Participating in Search Design: A Study of George Thomason's English Newsbooks

这个项目的目的是了解搜索是如何在人文研究方法中使用，并利用这些知识设计更好的搜索界面，真正满足研究社区的需求。数据搜索现在是人文学科研究的核心活动，鉴于学者现在可以以数字形式获得大量证据，搜索的设计对研究结果有重大影响。然而，当内容提供商设计在线资源时，很少咨询研究界，并且往往假设人文研究的搜索需求与其他学科或非学术知识收集活动的搜索需求相同。该项目将调查目前的做法，以建立现有的搜索方法及其不足之处，然后使用这些知识为我们的测试数据集设计一个用户界面，并评估其对该领域研究的影响。该项目将涉及大学历史系、英语系和社会学系、人文研究所和内容提供商ProQuest之间的合作。测试数据集将是乔治梅森的大约50,000页16世纪的新闻书，目前只能通过ProQuest的EEBO获得数字化图像。解决搜索设计的潜在影响的测试研究问题将围绕着理解作为社区形成的驱动力的新闻书的作用。该项目将探索在为艺术和人文社区开发搜索工具时使用逐层设计。这一方法的目的是通过让用户参与设计过程，确保信息和通信技术的设计满足用户的需求，这一项目的理想成果是开发真正满足用户需求的试验研究资源。（但在数据创建之后），以确定需求，然后在开发周期结束时进行用户测试。这种方法的问题在于，用户的参与是被动的，而不是沉浸式的或创造性的，因此，技术发展很快就会脱离用户的需求。相比之下，我们的探索性设计方法将通过以下开发过程探索搜索的改进：1。对艺术和人文研究方法学中当前搜索实践的景观调查。使用设计组为我们的测试数据集开发搜索界面，该设计组包括整个开发周期的用户。最后评估的搜索界面使用的测试研究问题。从研究的输出将如下：1。一份白色文件将记录当前的研究实践和搜索需求，确定当前搜索设计对研究结果的影响，并提出通过更好的搜索设计改善在线资源访问的建议。一个编辑的论文集对梅森的新闻书将提出新的研究贡献的参与者的设计组。一篇同行评议的文章将探讨好的和坏的搜索设计对人文科学研究的方法论意义。同行评审的文章将反映作为数字内容部门的方法论的分解设计的优点。一个新的界面将提供全文，搜索50,000页的新闻书在ProQuest的EEBO。获取有关人文科学研究方法中搜索使用的知识并提出改进建议。我们还不知道答案。在开发更好的搜索中使用一种渐进式设计方法。这是一种新的方法论方法，我们不能保证它会产生更好的搜索界面。

This project aims to understand how search is used within humanities research methodology and to use this knowledge in the design of better search interfaces for online resources which genuinely meet the needs of the research community. Data searching is now a core activity within humanities research and, given the vast evidence base which is now available to scholars in a digital form, the design of search has a significant impact on research results. However, the research community is rarely consulted when content providers are designing online resources and there tends to be an assumption that the search needs of humanities research are the same as those for other disciplines or non-academic knowledge gathering activities. This project will survey current practices in order to establish existing search methodologies and their deficiencies before using this knowledge to design a user interface for our test dataset and evaluate its impact on research in the field. The project will involve collaboration between the University's departments of History, English and Sociological Studies, the Humanities Research Institute and the content provider ProQuest. The test dataset will be approximately 50,000 pages of sixteenth-century newsbooks by George Thomason, currently only available as digitised images via ProQuest's EEBO. Test research questions for addressing the potential impact of the search design will revolve around understanding the role of newsbooks as the drivers of community formation. The project will explore the use of Participatory Design in developing search tools for the arts and humanities community. The aim of this methodology is to ensure that the design of ICT meets the needs of users by involving users in the design process and the ideal outcome of this project is to develop a test research resource which genuinely meets the needs of its users.Conventional technical development processes often involves consulting users at an early stage (but after data creation) in order to ascertain requirements and then conducting user testing towards the end of the development cycle. The problem with this approach is that the user's involvement is reactive and not immersive or creative and, as such, the technical development can quickly become divorced from the user's needs. By contrast, our Participatory Design methodology will explore the improvement of search through the following development process:1. A landscape survey of current search practices within arts and humanities research methodology.2. Development of a search interface for our test dataset using a Design Group which includes users throughout the entire development cycle.3. Final evaluation of the search interface using the test research questions.The outputs from the research will be as follows:1. A White Paper will document current research practices and search needs, identify the impact of current search design upon research outcomes and make recommendations for improving access to online resources through better search design.2. An edited volume of essays on Thomason's Newsbooks will presents new research contributed by the participants of the Design Group.3. A peer-reviewed article will explore the methodological implications of good and bad search design for humanities research.4. A peer-reviewed article will reflect on the merits of Participatory Design as a methodology for the digital content sectors.5. A new interface will provide full-text, searching of 50,000 pages of Newsbooks within ProQuest's EEBO.There are two speculative aspects to the proposed research:1. The acquisition of knowledge about search use within humanities research methodology and recommendations for improvement. We do not know the answers yet.2. The use of a Participatory Design methodology in developing better search. This is a new methodogical approach and we cannot guarantee that it will result in a better search interface.