We continuously work to improve our digital project by adding new content and interactive features. To make sure we’re meeting the needs of our users, we’d love to hear from you via the usability survey below. It should take you about 10 minutes to finish it, and we – in the words of Charlotte Cushman – “thank you earnestly for your lines” (Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Sarah Anderton [?], Feb 1, [no year])

(* indicates a required field. All other questions are optional)

Survey
About You
We would first like to learn a bit more about our users

Is this your first time visiting this website?*

Who are you?*

How would you rate your affinity with Digital Humanities?*

How did you find ArchivalGossip.com?*

Structure and Interaction
In this section, we want to learn about how you navigate and use ArchivalGossip.com and ArchivalGossip.com/collection

Which parts of our project have you explored so far? (Homepage – Blog – Sources – About – Conference – Collection)*

Looking at the menue on the top right corner of the Wordpress-site, how would you rate the navigation of this website?*

Is there anything you'd want us to add to the landing page to make navigation easier? (currently, we provide an overview over recent blog posts and an introductory description of the project)

Turning to our collection-part and its menue (items – exhibits – blog – neatline time – map), how would you rate the navigation of the database?*

Continuing with the collection, which interactive features (tags at the bottom of each page – browse – relationships below transcripts on item pages – search – maps – timelines) helped you find the items you were looking for?*

Concerning another mode of navigating our collection: If you have used our "refine search" function yet – which you find at the top of items list and which allows you to filter items by subject headings and other metadata – did it help you find what you were looking for?*

Is there any interactive feature you are missing?

Are you downloading or copying material? (which you are free and encouraged to do!)*

Content
In this next section, we focus on the information we provide and how useful it seems to you.

Concerning the context provided on our items pages (example), do you consider that*

Are you missing any categories and information on our item pages (example)? If so, could you specify?

Another way in which we aim to provide context on and highlight connections among items are our thematic exhibits. Are you using those to navigate the collection?*

Are you missing any specific items or exhibits?

As mentioned before in this survey, our Wordpress-site features a blog in which we highlight some items from our collection and provide background information on our current research. Do you find this blog helpful in framing the collection and its items?*

Is there a topic you would like us to address in a future blog post?

Switching perspective for a moment from "what we provide" to "what you do": What is your primary use of the information provided on ArchivalGossip.com or of the items displayed in ArchivalGossip.com/collection?*

Layout and Design
In this section, we want to learn what you think about the design of ArchivalGossip.com

Overall, how would you rate the layout and design of ArchivalGossip.com (Wordpress)*

Overall, how would you rate the layout and design of ArchivalGossip.com/collection (Omeka)*

Are there any design features you would want to change?

Could you specify?

Do you have any concerns about accessibility of our digital project?

If there is anything else, you'd like add? If you'd be fine to receive a follow-up questions, or if you simply want to be kept in the loop about the results of this survey, please add your email address. Thank you!

“I thank you for your free & public expressions of admiration.”
(Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Rosalie Sully [?], Nov 9, [1845])