Fathoming the Depths of System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

(Originally posted February 18, 2012)

The focus of class this week was understanding the fundamentals behind the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Though there are varying types of SDLCs, the Traditional method involves five essential steps: investigation, analysis, detail, implementation, and maintenance/review (Kim, Lecture Notes, 4/16/12). In his article on SDLCs, H. Frank Servone (2007) mentions eight steps (expanding on analysis and adding a construction step) as he examines SDLCs in the context of a digital library. Pragmatic, Cervone asks the important questions any reasonable person assessing an information system should take into account--particularly possible constraints which may hinder a project--specifically matters such as time and budget constraints, and whether the public would be able to adapt (Servone, 150). In short, researchers must simply determine whether a project is feasible.

Zhang et al's "Integrating Human Computer Interaction into the Systems Development Life Cycle" (2005) does not bring about a particularly revolutionary idea. In short, end users need to be involved in the SDLC process. This only makes sense, because just as businesses regularly seek feedback from their customers on ways to improve service, so too should IT specialists and developers look to feedback from the patrons of the information system. What is startling is that this does not happen enough. Zhang et al provide charts and explanations for why users should be involved in the experience--making heavy use of the term, "human computer interaction" (HCI) (Zhang et al, p. 512). Recognizing that the emphasis was not necessarily on just humans, but the end users, I was fascinated to see that that term was not used once in article. Written in 2005, the article is slightly dated, because a new field has emerged which focuses on such a study of HCI.

Combining qualities of computer and cognitive science is "human factors." This field does not just study HCI, but the interaction between humans (with regards to all the senses and the body as a whole) and all devices. Through this field, examining how a human interacts with a car can lead to improved ergonomics, increased comfort, and a safer, more pleasant driving experience. The same can be said with regards to computers. It's still an emerging field, and there is still a level of disconnect between developers eager to push a new idea and a wary public which attempts to adjust.

Tony Drewry's "Data Flow Diagrams" is an online instructional tool the breaks down the complexities of the information exchange on the Internet through diagrams. Reassuring readers that there is indeed a system by which data is received and disseminated after it is sent, Drewry reminds his readers that the Internet has a magical way of effectively turning online exchanges into the electronic bureaucracy.

To be honest, much of this information is common sense, and I suppose it derives from an understanding of physics and an understanding of how information is exchanged. However, tying a simple idea to computers and the Internet complicates things and, while the philosophy is easy to grasp, it becomes unnecessarily complicated by the increasingly "pedantic semantics." Because IT specialists/Web developers are anatomically human and naturally involved in the update and revision process, a more accurate term than HCI would be "EUI" (End User Involvement).

To paraphrase Mark Twain, "eschew obfuscation."

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Cervone, H. (2007) "The system development life cycle and digital library development", OCLC Systems & Services, Vol. 23 No. 4, p.348-352.

Drewry, T. (2005). Data flow diagrams.

Zhang, P. et al. (2005). Integrating human computer interaction development into the systems development life cycle: A methodology. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, No.15, p. 512- 543.

Evaluating Academic Libraries

(Originally posted February 4, 2012) 

Whether simply updating an existing Web site or conducting an overhaul to a new Integrated Library System (ILS), information specialists and library staff make a conscious effort to reach out to users and conduct evaluations in an effort to produce a new Web layout which adds to the user experience. However, depending on factors such as library type, user demographics, and the amount of online content up for revision, evaluation methods will vary. Through the evaluations conducted by Robert Fox & Ameet Doshi, Beth Thomsett-Scott, and Robert L. Tolliver and his colleagues, readers are exposed to different strategies which serve primarily as templates to take into account when planning future evaluations.
 
Note that, as case studies, the articles lack a central argument, but serve as documentation of experiments. Though they formulate conclusions for "what works," much is left to the reader. For instance, Fox & Doshi (2011) functions primarily as a reference source--providing answers to a 31-part survey in which Fox & Doshi sent a 31-part questionnaire out to members of the Association of Research Libraries. In transcribing the answers from the 74 responding participants, Fox & Doshi provide a view of the degree research libraries interact with their patrons and how these libraries incorporate feedback from the public into updates and revisions in their Web presence.

More hands-on are the studies conducted by Thomsett-Scott (2004) and Tolliver et al. (2004). In the case of Thomsett-Scott, undergraduate, graduate, and on-line learners were hired to assist in evaluation the Web site at the University of Northern Texas. Through usability studies, focus groups, and a cognitive walkthrough students provided feedback on what worked and what did not (with a little assistance from chocolate). Ultimately, Thomsett-Scott's focus is on the means of evaluation method moreso than the results, and explains just as much in her closing. "Libraries serving off-campus users will find user satisfaction with their Web site increase through the use of Web site usability testing." (Thomsett-Scott, 483)

Conducting similar-but-different evaluations is Tolliver et al. (2005). With the help of a consultant, the University of Michigan Art, Architecture & Engineering Library examined how to best make the transition from a dated Web site to one which moved all the data to a content management system (CMS) (Tolliver et al., 157). After assessing costs, the library went with a testing approach which included sector interviews, card sorting, and a paper prototype test (Tolliver et al., 161). Comprised of both library staff and students, the testing process effectively sought feedback from the groups who would utilize the Web site. The most confusing and interesting process was the card sorting. Almost a game, it afforded participants with an opportunity to organize cards under subjects (which ultimately would be used in designing the site map). 

Ultimately, Tolliver et al. make an excellent point by noting that consultants can serve as a valuable resource in that they come to the project without bias (Tolliver et al., 165).

The methods practiced in each article are similar to those used by exhibit specialists and museum educators when either anticipating possible revisions to an existing exhibit or creating one from scratch. When creating a new exhibit, specialists go through three steps: the preliminary, formative, and summative evaluations. Specialists conduct interviews with the public at large--based on the targeted demographics, and try to gauge both the interest and level of knowledge in an idea or theme. Then, a mock-up exhibit is created and specialists conduct a secondary survey to see how visitors respond to the collection and display--an effort to see what works and draws interest, and what does not. After looking over the results, the final exhibit is crafted, and, over time, educators conduct studies to examine the number of visitors, the amount of time spent either in the exhibit or at a particular display. Additionally, some visitors are asked to participate in surveys to, again, determine what they liked and what they did not. 

Comparing the task of museum specialists and educators with that of library Web (re)designers, a stronger role--one with greater authority and responsibility--when the designers are implementing a new program/exhibit from scratch and seeing the process through to its final phase. 

For library and information scientists, these articles touch on topics which must always remain imbedded in their minds: just as technology continues to evolve, the public at large continues to adapt and seek out the latest trends--those which fail to stay abreast will be considered obsolete and discarded. With that in mind, because libraries ultimately serve the public, their survival depends on their ability to stay in touch with public tastes and innovation.


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Fox, R., & Doshi, A. (2011). Spec kit 322: Library user experience. (p. 199). Washington, DC: Association  of Research Libraries.
 
Thomsett-Scott, B. (2004). Yeah, I found it! Performing web site usability testing to ensure that off-campus students can find the information they need. Journal of  Library Administration, 41, 471–483.
 

The Future is Now: The Evolution of Technology and the Growth of Virtual Libraries

(Originally posted January 19, 2012)

Point young researchers in the direction of the card catalog, and they may well have a puzzled look on their faces. Though card catalogs served as the primary search tool in libraries for over a century, the wooden vessels of information now function primarily as dusty shrines from a forgotten age. With continued innovations in technology, libraries look for new ways to stay abreast in order to both appeal to the technologically literate while continuing to provide all patrons with accessible means of locating the materials they seek. In articles by Arnold Hirshon and Shu Liu, the scholars seek to identify emerging technological trends and address how academic libraries have attempted to respond accordingly. 

In "Environmental Scan: A Report on Trends and Technologies Affecting Libraries", Hirshon examines the dynamic role of developing technology and its impact on society. Acknowledging how Generation Y has been influenced by its immersion in the new digital age, Hirshon plays on the symbiotic relationship between consumers of information and developers of new technologies. 

Early on, Hirshon addresses the futurist's role in predicting the direction in which technological trends will lead, and though the article was published in 2008, it is already considerably outdated. For instance, Hirshon acknowledges the potential demonstrated by Amazon's Kindle and suggests that the iPhone may have a role in the increased usage of eBooks. While one can download and read an eBook on his or her iPhone, the biggest development in the last three years is the iPad. What curiosity the Kindle created, the iPad took to a whole new level. Tablets are now the "big thing." Hewlett-Packard acknowledged as much when their own tablet failed and the company temporarily made a tactical retreat in the computer industry. (The logic behind the decision was that laptops had a finite future, and while tablets showed considerable promise, Apple, Inc. essentially controlled the market.)

What is the significance of this? The exponential growth of the tablet market means more users with the potential to download eBooks. With a larger market of potential users, there is, in turn, more pressure on publishers to produce eBooks and on libraries to make eBooks available for checkout. Recently, schools and universities have made a push to introduce iPads into their classrooms, and in breaking news, Apple has announced that textbooks will be now be available for download on iPads--a move which streamlines the learning process (and reduces the weight of backpacks).

With regards to libraries, Shu Liu's"Engaging Users: The Future of Academic Library Web Sites"can be seen as an expansion on Hirshon's ideas. In conducting an investigation into Web sites for 111 academic research libraries, Liu studied each site for content and innovation and formulated a series of recommendations for a Web site template which would boast increased interaction, improved aesthetics, and a simplified interface.

Absorbed as complimentary pieces, the articles by Hirshon and Liu provide thoughtful analysis into the direction in which information technology (particularly that found in academic libraries) is heading. The pressure to both appeal to and meet the needs of its patrons /consumers is not necessarily exclusive to academic research libraries--nor libraries in general, for that matter. However, in order to remain viable and socially, academically, and commercially viable, an organization or enterprise must, at the very least, "keep up with the Joneses." In the words of Lee Iacocca, "lead, follow, or get out of the way."

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Hirshon, A. (2008). Environmental Scan: A report on trends and technologies affecting libraries. Retrieved January 12, 2012 from http://woodlands.lib.mi.us/handbook/nelinetscan.pdf

Liu, S. (2008). Engaging users: The future of academic library web sites. College & Research
Libraries, 69, 6-27.