Users are the fundamental point for the design of any service. Constant changes in the environment influence your needs, imposing new ways of providing you with information, designing services that are in accordance with them.
Once the service is designed and implemented, a continuous evaluation is carried out, in order to detect deficiencies and provide them with a service according to their previously established information needs.
These evaluations can be summative and at the end of the training process, in such a way that there is a continuity of the evaluation process and at the same time the faults can be detected, and on the way correct them with a view to the service or system reaching the desired level both for users as by specialists.
General objective:
- Propose the evaluation of the Database service (BD) in the "Pablo de la Torriente Brau" library of the Faculty of Communication.
Specific objectives:
- Analyze theoretical and conceptual aspects related to the evaluation. Design the BD service. Propose a series of indicators that allow evaluating the BD service.
Theoretical - conceptual aspects
In order to carry out the evaluation process, it is necessary to take into account some theoretical aspects related to the evaluation of the services, which in turn will serve to gain knowledge of the actual performance of this service.
Below are a series of definitions related to the evaluation raised by some expert authors in the field.
According to Lancaster, "the evaluation should be (…) directed mainly to the identification of points or limitations in an existing system and the formulation of mechanisms to increase its performance. It is a comparison between the objectives that the institution under study would have proposed and the execution carried out, so that it can be determined if any variation in execution has occurred, and if this has occurred, if it has been in a desired direction and to what extent it has behaved like this (…) ”.
Vickery, for his part, considers that “evaluating means studying how the operation or behavior of a system or subsystem corresponds to the behavior that was established…, this can reveal which component (input or process) executes the function that must be carried out within the system."
While Atherton argues that the evaluation “must be based on parameters such as the adequacy and evaluation of the collections;
the consistency and reliability of entry procedures, the adequacy of storage media; the quality and measurement of the degree of user satisfaction. ”
To evaluate the systems as a whole, from inputs to outputs, including use and results, it is necessary to take into account the levels of the evaluation.
- Efficacy: It has to do with the behavior of the system, its objectives, mission and vision. Compliance with the goals proposed in the system. The user's expectations and needs are also studied. Efficiency: it has to do with the relationship between the inputs and the outputs. It points towards the use of resources and therefore costs. Cost-benefit: It also relates the resources invested but now in relation to the benefits provided by the outputs of the system. The benefit is directed, without possible deviation, to the use of the products and services, and therefore to the user. Impact:result after use. Action of one factor over another. Changes that occur globally from the application of certain factors.
For the evaluation of information services it is necessary to use models or methodologies, which ensure greater orientation when implementing said process. The methodology chosen for the evaluation of this service will be that proposed by F. Lancaster and are as follows:
- Definition of the scope of the evaluation: in this case the object to be evaluated is the BD service of the Pablo de la Torriente Brau library of the Faculty of Communication and the complete vision of this service will be obtained, for which the elements will be used as a basis provided for in its design and which also describe its operation. Design of the evaluation program: evaluation being one of the aspects contemplated within the management functions, this must be carried out as one of the institution's own tasks.
In this step, the elements that will be taken as reference are selected, such as the indicators, parameters and their evaluation techniques, which will be reflected later. In addition, the deadlines will be established to carry out the evaluation. Execution of the evaluation: this is the implementation of the evaluation, the evaluation techniques will be applied to specialists and potential and real users of the library to obtain the highest quantity of information and that this in turn is precise and accurate, which will give greater quality to the evaluation process.Analysis and interpretation of the data or results obtained: the results obtained will offer a diagnosis of what was evaluated in order to determine the variations in the operation of this service,therefore, the analysis and interpretation should be as rigorous as possible. Modification of the system or service based on the results: it will proceed, following the strategies outlined in the decision-making process, to modify the service after detecting faults in the same.
Database service design
Aspects to consider when designing an information service:
- Objectives of the service Tasks to perform Schedule for the time necessary for the execution and conclusion of the design Work procedure Qualified human capital, experience Premises that meet the appropriate characteristics for the service Client / user
Getting:
- The recovery of the documents is carried out in the shortest possible time. The location of requests for documents are met with the best possible precision. Most of the fund is consulted by users. The objectives of the service are fully met to achieve full user satisfaction with it.
2. Tasks to perform:
-
Type the search terms (author, title, subject). Execute the search. Convert the terms of the application into the search languages in the database. Retrieve and identify the results. Select and process the location of the identified document. Proceed to save the expected document on a 3 ½ disk. Complete the search operation on the BD.
Annex 2. Interview guide to carry out specialists
goals
Know the operation of the BD service in the library of the communication faculty.
Assess the current status of the BD service in the library of the faculty of communication.
- Ways of selection and acquisition of articles. Selection topics. Local. Resources. Personnel (tasks). Processing. User education. BD capacity. Feedback. Promotion and propaganda.
Annex 3. Survey to be carried out on students and teachers
This survey is carried out with the objective of evaluating the operation of the BD service of the library of the Faculty of Communication.
Which will contribute to the development of its improvement; for which your collaboration is appreciated in advance.
General data. (Mark with an X)
User category:
Student___ Year ___ CRD__
CVN__
CM__
Professor - Researcher___
Specialty: ______________________________
1.- What topics related to your career would you be interested in incorporating into the BD?
___radio and television
___ museology
___ archival
___other. Which?________________________________________________
2.- On a scale of 1-5, say how useful is the information offered in the BD? (1 being the lowest value and 5 the highest value).
1__ 2__ 3__ 4__ 5__
3.- Are the search results delayed?
__Yes __No __sometimes
4.- Do you recover the desired documents?
__Yes __No ___ sometimes
5.- Do you have difficulty downloading the documents?
__Yes __No ___ sometimes
6.- Do you find those documents that you have come to consult?
__Yes __No ___ sometimes
7.- Does the staff help you in the search for information?
__Yes __No ___ sometimes
8.- Do you consider the articles to be out of date?
__If not
9.- Do you want to add something more regarding this service?
_________________________
Annex 4. Observation guide to be carried out
objective
- Observe the behavior of user interaction with the DB of that search interface.
User interaction with the search interface:
- Search forms. Identification with the interface. Performance during the execution of the search.- Errors made when searching.
Human-machine interaction:
- Using the mouse Using the keyboard
Reference Notes:
Taken from: Aldana Sánchez, Yanet. Evaluation of the Loan Service in the Library Room "Pablo de La Torriente Brau". Diploma work. (University of Havana: 2002), 62p.
Domínguez Alejo, Zabylys. Design of a decision-making service for the Isla Azul Headquarters of the Cuban tourism system. Diploma work. (Havana, 2004), 82 p.
Setién Quesada, Emilio. Information Services (Havana: Editorial Pueblo y Educación, 1983), 138p.
