Usability Archives - Page 5 of 23 - The Scholarly Kitchen

Ethnography: A Scientist Discovers the Value of the Social Sciences

What do we mean by ethnographic research? In essence we are talking about a rich, multi-factorial descriptive approach. While quantitative research uses pre-existing categories in its analysis, qualitative research is open to new ways of categorizing data. We take a look at how we can use this technique to delve into the subtleties of online user behavior – a must for publishers and societies involved in new product development

Discovery and Access in Light of the Ebola Outbreak

Several researchers recently “stumbled across” an article indicating the reasonable likelihood that Liberia would be faced with cases of Ebola. Public health officials had not acted on this known likelihood. The question is why.

Dismantling the Stumbling Blocks that Impede Researchers’ Access to E-Resources

Content providers operate in the systems ecosystem of the licensing academic library, but they have been challenged to integrate their offerings as seamlessly into this ecosystem as would benefit researchers. To adapt, publishers need to examine not only the usability of their own platforms and how they can continue to be improved, but also how they are in practice used in scholarly research alongside other content platforms and intermediary services. As distance learning continues its inexorable growth and research practices continue to anticipate always-connected devices, it is becoming more urgent for libraries, content providers, and other intermediaries to work together to address these problems.

Personalizing Discovery without Sacrificing Serendipity

A researcher’s core interests may be in a specific set of areas, but effective discovery also helps that researcher to stay aware of adjacent areas of interest or even potential areas of unknown interest. Personalized approaches to discovery can improve research efficiency without sacrificing serendipity.

SXSW Interactive 2015: More Relevant Than Ever

SXSW Interactive 2015. It may be over but its impact is not. Highlights from SX and reasons why Interactive is beneficial to everyone in publishing and communication.

Ask The Chefs: How Should a Scholarly Publisher Integrate Their Books and Journals Programs?

Do publishers need to integrate the creation, management, delivery, and discovery of different content types? What best meets customer needs, optimizes resources, and encourages innovative new content products and services?

Taking Our Eye Off the Ball — Why Is Science Suffering in the Modern Age?

While more scientific information than ever is available, science itself is struggling for funding, for cultural footholds, and for priority in society. What has gone wrong?

The Flatscreen Install — Moving Collaboration from Print to Digital

Would adding a big flatscreen TV to my office might make a difference? Yes, in big and important ways.

The New Cluetrain — A Barometer for What Has Changed in the Last 15 Years

Fifteen years later, the authors of the “Cluetrain Manifesto” attempt a relevant update, with 112 new “clues.” Yet, they miss the biggest clue of all — the Internet is no longer sacred and its users know it.

Confounded Complexity — Pondering the Endless Upgrade Paths of Digital Publishing

We were wrong to expect that online publishing would be cheaper and simpler than print. Acknowledging that, and facing the slower, more complicated commercial world it has created, could put us on a better path.

More Data, More Problems — Lessons from the Limitations of Google Flu Trends

“Big data” continues to draw attention, but will it ever amount to more than a hypothesis-generating engine and supplementary findings?

Surprise, Surprise — The Web Turns Out to Be Too Persistent

The recent “right to be forgotten” case raises a corollary issue for scholarly publishers — are you managing your archives so that users have been given the “right to ignore”?

Have You Looked At This? Vox.com

An overview of Vox, a news site designed around current technology and information trends offers a fresh set of design choices worth considering.

Instruction Junction — The Ballooning Lists of Editorial Policies, and the Burdens They Create

Long “Instructions to Authors” filled with ancillary policies and undifferentiated requirements don’t help authors, staff, or editors. As the graveyard for unmade decisions, they’ve only gotten longer and more opaque. Maybe it’s time to clean yours up!

The Authors Guild Loses (Again), and HathiTrust Wins–But What Does It Mean?

The Authors Guild’s lawsuit against HathiTrust over the latter’s massive library of digitized print books has been dismissed by the Second Circuit Court. What does this mean for libraries, authors, and readers?

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