PDS4 Phoenix Beta PDS4 Phoenix Beta ReviewReview

Lynn D. V. NeakraseAtmospheres Node

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

•General Description of the Beta Test

•Categorization of Reviewer Responses

•Solutions/Suggestions

•Summary of Findings

PDS4 PHX Beta TestPDS4 PHX Beta Test

• Migrated ATM holdings for Phoenix Mars Lander data (5 Bundles)

• Redesigned website environment

• Beta Review

- Contacted ~35-40 reviewers (27 responded)

- Guided review (Worksheet, 2 exercises + Scorecard)

Guided ReviewGuided Review• Worksheet guided reviewers through intro

materials for PDS4 (PDS4 Jumpstart, Standards, Concepts documents and On-site information)

• 1st Exercise focused on Website architecture and access to data, including navigating through the redesigned site

• 2nd Exercise focused on reading XML and looking at sample labels to introduce new PDS4 structures

• Scorecard matched worksheet and allowed reviewers the opportunity to rank responses as well as input comments for more detailed feedback

Reviewer PoolReviewer Pool

• Reviewer pool was a diverse pool including veteran data providers and users, new providers, engineers, scientists, those familiar with PDS3 and those new to PDS

• We’ve kept track of each reviewer’s responses to understand more about the context for each of these demographics

• 27 out of ~35-40 (70-75% return) responded with very usable comments and suggestions

Categorization of Categorization of ResponsesResponses

• Reviewer responses covered a range of useful subjects

- Website Design, Structure, Usability

- PDS4 Structure, Documentation, XML Usage

- Suggestions for Improvements, Concerns, Complaints

Website CommentsWebsite Comments• General comments about the website

included mostly positive feedback about the User-Guide (One-Stop-Shop) approach we’ve implemented

• Several broken links in development hindered some of the review process and some links didn’t go to pages that many reviewers expected

• Layout was appreciated as informative and clear to gain access to the data

• Search capabilities, parceling the data or complete bundle downloads were not clear in our design

PDS4 - XMLPDS4 - XML• Most users thought use of XML was ok,

but didn’t see any benefits to it over ODL from PDS3

• XML is seen as code, and undesirable to many users. End users want more human readable metadata

• XML labels to contain UTF-8 pros and cons, many worried about non-unique character problems moving away from ASCII, but international support is very welcome

• Browser/Text Editor inconsistencies prevented useful reading of XML labels

PDS4 - XMLPDS4 - XML• Documentation was entirely too detailed for

most. Users will want Quick Reference Guides for common activities like search and retrieval, basic XML primer, or translation of XML into human readable text

• Document Collection is not well explained, and difficult to find publications vs. mission/instrument docs and how does this differ from Context products

• Context Collection is difficult to find and use – Unclear as to its purpose different from Document Collection

• PDS4 is a step in the right direction but reviewers are concerned about product services and implementation

SuggestionsSuggestions

• At PDS level there should be Quick Reference Guide pages for common tasks and as introductions to the new system

• A sample Bundle Architecture diagram should be available with descriptions of common bundles and collections outlined

• Document Collection should be a boilerplate page with links to specific described documents

SuggestionsSuggestions

• XML labels are discouraged for human readable uses. Better translation software routines to provide easier access to the metadata within the label

• Some sort of FAQ page for Browser and Text Editor troubleshooting. Common XML readability problems for common OS, Browsers, Text Editors could be outlined over time with updates as necessary

Summary of FindingsSummary of Findings• PDS4 in general is a step in the right

direction

• Complaints about usability and readability of XML files and uncertainty behind user tools are going to be a major issue moving forward

• LADEE and MAVEN development have succeeded in preparing much of the data provider interfaces

• Data user interface will need to be expanded and refined for a modern web environment (i.e., cross-linking, easy access to web tools, etc.)

• Cassini-style User Guides not just for data processing, but consistently for access to all PDS4 information

ImplementationImplementation• Implementation will need to happen across

the nodes

• Similar style pages will help with consistency

• Some high level products should be designed from the PDS main page and simply linked by DN’s pages (e.g., Quick Reference Guides)

• Specialty pages will need to be updated and maintained for DN specific services

• Education (consistency and efficiency) across PDS (Staff, Data Providers & Users, etc.) should be focus of a successful roll-out of PDS4