Transcript MS PowerPoint 97/2000 format

UKOLN Hands-On Session For
Leicester Spring School in New Media
Benchmarking Web Sites:
Quality Assurance (QA)
Brian Kelly
UKOLN
University of Bath
Bath
Email
[email protected]
URL
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
UKOLN is supported by:
A centre of expertise in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Approaches To Fixing Errors
We've found errors on our Web site. What
should we do?
• Fix the errors straight away
• Inform the page maintainer
• Do nothing – too many other more important
things to do
• Do nothing – the Web site has been "published"
and I don't rewrite history
• Do nothing – it's not my problem, it's a problem
caused by the HTML authoring tool everyone
uses
• …
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
A QA Approach
Quality Control:
• Fixing errors
• Fire-fighting
Quality Assurance (QA):
•
•
•
•
•
Documented policies
Systematic procedures for monitoring compliance
Considering workflow processes
Fixing processes so errors won't reappear
Audit trails
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
QA Focus
QA Focus:
• JISC-funded project to support JISC's digital library
programme
• Supports QA development which help ensure deliverables
are usable & interoperable
QA Focus Deliverables:
• Surveys
• Advisory documents
• Case studies
• Descriptions of tools
• Policies
• Self-assessment toolkit
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
Documentation: Advice
Advisory briefing
documents are being
produced
These are:
• Brief, focussed
documents
• Informed by
findings of the
surveys
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.ukMG
Documentation: Case Studies
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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Case Studies are
being commissioned
These are:
• Written by
projects
themselves
• Describe the
solution adopted
to a particular
problem
• Include details of
lessons learnt –
not just a press
release!
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Self Assessment Toolkit
Further Deliverables
We have developed a self-assessment toolkit
The toolkit consists of:
• Examples of
QA procedures
• Documented examples
of use of testing tools
• Self-assessment
questionnaires
• Advice on standards
and best practices
• Case studies
• FAQs
• …
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.ukMG
Useful Approach To Tools
As an example of approach
which provides easier access
to testing tools, see the
,tools approach deployed
on UKOLN Web site.
This approach:
• Applies to all resources on
Web site
• Covers HTML and CSS
validation and various
other tests
• Some recursive apps
(,rvalidate)
• Easily implemented with
single line redirect
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Policies
How do you know what you should do if you don't
have documented polices?
Policy example
Policy: Web Standards
Standard: XHTML 1.0 and CSS 2.0
Architecture: Use of SSIs and text editor
Exceptions: Automatically-derived files
Checking: Use ,validate after update
Audit Trail: Use ,rvalidate monthly and
document findings
You may find it useful to develop similar policies
yourself – for example, a policy of the accessibility of
your Web site
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
Application To Your Sector
Issues:
• Is the QA Focus methodology applicable
to your Web site?
• Are the QA Focus resources of use?
• What additional areas would you find
useful?
A centre of expertise in digital information management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk