GALILEO User Survey 2000
Narrative Comments
The number of usable surveys returned (1,121) was up slightly from last year (1,010 in 1999). The percentage of survey respondents who took the time to offer narrative comments dipped slightly (34% in 2000, 39% in 1999). Survey question 7 was "I would improve GALILEO by..." That question asked users to offer their opinions on shortcomings or areas for possible improvement, so it is understandable that some comments would be less than favorable. However, 15% of those commenting took the opportunity to praise the system. Here are some comments representative of the positive feelings about GALILEO:
It helped a lot. (K-12 student)
I need information and just could not find it and I came to this website and found everything I need. (K-12 student)
Having had to sit hours in a university library and research hard copies makes me realize GALILEO is wonderful, especially for rural, economically challenged Georgia public schools. (School media specialist)
I have been using Galileo for about four years and have been impressed with the way that it has evolved and changed in a positive way. (K-12 staff)
Galileo is a life-saver. It saves me many hours that would otherwise be used traveling to the library. (Undergraduate student)
This is a great service - I think every student ought to learn to use it from K-12 through higher ed. (Graduate student)
I find it is easy to use as it is. I have never been disappointed when I have gone to Galileo as a resource. (Graduate student)
I think GALILEO is WONDERFUL! (Graduate student)
The support staff are very helpful. You all are to be commended for such a good research resource. (University faculty)
Last year, the dominant refrain in question 7 responses was the desire for "More full text" (1999 17%). The message this year is unmistakable, "Simplify!"
30% of the question 7 responses expressed the confusion and frustration users encounter when trying to negotiate the many choices on the GALILEO home page and menus. A strong sub-current within that 30% was the feeling that the "old GALILEO" was easier, better, and more user-friendly thus more productive. Over a quarter of that 30% (31 of 117) made comments such as:
Bringing back the easier to use old galileo (University graduate student)
I preferred the old version of Galileo much more over this new and updated one. (College undergraduate)
GALILEO was much cleaner and easier to use with the old look. I'm constantly having students tell me how confusing GALILEO is now... (University librarian)
Truthfully, the former set-up seemed much easier to use than the current one ... it's now too complex--too many clicks, too many lists, too many choices at once (Tech college staff)
I liked Galileo better the old way. (K-12 staff)
I liked the old way (Public library staff)
It would appear that the array of resources now available in GALILEO has reached a point that challenges many users and hinders some when trying to discover appropriate resources and navigate among the many choices.
There were three areas of policy-related issues that stood out in user comments: the desire to bookmark or link directly to specific databases; frustration in dealing with passwords; and the desire to access all resources remotely. Comments on these issues reveal a lack of understanding about constraints imposed by license agreements for access to commercial databases. Seven of the twelve comments that expressed the desire to access more databases remotely specifically mentioned Lexis/Nexis as a database they wanted to use off campus.
When addressing issues related to the content of the resources that make up GALILEO, of those who provided comments, 21% made either very general requests ("More online journals"; "Expand resources available"; "Additional databases") or mentioned specific products they would like added. 42% of those leaving comments about the content of GALILEO expressed the desire for more full-text resources. However, with the exception of one database that was mentioned three times by users at a single institution (ATLA's Religion Index / Columbia Theological Seminary) no suggested database was mentioned more than once.
Because GALILEO serves a diverse range of user communities made up of individuals at all stages of education and levels of familiarity with computers, a new means of enabling users to discover the best resources for their specific needs is essential. The implementation (July 2001) and further development of the new software environment that powers GALILEO, the Database of Online Resources (DOOR), holds considerable promise to address these issues. It may be possible to overcome, or at least minimize, user confusion by permitting the presentation of resources to be tailored to specific user communities. Additional, focused usability analysis should also prove valuable in understanding user behavior and needs as GALILEO and its many resources continue to expand and evolve.
Appendix
Sample 2000 survey form