4.When the participants finish the task, they can consult us to wrap up the task.
Thank you
where is the questionnaire? and the task descriptions you provided to the users in the test?