User Engagement Research

1
User Engagement Research

• The VERA project aims to produce a fully-fledged
  research environment for the archaeological
  community and to do this most effectively the
  technology developed needs to be user-driven
• Claire Fisher, Melissa Terras and Claire Warwick
• UCL, School of Library Archive and Information
  Studies

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Aims of research

• To build up a picture of the existing working
  practices of archaeologists and associated
  specialists
• Behaviour patterns
• Problems
• Identify common themes to help guide development
  of VRE
• To discover how technology is integrated into
  their work
• Includes both computational and traditional
• Use findings to derive requirements for system
  design
• User testing
• User case analysis
• Usability workshops

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Areas of study work undertaken

• On-site data gathering
• Excavation recording (context sheets, plans,
  sections, EDM)
• Finds
• Environmental
• Science
• On-site research
• On-site teaching
• Diary study during 2007 field season

• Post-excavation research
• Analysis of excavation data
• Specialist analysis
• Research
• Publications
• IADB
• Interviews with specialists
• Usability workshop

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Preliminary findings Diary studies

• Learning new technology on the job is not ideal
• Because the students are having to learn so much
  about the archaeology itself, it's just an extra
  complication to have to learn how to use digital
  pens, palm tops etc.
• Technology must be reliable and easy to use
• Computer was slow and infuriated me
• Digi-paper took some getting used to and as a
  result slowed me down.
• Need to build in quality control
• Also say that plans were automatically and
  immediately transferred to computer, how can
  supervisors check them?
• Environmental problems are a key issue
• Failing to use Nokia handheld - WiFi not working
  and sunlight OTT. Suggest attach
• 1-2m parasol to Nokia?
• We work in muddy and wet conditions and
  expensive equipment may well be ruined.

Value of familiarity
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Preliminary findings User interviews

• Specialists are open to new technology if they
  can see a use for it
• Digital pens and paper - popular idea to avoid
  transcription errors
• Experts have established work patterns
• Specialists who use the IADB infrequently feel
  that it needs to be intuitive and reflect how
  people usually work dont want to relearn
  each time
• Ownership of data
• Specialists want to be able to see who has
  created/changed data
• Importance of communication
• Concern that changes implemented without
  notifying users - specialists have lost data in
  the past. Users must trust the technology
• A common language making the VERA VRE widely
  applicable
• When specialists work for more than one project
  they dont want to have to learn a new set of
  terms or rules for each project

Technology must be tool rather than master
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Future Plans

• Usability Workshop, and resulting analysis
• Cradle to Grave record analysis
• User tests
• Remote users
• Researchers
• Those used to using the database
• Interviews with experts from outside the project
• 2008 field season - researcher (Claire Fisher) on
  site
• Engagement with users