March 14, 2008 Focus Group

Owned by Joyce Johnstone
Last updated: Jul 25, 2008Version comment
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March 14, 2008 Focus Group

MyInfoVault User Focus Group

March 14, 2008, 63 Mrak

Minutes

Present: Cynthia Anderson (MCB), Crystal Barber (Academic Personnel), Julie Fritz(CAES: Dean's Office), Carolyn Borgnino (Academic Personnel), Sharon Boylan (Microbiology), Nanci Bristowe (CBS: Dean's Office), Amy Burnham (Vet Med), Cherie Felsch (VM: Dean's Office), Joyce Johnstone (IET), Connie Melendy (Academic Personnel), Carolyn Murdock (SOM: Anesthesiology) Paula Nasater (ESP), Ellie 0'Shea (Med: Biochem & Molecular Med), Cynthia Roberts (NPB), Dave Shelby (IET), Jan Weir (SOM: Dean's Office), Everett Wilson (Academic Personnel)

Connie Melendy welcomed the user group attendees and announced that Version 2 (V2) of MyInfoVault will be released June 30, 2008! The revised release date (previously fall 2008) is the result of Academic Personnel and IET working collaboratively to identify other options for improving the schedule, such as adjusting the quality assurance testing and user testing schedules. A smaller group of expert users will test in order to compress the user testing phase and deliver V2 on June 30, 2008. In addition the CV and NIH Biosketch module will be updated but won't be ready for the V2 release. Therefore, the CV and NIH Biosketch will be temporarily unavailable after June 30, 2008. The CV and NIH Biosketch features are expected to be available again in fall 2008.

Connie reviewed the advisory structure for MyInfoVault which includes:

  • Steering Committee
  • Oversight Committee
  • User Group (formerly MIV Workgroup)
  • Technical Advisory Group

Connie reviewed additional enhancements being considered for MIV. These enhancements are being reviewed by the development team, the steering committee, and user group:

  • Letter uploads - Improve the process to add letters and documents.
  • Voting - Allows faculty to input their votes and comments
  • Import utilities for publication data - Create import tools (similar to Pubmed download) to select from a wider source of journal databases
  • Look and Feel - Inviting for faculty to use.

Connie also shared information about a recent visit to the UC Riverside campus to review the eFile system. UC Riverside has done a nice job. Their system is being used by senate faculty only at this time. They have several systems in place that are integrated nicely with eFile: Identity management system, online course evaluation system, and a faculty workload data system. They made an early decision to not include many formatting options.

Joyce Johnstone provided an update on the status of Version 2 enhancements and background on the HTML formatting previously allowed in MIV. During the testing phase in spring 2007 for the Version 2 enhancements, a considerable number of incorrectly formatted HTML tags were found in the existing database, which caused errors when creating the PDF packet. In general the practice to enter HTML codes with the data has been problematic on many levels:

  • Having to cut/paste HTML codes is not user friendly and can introduce errors as we found during testing. These bad HTML codes caused errors when creating the packet file.
  • It's not a good database storage practice to store formatting codes in the database along with the data as the database is no longer storing pure data.

Therefore an important decision was made to change the process of formatting data in MIV.

  1. All HTML codes will be removed. This will be done programatically. No user intervention is needed.
  2. MIV will provide a new Format Options feature for publications to apply formatting previously provided by entering HTML codes
  3. HTML codes will no longer be entered with the data. Any codes will appear as typed. The new Format Options feature will be used to easily format the data for publications
  4. A list of previously formatted data will be provided to schools and departments prior to the Version 2 release in preparation for re-applying the formatting once Version 2 is available
  5. Additional Information screens will have a 'What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get' (WYSIWYG) editor for formatting additional information data. Note: Previously foratted data will still be available in Additional Information but the WYSIWYG editor will be used to edit the formatting.

Joyce provided a demonstration of the new Format Options feature for formatting fields and patterns within fields for publications. A sample of the Valid HTML Report was reviewed to show the type of report schools and colleges will receive to help them identify formatted data. Re-applying the formatting is optional. Formatting can be re-applied after V2 is released on June 30, 2008. A handout FAQ for Format Options was also reviewed to address any questions about the formatting options and report.

Carolyn Borgnino provided a demonstration of the V2 features:

  • New special character palette
  • Improved design for the login page, main menu, data entry and packet menu screens
  • Improved menu navigation
  • Improved Additional Information screens with a 'What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get' (WYSIWYG) editor for formatting additional information data
  • Publications data entry screens consolidated into one screen
  • Grants and Contracts data entry screens consolidated into one screen
  • Easier and faster adding, deleting and updating for data entry
  • New "drag and drop" resequencing or publications, courses, additional information
  • Improved Design Packet - Extensive screen
  • Improved PubMed download screens
  • Improved packet creation time

User Feedback

  1. Special character palette was well received.
  2. The "drag and drop" resequencing received applause and shouts of joy!
  3. The new resequencing page makes it easy to see what can and can not be resequenced.
  4. The improved design will make it easy for existing and new users to transition to V2.
  5. Adding, deleting, editing from the new preview page is much nicer.
  6. Academic terms for courses is a great change!
  7. Ability to turn on/off "Contributions to Jointly Authored Works" was a big hit!
  8. New Design My Packet - (formerly Design Packet - Extensive) is much easier to review and make selections.
  9. The Pubmed 'Check all' and 'Clear all' options will be very helpful when selecting publications for authors who have common last names.
  10. WYSIWYG editor for Additional Information forms will be very helpful.

If you are interested in helping to shape MyInfoVault by participating in a focus group, send an email to:miv-help@ucdavis.edu.