a centre of expertise in digital information management 1 ukoln is supported by: swmlac workshop:...

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk

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UKOLN is supported by:

SWMLAC Workshop: Introduction to Benchmarking Web Sites

Marieke Guy

Interoperability Focus

www.bath.ac.uk


www.ukoln.ac.uk

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Timetable• 10:35 Presentation: Intro To Benchmarking Web Sites • 10:50 Hands-on session: Benchmarking Web Sites • 12:20 Presentation: QA for Web sites • 12:30 Lunch • 13:15 Hands-on session continued and report Back • 14:00 (Virtual) Presentation: Benchmarking: Strengths And

Weaknesses - Brian Kelly • 14:15 Presentation: Accessibility and Usability• 14:30 Hands-on session: Accessibility and Usability • 15:30 Presentation: Where do we go from Here?• 15:40 Conclusions and Workshop ends


www.ukoln.ac.uk

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A Bit About Me….

• I am part of the Interoperability Focus Team• Work in UKOLN • Based at the University of Bath• Funded by JISC and MLA • HE / FE and cultural heritage sector remit• Previous roles….


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A Bit About You...

• In small groups address the questions:

– Who are you, where do you work and what do you do?

– What do you want to get out of this workshop?


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Today’s Workshop

• Take a look at:– Common problems we have with our sites– Quality assurance methodology– Accessibility and Usability

• Have a go at using:– Auditing and evaluating tools that can help

• Have a think about how you can:– Benchmark your Web site – Adopt this methodology in your organisation,

region, sector, …


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Your Expectations

Your Interests & expectations

Sharing

Learning

Best practices

Quality

Testing

Checking

Constraints

Staffing

Finances


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About Benchmarking

• Benchmarking is about:– Sharing – Learning from best practices– Learning from mistakes others have made

• Benchmarking is not about:– League tables– Prizes for the ‘best’

Note: Organisations have different priorities, levels of

resources, starting points and organisational politics.


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What’s the Big Deal?

• Why are accessibility, usability, standards etc. important?

The User• Wants to be able to use the resource quickly and effectively• Open access, use of other devices

The User• Wants to be able to use the resource quickly and effectively• Open access, use of other devices

The Creator• Good practice• Data interchange and interoperability• Management of information

The Creator• Good practice• Data interchange and interoperability• Management of information

The Funder• Value for money • Longevity of electronic resources (including preservation, sustainability)

The Funder• Value for money • Longevity of electronic resources (including preservation, sustainability)

The Law

• Regulations, guidelines (e-GIF Version 6.1)• Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The Law

• Regulations, guidelines (e-GIF Version 6.1)• Disability Discrimination Act 1995


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Your Web site…


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Does it Work?• It is useful to check key pages for accessibility,

validation and functionality • Web page validators include:

– NetMechanic– Dr Watson– DrHTML –

single pages only– …


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Is it Accessible?• The Bobby Java application can check the accessibility

of Web sites (now licensed software)• The WebXACT service can check the quality,

accessibility and privacy of individual Web pages (online Bobby) – WAVE and Cynthia Says

are alternatives to Bobby

http://webxact.watchfire.com/http://webxact.watchfire.com/


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• You can find out the size of your home page using various tools:

• NetMechanic• Bobby• …

http://www.netmechanic.com/http://www.netmechanic.com/

How Big is it?


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Are There Broken Links?• Monitoring the number of broken links on your

Web site is very important• Desktop and Web-based tools are available:

– Xenu – LinkAlarm – Linkguard– Nodeworks– NetMechanic– SiteValet– …

http://www.linkalarm.com/http://www.linkalarm.com/


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How Popular Is Your Site?• There are a number of services that will tell you

how many pages link to your Web site

– LinkPopularity

– WebSiteGarage

– Netscape’s What’s Related service is used through the Netscape browser

– Google info:URL search

http://www.linkpopularity.com/http://www.linkpopularity.com/


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What About Other Browsers?

http://www.anybrowser.com/http://www.anybrowser.com/

• Does your home page (and Web site) work in:– Netscape very popular in UK

HE)– Firefox– IE (most widely used browser)– Significant (all?) versions and

platforms of above– Lynx (text browser which may

be used by visually impaired)– AnyBrowser – DejaVu


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Useful Approach To Tools• ,tools approach • Applies to all

resources on Web site

• Covers HTML and CSS validation and various other tests

• Some recursive apps (,rvalidate)

• Easily implemented with single line redirect

• ,tools approach • Applies to all

resources on Web site

• Covers HTML and CSS validation and various other tests

• Some recursive apps (,rvalidate)

• Easily implemented with single line redirect


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Addressing User Issues

• You should be aware that automated tools will not guarantee that a Web site is:– Useable, accessible or functional

• There will still be a need for user testing• You should consider:

– Systematic usability and accessibility testing– Formal procedures – don’t ask your mate; don’t

tell them what they should do, …– It need not be expensive “5 people will spot 90%

of the problems”– More on this later!


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Conclusion

• Different tools give different results and results can be limited. The results should be analysed carefully - like statistics

• Independent testing services can be beneficial• Comparison is useful• However a league table is not enough, for this type

of evaluation. To have a point there should be follow up action


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Questions

• Any questions?


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Today’s Exercises

• You will:– Use a set of Web-based tools for evaluating a

variety of aspects of your Web site– Work in small groups and share your findings

and discuss the implications

• This session:– Encourages collaboration and sharing– Is not meant to be competitive!

Now open the exercises handoutNow open the exercises handout

a centre of expertise in digital information management 1 ukoln is supported by: swmlac workshop:...

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