Assessment Report | LEAP

Assessment Information
eResource Title	Vendor	Overall Grade
MasterFILE Elite	EBSCO	C+

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?	Sometimes	When I enlarge the text size pass 125%, or change the width and height of the window of the browser, the college's logo on the right side of the database will disappear.

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?	Not Applicable
Do functional images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Sometimes	There is only one functional image (The askON chat icon) that is missing alternative text. All the other functional images contain alt text.
Do images used as text contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Sometimes	Images used as text (logos) do not repeat the words that are conveyed by the image.The alt text for the EBSCOhost logo is "Logo - Link to Search", and the alt text for the Fanshawe logo is "Library logo".

Content Scaling

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
When zoomed in at 200%, is text intact, readable, and not cut off?	Sometimes	In the result records, the icon of a magnifying glass and piece of paper, that beside the folder icon with a plus sign, is cut off when zoomed in at 200%
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

Colour

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Do colour coded graphs have text equivalents?	Not Applicable
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?	Always	In addition to colour used for linked text, the link text will be underlined when you put your cursor over the text.

Text to speech

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Is there a choice embedded within the database that offers text to speech or read aloud options?	Always

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	On the results page, the college's logo on the right side of the database, and the icon of a magnifying glass and piece of paper, that beside the folder icon with a plus sign, is not accessible via keyboard navigation. Also, when I try to apply limiters by tabbing over to the options and hitting enter, the page will refresh but the limits will not be applied.

Dynamic content

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Can users pause carousel movement?	Not Applicable
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

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?	Always
Do user input fields contain labels in addition to overall instructions mentioned above?	Always
Are descriptions for fields and boxes easy to understand?	Always
Are labels placed above the user input fields and clearly associated with each field?	Always
Are text cues for coloured form control labels available?	Never
Are other visual indicators provided consistently, such as an asterisk for required form fields?	Never

Error Prevention

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are user input fields either reversible, checked, or confirmed? One of the three is acceptable.	Always

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?	Sometimes	The alert messages are found under the search fields. If a word is misspelled, a message in black and blue will appear tell in the user they are showing results for the correct spelling of the word, as well as the option to search instead for the misspelled word. An alert message will appear in red when no results are found. Messages in red are more visible than the blue and black coloured messages. It can easily be missed since the colours used by the database are blue and black.
Do alert messages clearly indicate the field in which the error has occurred and a description of the error and the fix?	Sometimes	The alert messages that clearly indicate the field in which the error has occurred, as well as the description of the error and the fix, are only for misspelled words. If you make an error will any of the limiters (for example: setting the published date to January 2018 to March 2017), you will only receive the "No results are found" message. You will not receive any alert messages for any limiter errors.
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?	Never	Error reports and alert messages appear at the bottom on the search field section. This can be easily missed, since it is located at the bottom and not necessarily near the search fields.

Search function spell-check

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
When a user spells a word incorrectly, does the search function offer spelling suggestions or synonyms?	Always

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?	Sometimes	On the results page, beside every result is an icon of a magnifying glass and paper, and a the blue folder with the plus sign. These icons do not have alternative text. Also, in the search field section that appears on every page in the database, the icons used to add and delete search rows are not labelled, as well as the question mark icon (which brings up a new window with information on how to use the advanced search).
Are actions consistently labelled across the site? For example, the “search” button is always labeled “search”.	Always	Aside from the icons that are missing alternative text, all actions that are labelled are consistently labelled across the site.
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	Not new tabs, but in new windows. Some buttons that will automatically open in a new window, are the question mark icon in the search field section, the "Save PDF to Cloud" icon and "Google Chrome" icons in the details page of a results, and the "Help" on the right side of the database.
Does the database avoid launching pop-up windows automatically when the database is loaded?	Sometimes	The only time that a pop-up window will automatically appear is when you first login to the database. The pop-up is the askON virtual chat service. The pop-up message is blue and is usually located at the top left of the database.
Where pop-ups occur, are users able to postpone or suppress any pop-ups?	Always
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?	Never	Headings do not follow a logical structure. There are many skipped headings levels, and certain degree headings are not used properly.
Are headings concise and clear, and accurately reflect the content under that heading?	Always	As side from the skipped heading levels and certain degree headings are not properly used, all the headings are concise, clear, and accurately reflect the content under that heading.

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?	Never	Menu options and links located in the top blue bar of the database is not accessible with screen readers and via keyboard navigation.

