Assessment for Choice Reviews by Centennial - Module 1: Interface Appearance

Submitted by bkahn@centenni… on
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Most images are in the centre of the page. However, the image with the database logo that redirects to the home page is in the upper left-hand corner.
Are there functional images embedded in the background?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Everything stays in position when the font size is changed. When the browser zooms in very closely, the logo and top row of options are obscured by the search bar.
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: When you hover over Functional images, they have a pop-up text box which appears reading, for example on a print icon, Login to print search results. As it is not a constant alternative and requires you to hover for it to appear, I don't know if this would constitute an appropriate textual alternative. Keyboard navigation also seems to skip these options.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: There is a logo for the Choice Review website. It contains the words "Choice Review" and there appears to be alt text reading "Choice logo."
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: I have not been able to find any icons of the type referred to. Where there are icons like on the home page for different topic areas, the icons include the name of the page, plus identical alt text.
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: Sometimes - there are consistently two errors on each page that seem to be contrast ratio.
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes: Graphics always seem to include text as part of the graphic.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action?
Answer: Not Applicable
Score: -1
Notes: Color doesn't seem to be an important indicator of actions on this website.
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options?
Answer: Never
Score: 0
Notes: I don't see any options for text to speech or read aloud options.
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation?
Answer: Sometimes
Score: 1
Notes: I'm finding it very difficult to navigate via keyboard, at least in the early going. I can start the navigation, but it's not clear where my cursor goes after that, although I can hit enter and access different options, but not in any logical order. You have to look at the URL that appears at the bottom of the screen as you tab between options, and that is not intuitive. Eventually, your indicator reappears on the screen, but it takes a lot of tabbing before you get to that.
Can users pause carousel movement?
Answer: Never
Score: 0
Notes: There is a carousel on the home page. It holds each frame for a decent amount of time, and you can choose which image you want to see, but you can't stop it from moving.
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard?
Answer: Never
Score: 0
Notes: As far as I can determine, you cannot navigate between carousel items through keyboard navigation.
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions?
Answer: Always
Score: 2
Notes:
eResource: Choice Reviews
eResource Type: Database
Vendor: American Library Association (ALA)
Institution: Centennial
Score: B

Images

Positioning of Images

Question Answer Notes Images
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? Sometimes Most images are in the centre of the page. However, the image with the database logo that redirects to the home page is in the upper left-hand corner.

Functional images embedded in the background

Question Answer Notes Images
Are there functional images embedded in the background? Sometimes Everything stays in position when the font size is changed. When the browser zooms in very closely, the logo and top row of options are obscured by the search bar.

Presence of Icons

Question Answer Notes Images
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc? Not Applicable I have not been able to find any icons of the type referred to. Where there are icons like on the home page for different topic areas, the icons include the name of the page, plus identical alt text.

Alt Text

Question Answer Notes Images
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Sometimes When you hover over Functional images, they have a pop-up text box which appears reading, for example on a print icon, Login to print search results. As it is not a constant alternative and requires you to hover for it to appear, I don't know if this would constitute an appropriate textual alternative. Keyboard navigation also seems to skip these options.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? Always There is a logo for the Choice Review website. It contains the words "Choice Review" and there appears to be alt text reading "Choice logo."

Content Scaling

Question Answer Notes Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off? Always
Are images clear and unpixelated at 200%? Always
Is horizontal scrolling minimized at 200%? Always

Colour and Contrast

Question Answer Notes Images
Do text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1? Sometimes Sometimes - there are consistently two errors on each page that seem to be contrast ratio.

Colour

Question Answer Notes Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents? Always Graphics always seem to include text as part of the graphic.
Are blocks of content separated from one another using visual separation (such as whitespace or borders)? Always
Are text alternatives provided where colour is used to indicate an action? Not Applicable Color doesn't seem to be an important indicator of actions on this website.

Text to speech

Question Answer Notes Images
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options? Never I don't see any options for text to speech or read aloud options.

Clustered Links

Question Answer Notes Images
Using your mouse, is the clickable area around links and buttons large enough for users to see and activate easily? Always
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate? Always
Using any method to test links, are all links and buttons functional (i.e., not dead)? Always
Are links or buttons accessible via keyboard navigation? Sometimes I'm finding it very difficult to navigate via keyboard, at least in the early going. I can start the navigation, but it's not clear where my cursor goes after that, although I can hit enter and access different options, but not in any logical order. You have to look at the URL that appears at the bottom of the screen as you tab between options, and that is not intuitive. Eventually, your indicator reappears on the screen, but it takes a lot of tabbing before you get to that.

Dynamic content

Question Answer Notes Images
Can users pause carousel movement? Never There is a carousel on the home page. It holds each frame for a decent amount of time, and you can choose which image you want to see, but you can't stop it from moving.
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard? Never As far as I can determine, you cannot navigate between carousel items through keyboard navigation.

Liquid layout

Question Answer Notes Images
Is the order of the text preserved at all screen resolutions, without overlap? Always
Do images avoid overlapping at all screen resolutions? Always
Is the overall reading experience preserved at all screen resolutions? Always
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