Evaluating a digital community archive from the user perspective: The case of formative multifaceted evaluation

Abstract

Multifaceted evaluation studies of digital archives are important to understanding multiple aspects of user experience and improving the quality of the systems. This study provides an example of a formative evaluation of the community digital heritage archive. Using a multifaceted evaluation framework, the study focused on three aspects of the site relevant to users: interface, collections, and information organization. The study adopted a mixed-methods design with a questionnaire and interviews with community members. The findings indicate that in addition to a usable interface, the quality of objects, depth of metadata, contextual information, and coverage are important to users. The lack of representation of marginalized groups that were part of the community's history emerged as an important theme. The findings from the study were used to redesign the site and to expand the archive's coverage. This research also points to the need for evaluation models that focus on community-based criteria.