User Required? On the Value of User Research in the Digital Humanities Max Kemman University of Luxembourg @MaxKemman Martijn Kleppe Erasmus University Rotterdam @MartijnKleppe
Jul 31, 2015
User Required?On the Value of User Research in
the Digital Humanities
Max KemmanUniversity of Luxembourg
@MaxKemman
Martijn KleppeErasmus University
Rotterdam
@MartijnKleppe
The problem with tools
• Digital Humanities ♥ tools• But tools not always used
• Two approaches• Just publish the data• User-centred design
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?
People don’t know what they want until you show it to them
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?
First Rule of Usability? Don't Listen to Users
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?
The technology will come first, the products second, and then the needs will slowly appear
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?• Can user requirements be generalized? basic functions common to
scholarly activity across disciplines, over time, and independent of theoretical
orientation
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?• Can user requirements be generalized? This model of what researchers do
maps quite naturally onto a model of an infrastructure that supports these
research processes
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?• Can user requirements be generalized?
A 'one size fits all' approach would be a disastrous underestimation of the
specific needs of humanities research
User-Centred DesignWhat is the added value of user research for developing tools aimed at digital research methods?Two problems:• Does the user know what she wants/needs?• Can user requirements be generalized?
We will review user research of two case studies we conducted
Case studies
PoliMedia• Automatically creating links between
debates of the Dutch parliament to media items, made available in a search user interface in which debates of the Dutch parliament can be explored• www.polimedia.nl
PoliMedia - Search
PoliMedia – Debate page
PoliMedia – Link to Delpher
Case studies
Oral History Today• A search user interface similar to Google
but including advanced filter options, in which oral history interviews and collections can be searched and explored to discover topics across a multitude of collections• zoeken.verteldverleden.org
Oral History Today – Search
Oral History Today – Word cloud
Oral History Today – Visual facets
Oral History Today – Interview
Method
PoliMedia• User requirements elicitation: interviews
with 5 scholars (F2F)• Evaluation: eye tracking with 24 scholarsOral History Today• User requirements elicitation: interviews
with 15 scholars (Skype)• Evaluation: walkthrough with 5 scholars
per update (Skype)• Scrumming
Method
Processing• Categorizing statements• Feasibility discussion with developers
Results – PoliMedia
39 user requirements• 21 deemed within-scope• 18 deemed out-of-scope• 27 unique user requirementsMost common (3/5): • Media output from before the debate• Names of people involved• Location in the newspaper
Results – PoliMedia
Requirements with impact• Function of actors (e.g. minister,
member of parliament, but also show host, interviewer, etc.) (1)• Party of actors (e.g. VVD, PvdA, but
also Greenpeace or other lobby groups) (2)• Media output about subject before debate (3)
Results – Oral History Today
75 user requirements• 33 deemed within-scope• 42 deemed out-of-scope• 34 unique user requirements• Most common (10/15):• Filter for time period
Results – Oral History Today
Requirements with impact• Description of project (within which collection was created) and how collection came to be• Organization behind collection (management/creation)• Distinguishing search filters between content-related to general
Discussion
• Scholars are aware of what they want• But also limitations:
• Generalizing is difficult
Requirements
Project goals
Current practices
Discussion
• Within-scope requirements lead to usable tools• Out-of-scope requirements give hints of
wider research workflow & compatibility• Tool takes place in a wider research
workflow
DevelopingFor – With – By
Humanities
• User research!
• Support workflow demanding multiple tools• Separate tool and data
Conclusion
X
User Required!Thank you for listening
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