Assessment Information
eResource Title |
Vendor |
Overall Grade |
ASME Digital Collection |
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) |
B- |
Assessment for ASME Digital Collection by Centennial - Module 1: Interface Appearance | Status: Complete | Grade: A-
Images
Positioning of Images
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? |
Always |
|
|
Functional images embedded in the background
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are there functional images embedded in the background? |
Never |
|
|
Presence of Icons
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are there icons where appropriate, such as icons to indicate PDF Full Text, Download, Folder, Citation, etc? |
Always |
|
|
Alt Text
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? |
Sometimes |
There is usually alt text. When alt text is missing, there is usually adjacent text that explains the image. In some cases, there is both, and the Wave tool has tagged the alt text as being redundant. |
|
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? |
Always |
When icons have hyperlinks, they contain alt text. Icons often are not hyperlinked, and when they are, the text next to them always seems to link to the same page. |
|
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? |
Always |
There is either alt text, or an appropriate textual alternative. Sometimes there is both. |
|
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? |
Always |
I checked several pages and found no contrast errors. |
|
Colour
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents? |
Sometimes |
In a review of a couple of journal articles on the site, I found that usually the charts do NOT have a text equivalent, although I did find some that did. Text equivalencies appear to be the exception, not the rule. |
|
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 |
The database doesn't appear to use colour to indicate an action. |
|
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 |
|
|
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 |
All the links were easy to click and navigate through. |
|
Using your mouse to test links, are links and buttons far enough apart for users to accurately activate? |
Always |
Although some links look close together, I had no difficulties clicking through on any of them without clicking the wrong link. |
|
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? |
Always |
|
|
Dynamic content
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Can users pause carousel movement? |
Not Applicable |
There are no carousels or scrolling images in this database. |
|
Is all functionality, including navigating between carousel items, operable by keyboard? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
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 |
The only difference is that with some of the smaller screen sizes, there is more scrolling. |
|
Assessment for ASME Digital Collection by Centennial - Module 2: Interface Navigation | Status: Complete | Grade: B+
Labels and Instructions for Interactive Elements
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are user input fields accompanied by clear instructions on what the user needs to do to successfully complete the form? |
Never |
There are form labels in almost every case that prompt the user as to which information to submit in each field, but no instructions beyond that. |
|
Do user input fields contain labels in addition to overall instructions mentioned above? |
Sometimes |
Most user input fields are clear and obvious. However, there is a field in the Contact Us form that requires the user to submit a Captcha in order to submit the form. The Captcha - a four digit number, in dark colours against a grey mottled background, is not that easy to read, gets flagged by the WAVE tool for being low-contrast, and has no form label telling you what to do. I had to assume that this was a necessary step before submitting a form, and tried to submit without putting the number in and the from wouldn't submit. |
|
Are descriptions for fields and boxes easy to understand? |
Sometimes |
Except in the case of the Captcha noted above. |
|
Are labels placed above the user input fields and clearly associated with each field? |
Sometimes |
Almost always, except in the example listed above. In that case, the Captcha image is listed above the Input Field with no other explanation. |
|
Are text cues for coloured form control labels available? |
Not Applicable |
There are no coloured form labels. |
|
Are other visual indicators provided consistently, such as an asterisk for required form fields? |
Sometimes |
Again, not in the case of the Captcha image. |
|
Error Prevention
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are user input fields either reversible, checked, or confirmed? One of the three is acceptable. |
Always |
Reversible, with some confirmation. |
|
Error Reports
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are alert messages clearly visible to the user, either at the top of the form field, inline, or through a dialog box? |
Always |
|
|
Do alert messages clearly indicate the field in which the error has occurred and a description of the error and the fix? |
Always |
|
|
Is the user able to easily access the user input field to correct the error? |
Always |
|
|
Is the user able to resubmit the form and re-validate their submission? |
Always |
|
|
Do error reports follow a logical reading and navigation order? |
Always |
|
|
Search function spell-check
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
When a user spells a word incorrectly, does the search function offer spelling suggestions or synonyms? |
Never |
|
|
Functionality of Interactive Elements
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are icons such as to save, download, or print consistent across the site? |
Always |
|
|
Is alternative text clear and consistent for each icon type? |
Not Applicable |
I can't determine if there is alternative text for the icons, but each icon has a text equivalent adjacent to it. |
|
