Guide Standards

Every U.Va. subject Guide will contain common elements. Standardizing elements, like where to look for help or contact info, will help users find what they need faster. The U.Va Guides share a template. This goes a long way toward giving our Guides the same look and feel.

This page will help you structure your content to follow the standards at the U.Va. Library.

User testing of the U.Va. Library Guide template resulted in some general tips and tricks that will go a long way to making your Guide easy for users to absorb.

Introducing Your Guide

• Each Guide should contain a brief note about the scope of the guide and its purpose.

Example: http://libguides.iwu.edu/biology

 

Format Specific Guide vs Subject Guide

Format-specific guides (newspapers, images, etc.) are better located within subject guides rather than as separate guides.

• Users are often seeking these resources in the context of their subjects, and don’t think to look for guides based on format. Therefore, include tips for finding formats within subject guides with tips pertinent to the subject.

Also, use resource descriptions to indicate databases that feature specific formats.

 

What Users Expect from Your Guide

• Nearly all users tested expect to find article and journal content when clicking on a subject Guide.
  • Highlight content focused on finding articles and journals by prioritizing that information and using the terms “articles”, “journals”, and “databases.”
  • Resource links should include a description
  • Resource descriptions should include key features that users seek, such as “full-text”, “peer-reviewed.”
• Users will generally click on the first link or first link they recognize. Be sure to prioritize resources accordingly and use the “Best Bets” designation.

 

How & Where to Include Video Content

• User testing revealed reluctance to click on video content on Guide pages.
• If you include videos, they should generally not be the focal point of the homepage.

Consider putting them in proper context (accompanying the Guide content they relate to) with an explanation of what the video contains and how long it is. (The “Get Help With…” menu option may be a good place for instructional videos.)

 

How the Guide Search Box Works

Users generally expect that embedded search boxes are scoped to the subject of the guide. This is NOT the case. The Guide search box will search the content of all the U.Va. Guides.

• Include a note about what the results the user will get when he or she enters a search in the Guide search box
• Pro: users can find content in related Guides quickly
• Con: there isn't a way to limit the search by Guide
  • You can mitigate this by making the content in your Guide descriptive

If you include a link to Virgo or other search tool, state what the user is searching and provide tips for “scoping” searches (point out relevant subject headings, facets, etc.)

 

Creating a Larger Context for Your Guide

Users expressed a desire for related information in our Guides. You might feel that this kind of information is readily available elsewhere or that your users would be more likely to use Google to find this kind of thing, but the links you choose to include on a page affect the degree to which your user trusts your authority. Limit options to about 7, so choose wisely!

• Related Guides
• Related schools and departments