Usability of finding aids in the software of the National Library and Archives of Iran from the users' viewpoint of view

To measure the usability of finding aids in the form of search, author, topic and title fields in the software of National Library and Archives of Iran from the users' viewpoint of view.

The current descriptive research is practical in terms of purpose and has been carried out in a quasi-experimental manner. Data collection techniques included verbal reports (thinking aloud) and direct observation during tasks; a questionnaire was used to collect demographic information; the research community was formed by novice and expert users of the National Library and Archives. Users expressed their opinions after completing the tasks with a post-test survey.

The tools were more usable for expert users compared to novice users. Compared to expert users, novice users had more difficulty completing tasks due to a lack of familiarity with archive vocabulary and how to search in the software. About 60% of the participants easily completed the "search" and "author" fields. Although the most effective was related to the "author" field, its completion was unsuccessful among 10% of users. The lowest and highest time averages were related to the "Title" and "Subject" fields, respectively. Generally, the tools are usable for users and their usability can be increased through training and using the guide. At the time of data entry, terminology and user-friendliness of tools are important. Users perform their searches with usable finding aids and reduce the need for intermediaries.