Project Insight
Our team worked alongside ProQuest to assess their current ETD administrator. ProQuest ETD Administrator is an online submission tool for theses and dissertations. Used by a multitude of different institutions, the platform aims to simplify and expedite the ETD submission process. As a team, we wanted to see what specific features (i.e. help function, special offer pop-up) support/improve the user experience on ProQuest ETD Administrator and what we can improve on their system.
Research Goals & Objectives
📌 To what extent do specific features (i.e. help function, special offer pop-up) support/improve the user experience on ProQuest ETD Administrator?
📌 When it comes to instructional content, what specific issues hinder user understanding? How can clarity be improved?
📌 Are users experiencing a smooth, easy process throughout all steps of the submission process? What are the areas that could benefit from the most improvement?
📌 How satisfied are ProQuest’s users? What are some factors that play a role in user satisfaction/dissatisfaction?
Findings
Issues Concerning Instructional Clarity
❗ Instructional clarity concerns suggested supplemental video (interviews)
❗ProQuest has a straightforward process of publishing but falls short in providing a transparent track of the reviewing process. (Comparative Eval)
❗ Issues Concerning Layout and Site Design
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Challenges with Page Layout: Clarity and Easy Access (Heuristic Eval)
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Visibility of System Status
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Issues involving formatting and indicators were identified on the “Pre-order copies” page
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Error Prevention
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The lack of borders around the text on the “Submit” page makes the submission summary visually overwhelming
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Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
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When uploading a copy of their thesis/dissertation, there is no option for the user to drag and drop their file
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❗ Issues Concerning Instructional Clarity
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Instructional clarity concerns suggested supplemental video (interviews)
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ProQuest has a straightforward process of publishing but falls short in providing a transparent track of the reviewing process. (Comparative Eval)
Recommendations
Layout and Design
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Redesign input box and sizing graphic
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Add additional graphics/visuals
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Add borders/text boxes to improve readability
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Increase font size and weight (certain pages)
Instructional Clarity
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Add a FAQ section to the help page
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Enhance visibility of Open Access benefits
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Highlight differences and suggest typical use cases for licensing options
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Clarify the offer details and emphasize its exclusivity
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Fragment the Text
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Expand supplemental content and add video instructions