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
1. To what extent do specific features (i.e. help function, special offer pop-up) support/improve the user experience on ProQuest ETD Administrator?
2. When it comes to instructional content, what specific issues hinder user understanding? How can clarity be improved?
3. 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?
4. How satisfied are ProQuest’s users? What are some factors that play a role in user satisfaction/dissatisfaction?
Findings
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)
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