The DLI Survival Guide: A reference document for DLI Contacts

Marie-Claire Lauzon, Statistics Canada

2008 DLI Atlantic Training

Acadia University, April 23, 2008

Objectives

Provide an overview of the DLI Survival Guide – A quick reference guide for DLI Contacts

Give you the opportunity to test drive the Guide and let us know what you think and how we can improve this tool!

What is it?

A web-based reference document

Developed for all DLI Contacts

Will be especially helpful for new DLI Contacts and DLI Contacts who devote a small amount of time to data services

Contents

Table of contents, 8 sections and a glossary For example:

What type of software do I need to access the FTP? What is a microdata file and how is it different from a

CANSIM table or a Beyond 20/20 table? I have forgotten my DLI password, what should I do? I need some help with a data reference question! Where

can I find some help? What are PUMFs, IDLS, the EAC, NOC and SOC?

The DLI Survival Guide – A bit of history

The “Brian McNally First Aid CD-ROM” produced by Elizabeth Hamilton and her colleagues at the University of New Brunswick (UNB)

Training binder for new data librarians developed by the DLI unit (1997)

Needed to be updated, expanded and become web-based to serve the needs of DLI Contacts across Canada

The DLI Survival Guide – A bit of history Jane Fry, Carleton University, and the DLI

unit at Statistics Canada worked together to create the existing Guide

Chuck Humphrey, University of Alberta and Nancy Lemay, University of Ottawa, also contributed to the Guide

DLI Survival Guide – National Training Day Demo Draft version of the Guide presented during the

DLI National Training Day (May 2007) DLI unit received more than 100 suggestions

from the DLI community Incorporated these suggestions and translated

the Guide Released an updated, password protected,

version

DLI Survival Guide – Recent developments Last month, the Centre of

Expertise on Accessibility reviewed the guide and provided accessibility related recommendations

Their recommendations led us to re-write and re-code certain sections of the Guide. For example: Replaced menu on right side with links

at the top Removed any instances of “click here” Re-wrote expressions like “Position your

mouse over the link below" (not everyone uses a mouse)

DLI Survival Guide – Next Steps Currently testing search feature with search specialists from our

Dissemination Division This week, the Guide is undergoing usability testing

Examine how the Guide works in different browsers Identify any broken links Provide usability recommendations

We will then implement the usability recommendations and

release the Guide

Hands-on Exercise

It’s your turn to test drive the Guide and to let us know how it can be improved!

Your thoughts…

Will you use it?

What do you like best?

What do you like least?

General Comments?