Libraries Conducting User Testing of Search Functionality

Throughout the month of March, Syracuse University Libraries is seeking user feedback on its website search results functionality. All students, faculty and staff are asked to participate in the Library Search Study.

In May 2022, the Libraries launched a redesigned website. As part of this redesign, when users utilize the main search box on the Libraries homepage, they are taken to a newly formatted results page that is grouped by content type (journal articles, books, research guides, video, Summon, website) as opposed to a list with all content types intermixed.

The Libraries is asking users to spend five to ten minutes completing the tasks and responding to the questions in our Library Search Study so we can gauge your perception of the search results. We suggest using a desktop or laptop computer to complete the search study tasks, or whichever device you primarily use when conducting research using the Libraries’ resources.

The results of this survey will be combined with other feedback to improve the search experience. Any insights you can provide, including what worked well and what didn’t, will help the Libraries improve the search process.