Are actions consistently labelled across the site? For example, the “search” button is always labeled “search”. |
Always |
|
|
Are icons that have adjacent links consistent? |
Always |
|
|
Can the purpose of each link be determined from the link text alone? |
Always |
|
|
Consistent Navigation
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the eresource have a consistent layout and navigation across all pages? |
Always |
|
|
Are search fields located in the same places throughout the website? |
Always |
|
|
Do other features occur in the same place throughout the website? |
Always |
|
|
Are links, buttons, images, and other components that are used repeatedly throughout a website labeled consistently? |
Always |
|
|
Pop-up windows/Interruptions
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the electronic resource avoid the use of pop-up windows which open automatically in a new tab if a user clicks on a button? |
Sometimes |
When clicking through journal articles or ebooks, the window stays in the same window, but several options - pdf, Permissions, information about Open Access on the Journals page, etc. will open up in a new tab. |
|
Does the database avoid launching pop-up windows automatically when the database is loaded? |
Always |
|
|
Where pop-ups occur, are users able to postpone or suppress any pop-ups? |
Never |
|
|
Does the database avoid launching pages in a new browser window with the usual browser controls missing? |
Always |
|
|
Headers
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Is page content subdivided hierarchically into appropriate headings and tagged appropriately? |
Sometimes |
Several pages seem to skip the Header 2 level. |
|
Are headings concise and clear, and accurately reflect the content under that heading? |
Always |
|
|
Menus
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Do database page menus have a reasonable number of navigation items and drop-down options? |
Always |
|
|
Does the main navigation and drop-downs contain a reasonable number of menu items? |
Always |
|
|
Can all menus and submenus be accessed with screen readers and via keyboard navigation? |
Always |
|
|
Change of context
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the “results” page or item record view avoid opening in a new tab without a warning? |
Always |
|
|
Is there an "update now" button that requests a refresh of content rather than automatically updating the content? |
Never |
|
|
Does the database avoid automatic redirection? |
Sometimes |
When clicking through journal articles or ebooks, the window stays in the same window, but several options - pdf, Permissions, information about Open Access on the Journals page, etc. will open up in a new tab. |
|
Change of Context: Focus
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the form refrain from submitting automatically when a component receives focus? |
Always |
|
|
Does the database avoid launching new windows when a component receives focus? |
Always |
|
|
Does the database avoid change of focus when a component receives focus? |
Always |
|
|
Are you able to tab through a page using keyboard navigation without the keyboard focus moving away from the control? |
Always |
|
|
Assessment for ASME Digital Collection by Centennial - Module 3: Interface Structure | Status: Complete | Grade: A-
Navigation Links
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Can the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text, or from the link text together with its surrounding context? |
Always |
|
|
Keyboard Navigation
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Can keyboard focus be moved to all page elements? |
Sometimes |
|
|
If moving keyboard focus away from a component requires more than arrow or tab keys, is this clearly indicated on the page? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
Is default keyboard navigation order logical and intuitive, following the visual flow of the page as described above? |
Always |
|
|
When using a keyboard to navigate the interface, is the keyboard focus indicator visible? |
Always |
|
|
Does all interactive functionality work via keyboard, and does it behave consistently and as expected? |
Always |
|
|
Does focus order move sequentially across form fields? |
Always |
|
|
Skip Links
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are there skip links (either visible or invisible)? |
Always |
I used Google Chrome. **NOTE** if using keyboard navigation with a screen reader (I used NVDA), the skip link will not appear and you will not be able to access it. |
|
Are skip links visible or invisible? |
Sometimes |
The skip link is invisible, but it appears once you begin using keyboard navigation on a form. **NOTE** if using keyboard navigation with a screen reader (I used NVDA), the skip link will not appear and you will not be able to access it. |
|
Are skip links (visible or invisible) positioned prominently near the beginning of the page? |
Always |
Right at the top of the page. **NOTE** if using keyboard navigation with a screen reader (I used NVDA), the skip link will not appear and you will not be able to access it. |
|
Are skip links labelled properly? |
Always |
There is only one skip link on each page, Skip to main content. **NOTE** if using keyboard navigation with a screen reader (I used NVDA), the skip link will not appear and you will not be able to access it. |
|
Are skip links accessible via keyboard? |
Always |
|
|
Do anchors (link destinations) appear at the beginning of the relevant content? |
Always |
|
|
Do skip navigation controls appear in the same place on every page? |
Always |
**NOTE** if using keyboard navigation with a screen reader (I used NVDA), the skip link will not appear and you will not be able to access it. |
|
Tables
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the reader capture accurate information as it appears in the table and the columns and rows? |
Always |
|
|
Frames
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the screen reader successfully navigate from one frame to another? |
Always |
|
|
Does each frame have a meaningful title that tells the user the purpose of the frame? |
