Matching the User Interface in Digital Libraries with the User Information Seeking Behavior: A Sense Making Approach

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims at identifying the important elements and features as well as the strengths and weaknesses of digital libraries’ interface in relation to the elements in the user information-seeking behavior. It also attempts to study the concept from a sense-making perspective.<br><br>Design/Method/Approach – This qualitative study used a heuristic evaluation method known as the basic method for usability testing in the study of human-computer interaction. The theoretical frameworks for this paper were Ellis’ model of information-seeking behavior and Dervin’s sense-making model. Fedora, Ganesha and Greenstone digital libraries were selected as research cases -as they are known as popular digital libraries among special and academic digital libraries. The elements and characteristics of their interfaces were examined against the main features of Ellis' model of information-seeking behavior through a checklist. Finally, a few evaluators were asked to observe and match the digital user interface with the usability principles.<br><br>Findings – The findings show that the developers of Fedora, Ganesha and Greenstone digital libraries have paid little attention to the features of Ellis’ model and sense making theory when designing the user interface. Some features of Ellis' model, such as starting, chaining and differentiating are relatively present in these interfaces. However, other three features of this model - i.e., browsing, monitoring and extracting - are not supported by digital libraries’ user interface. The degree of match between these user interfaces with Ellis' model is at average level. Results show that taking sense making approach into account when designing user interface will improve the functionality and will help the user to easily understand the system’s environment and access relevant information through examining information seeking behavior.<br><br>Originality/Value/Conclusion: This paper suggests some applicable recommendations for interface designers of digital libraries from the viewpoint of information seeking models and sense making theory. It reminds the necessity of understanding user information-seeking patterns to help users have better and meaningful interaction with the database. The findings of this paper help designers to enhance the objective interaction between the user and the database system by designing the user interfaces based on model of information-seeking behavior and sense making theory.