PRODUCTS Mobile information Product focus
INFORMATION PROVIDERS CATER FOR RESEARCH ON THE MOVE
With the growth in mobile devices has come a growth in mobile information products. We find out about some of the latest developments and the thinking behind them
Ron Burns, vice president of global software services, EBSCO Information Services
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BSCO’s latest mobile initiative, which we launched in 2012 and called Mobile 2.0, aims to promote usage growth and a better experience for mobile users ‘on the fly’. The plan was simple: one code base that could easily keep up with new platform features and the software development process. This plan was based on the notion that, if mobile is where the users are, then that is where the services have to be. The explosive growth of smartphones cannot be denied; iOS and Android are the platforms of choice and the changes in technology and design are occurring more and more rapidly. Today every database on the EBSCOhost platform is available via mobile devices. Initially, we invested money into individual apps but, although there are some products that still have their own apps, as technology developed we decided to invest more in our mobile website. A responsive design approach (websites that have been tuned to disclose and stack user interface and content elements progressively, depending on the computer or device screen size) enables a similar user experience across a variety of devices. Components are touch-optimised for iPad users. The sites auto-detect mobile users and present the search interface in an intuitive way crafted from user testing. Individual libraries can brand their EBSCOhost user interfaces, and that branding is maintained in the mobile experience. Using APIs (with JSON) allows libraries to build their own custom mobile apps.
24 Research Information AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013
In the academic space, there is an audience of diverse user types, including librarians, faculty, new graduate researchers and first-year students. There is a need to understand their different backgrounds, skills, and experiences, and also understand what they have in common. Any design has to achieve a balance – designing for the variety of users without alienating any of them.
There are also certain resources where the offline experience is an essential element. We have individual apps for the point-of-care clinical decision support tool DynaMed and the nursing point-of-care tool Nursing Reference
‘Any design has to achieve a balance – designing for the variety of users without alienating any of them’
Center. Our future plans include continued development with a responsive design approach and evaluation of new features and devices. We are also planning a specific app that takes e-book functionality and offline needs into account.
As library customers get new and better experiences, the message is sent to end-users that the library provides a reliable service that can be used anywhere and at any time. That, in turn, fosters more usage and a more positive impression of the library.
@researchinfo
www.researchinformation.info
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