Never |
|
|
When navigating the page using keyboard navigation, is the user able to navigate effectively from one frame to the next? |
Never |
I don't know if there's a quick way to move between one frame and another. The only way I could find was to tab through the entire list in the left-hand frame, and then move to the next frame. I tried different recommended keyboard navigation tricks to move between frames, but it simply moved me between tabs on my browser, or open applications on my workstation, rather than between frames on the page. |
|
Assessment for ASME Digital Collection by Centennial - Module 4: Content | Status: Complete | Grade: F
PDFs
Searchable PDFs
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are the sampled PDFs image-only? |
Never |
|
|
Are the sampled PDFs locked (secured)? |
Never |
|
|
Are the sampled PDFs fully searchable? |
Always |
|
|
Tagged PDFs
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are alternative descriptions provided? |
Never |
|
|
Is primary language specified? |
Never |
|
|
Is reliable character encoding provided? |
Sometimes |
In a sample of five pdf documents, three passed and two failed. Two of the three that passed are older documents (1956, 1962 and 2022 as opposed to 2020 and 2021 in the two that didn't), so age doesn't seem to be an indicator of whether a pdf will have this or not. |
|
Are all page elements tagged? |
Never |
|
|
Are list and table structure correct? |
Never |
|
|
Structure: Reading Order
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the Read Out Loud function read the PDF in a logical way, preserving the order of the text and various sections? |
Sometimes |
Usually it does, but there was a table with formulas where it would read the top line of the formula, then the reference numbers at the end of the line, before reading the bottom line of the formula. One ebook that I sampled was unreadable, each page just coming up as "blank page." This was the only instance of this I found. |
|
Does the Read out Loud function avoid problematic elements such as excessive blank spaces read as “blank”? |
Sometimes |
Usually, but one ebook that I sampled was unreadable, each page just coming up as "blank page." This was the only instance of this I found. |
|
Are the controls consistent and effective for navigating through the document? |
Always |
|
|
Magnification
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
When zooming in to 250%, does all text, images, tables, and other elements appear clear and easy to read? |
Always |
|
|
Images
Positioning of Images
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are the images positioned prominently and easy to find? |
Always |
|
|
Alternative Description
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Do informative images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? |
Never |
There are not many informative images, but I found some that acted as title pages on ebooks, and these either didn't read, or read as "blank page." |
|
Do images used as titles contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? |
Never |
There are not many images that function as text, but I found some that acted as title pages on ebooks, and these either didn't read, or read as "blank page." |
|
Do rich images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative? |
Never |
|
|
Tables
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are tables tagged and described with in-text summaries where appropriate? |
Always |
The tables are read row by row, but you cannot seem to tab through them. Sometimes, the read aloud functions runs the information in the rows too closely together, or puts the beginning of the second row in the same sentence with the end of the row before it. Also, in at least one table, the read aloud function skipped the first two categories in a row. |
|
Do table headers allow for easy navigation with screen readers? |
Never |
|
|
Additional Navigational Aids
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Does the bookmarks panel display bookmarks? |
Sometimes |
In all four journal articles, it did. I had a fourth document that was the introduciton to an ebook, and that didn't, but it might be because it's part of a larger work. |
|
Do bookmarks link to the correct sections in the document? |
Always |
|
|
Video Captions
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Are videos captioned? |
Not Applicable |
There are no videos in this database. |
|
If captions are closed, and need to be turned on by the user, is that process straightforward and intuitive? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
Are captions typo-free and grammatically correct (unless slang and grammatical errors are intentionally used in the video)? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
Does caption placement avoid blocking any important visual components necessary to understand the video? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
Are the captions in sync with spoken words? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
For videos that contain captions, are transcripts provided? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
For videos that do not contain captions, are transcripts provided? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
Described Video
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Do videos include described video, or if not, is there a text equivalent of the video provided on the same page or via a link? |
Not Applicable |
There are noo videos in this database. |
|
If the video includes described video or a text equivalent of the video, is it an accurate description of the video contents? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
Audio Accessibility
Question |
Answer |
Notes |
Images |
Is a link to a text transcript provided in reasonable proximity to the audio clip? |
Not Applicable |
There are no audio files in this database. |
|
If a transcript is provided, does it accurately capture the content of the audio? |
Not Applicable |
|
|
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