Self-archiving with ease in an institutional repository: Microinteractions and the user experience

Abstract

Details matter, especially when they can influence whether users engage with a new digital initiative that relies heavily on their support. During the recent development of MacEwan University's institutional repository, the librarians leading the project wanted to ensure the site would offer users an easy and effective way to deposit their works, in turn helping to ensure the repository's long-term viability. The following paper discusses their approach to user-testing, applying Dan Saffer's framework of microinteractions to how faculty members experienced the repository's self-archiving functionality. It outlines the steps taken to test and refine the self-archiving process, shedding light on how others may apply the concept of microinteractions to better understand a website's utility and the overall user experience that it delivers.