Heuristic Evaluation of the TRI-ORM Website
November 2007

The evaluation was undertaken by one evaluator; ideally a heuristic evaluation should be undertaken by three to five evaluators. However, this was an evaluation of an established site for which two heuristic evaluations had already been undertaken (September 2004, May 2005). Therefore navigation, page design and content of the site had already been evaluated. 

This evaluation focused on the new TRI-ORM pages of the website. The areas of the site covered are listed below together with a description of any issues that arose.

1.Home page
The screen is clear, the boxes work well. I still have reservations about the multiple methods of navigation (top of screen, side menu, and central boxes). However, all the navigation works and is consistent across the ORM and TRI-ORM sites. All the navigation links on the home page work taking you to the correct page.

Should we expand the description of the Resources for Learners box, this section of the site contains a vast amount of information key texts, journals, links. A suggestion for expanded bullet points in this box:
•	Guide to literature, key texts and journals
•	Useful links
•	Guide to terminology
•	Frequently asked questions

2. Self-Study
This is the Online Research Methods site, which was evaluated during the earlier phase of the project (May 2005).

3. Training 
All the navigation links work taking you to the correct page.
3.1 Workshops
All the navigation links work taking you to the correct page. The information is correct.

3.2 Online module 
A link to the online registration form could be included on this page.

4. Resources for learners
4.1 Key texts 
The font is very small, difficult to read can it be enlarged.
Checked all the book links all fine except the site for the link below has changed so it no longer goes direct to book.
(2005)Oxford. Berg. 

4.2 Journals 
The text is a lot clear on this screen. Checked all links to journals and they all worked.

4.3 Bibliography 
All links worked fine except:
Online Questionnaires
Miller, T. W. and Panjikaran, K. J. (2001) Studies in Comparability: The Propensity Scoring Approach. University of Wisconsin, Madison. 
http://www.bus.wisc.edu/ nielsencenter/ research/docs/ studies_in_comparability.pdf. 

Online Research Ethics
The following two links open a popup window but nothing appears within the window.
Cavanagh, A. (1999) Behaviour in public: Ethics in online ethnography, Cybersociology 
http://www.socio.demon.co.uk/magazine/6/cavanagh.html.
Economic and Social Research Council (2005) Research Ethics Framework.
http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ ESRCInfoCentre/Images/ ESRC_Re_Ethics_Frame_tcm6-11291.pdf. 

The following links open in the full window (rather than a smaller pop-up window) you can return to site by clicking the back button but if you close the window you close the EORM website as well.
Coomber, R. (1997) Using the internet for survey research, Sociological Research Online, 2,2. http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/2/2.html.
 (2002) Liberation in cyberspace…or computer-mediated colonization?, .

4.4 Glossary
All worked.

4.5 Links
Online Research Methods/General
Following links did not work

Page not found.

Online questionnaires/ key links
Open a popup window but nothing appears within the window and the pop up windows will not close!
Guide to incentives:
http://www.websm.org/uploadi/editor/goeritz2005-incentives.pdf

Online questionnaires/Commercial questionnaire software

Web design and development/ Server side processing technologies/PHP My SQL/ Websites

Useful Resources for copyright data protection and internet law

Cannot display the web page

5. Site information
All the navigation links work taking you to the correct page. The information is correct.

6. Project Background
All the navigation links work taking you to the correct page. The information is correct.

7. Resources for tutors
7.1Resources index

The table works well, clearly displays a lot of information. The information box at the top of the page is good as it tells the user that after they have looked at an example they will have to click the back button twice to return to the table.  

7.2 Activities
The page works well providing links to key resources and downloads all worked. The only issue that was frustrating was that when the user clicks on a link to move to a resource in another area of the site, the link page open initially on the information they require and then defaults to the sub headings for that page, so that the user has to recall the section the information was in to access it again. Then when they click the back button to return to the Activities page that reverts to the default closed position so they have to re-open the question they were looking at. I realise that this is to do with the default way that the pages display but is there anyway the user could be returned to the activities page and see it in the format they left it? 

Recommendations
There were very few problems encountered in the TRI-ORM section of the website. A brief list of recommendations is outlined below:

R1 - Consider adding more information to the Resources for Learners box on the homepage 
R2 - Training/Online module – include a link to the online registration form on this page
R3 - Resources for Learners/Key texts – Enlarge the font
R4 - Check links for Resources for Learners/ Key texts (listed above)
R5 - Check links for Resources for Learners / Bibliography (listed above)
R6 - Check links for Resources for Learners/ Links (listed above)
R7 – Review how the Activities page is presented when the user returns to the page.

Dr Julia Meek
External Evaluator
5/11/07