Change of context

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the “results” page or item record view avoid opening in a new tab without a warning?	Never
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?	Never

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

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	Does not focus on the magnifying glass and paper icon beside the folder for every result in the results page.
If moving keyboard focus away from a component requires more than arrow or tab keys, is this clearly indicated on the page?	Never
Is default keyboard navigation order logical and intuitive, following the visual flow of the page as described above?	Sometimes	As previously mentioned, certain elements are skipped over, such as "Clear" beside the second search field on all pages and the magnifying glass and paper icon beside the folder for every result in the results page. Also, the order of navigation order is a bit confusing and inconsistent. On the results page, I would assume that the navigation would start at the very first element in the top blue bar and work its down, then left to right, but it starts at "Choose Database" above the search fields (and the elements for the search fields are not in logical order), then goes down to search history/Alerts, then to the results. Once a user has reached to the bottom on the page navigation numbers, it'll go the "Refine Results" side bar, then the red "Click to Chat" askON bar, then the elements located at the very bottom on the page (Top of page, EBSCO Connect, Privacy Policy, etc), then the askON pop-up that is located on the left side of the of the page, then the browser URL search bar, then the elements in the top blue bar on the database. However, if you don't exit the pop-up message then you will not be able to navigate to any elements that come after the pop-up message. Similar to the results page, for the main search page navigation starts at "Choose Database" above the search fields (and the elements for the search fields are not in logical order), then it will go through the search options,then the red "Click to Chat" askON bar, then the elements located at the very bottom on the page (Top of page, EBSCO Connect, Privacy Policy, etc), then the askON pop-up that is located on the left side of the of the page (if not already closed), then the browser URL search bar, then the elements in the top blue bar on the database. On the item records, the keyboard navigation starts at the elements on the top blue bar, then works it way down. It goes from the blue bar to the search field section, then to the details of the result, then the left side bar then to the right side bar.
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?	Sometimes	Most interactive functionality work via keyboard, except for the limiters. When I hit enter on the boxes beside the limiters, the page will refresh but the limiters are not applied.
Does focus order move sequentially across form fields?	Not Applicable	If I understood this question correctly, I believe this question is asking us to select a database from the "Choose Databases" link at the top of the search bar? If so, when I select "Choose Databases", I am not given any database options to select.

Skip Links

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are there skip links (either visible or invisible)?	Sometimes	Google Chrome - There is a "Skip to Main Content" link on the results page and item records, but it does not move keyboard focus to a new section of the page.
Are skip links visible or invisible?	Always	Google Chrome - Invisible
Are skip links (visible or invisible) positioned prominently near the beginning of the page?	Always	Google Chrome - It appears on the very left of the top blue bar of the page, beside "New Subjects".
Are skip links labelled properly?	Always	Google Chrome - Labelled as "Skip to Main Content".
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	Google Chrome - Skip Navigation only appears on the results page and pages of items. However, it does appear in the same place for these pages.

Tables

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the reader capture accurate information as it appears in the table and the columns and rows?	Sometimes	Reader captures accurate information if the graph, chart, etc is typed in the HTML Full Text of items. However, it will not read images of graphs, charts, etc that are in HTML Full Text.

Frames

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the screen reader successfully navigate from one frame to another?	Never	It's very inconsistent and confusing. It does not read everything that is listed on the page. Examples: On the results page, it will sometimes only read part of the title of a result, and sometimes won't read the titles and skip to the details section of the item (author, publication date, issue/volume, etc). In regards to pages of items, it does not recognize hyperlink texts and will not read them. It also does not read certain details on these pages, such as Full Text Word Count, ISSN, Accession Number, etc.
Does each frame have a meaningful title that tells the user the purpose of the frame?	Always
When navigating the page using keyboard navigation, is the user able to navigate effectively from one frame to the next?	Always

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	All but one article provided reliable character encoding.
Are all page elements tagged?	Sometimes	All of the articles are missing some type of tagged element(s). All of them failed at tagging the PDF, tagging the content. In addition to the listed missing tags, one article was also missing tagged annotations.
Are list and table structure correct?	Never	All the articles I assessed all failed List items, and Lbl and LBody under the "Lists" sections, as well as Rows, TH and TD, Headers, Regularity in the "Tables" section. Lastly, all articles skipped the Summary in the "Tables" section.

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	I assessed 5 articles. One of those articles was not compatible with the Read Out Loud Function, and another was not read in a logical way.
Does the Read out Loud function avoid problematic elements such as excessive blank spaces read as “blank”?	Sometimes	Footnote numbers included in the paper was read.
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
Do images used as titles contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Sometimes	A logo for one of my articles was not read with Acrobat’s Read Out Loud function.
Do rich images contain appropriate alt text or an appropriate textual alternative?	Sometimes	All of the articles I assessed contained rich images. Many of these images were figures and had descriptions. However, one of the articles I assessed included a chart but it did not have alt text.

Tables

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are tables tagged and described with in-text summaries where appropriate?	Never
Do table headers allow for easy navigation with screen readers?	Never

Additional Navigational Aids

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Does the bookmarks panel display bookmarks?	Never	None of the articles that I assessed had any bookmarks
Do bookmarks link to the correct sections in the document?	Not Applicable

Video Captions

Question	Answer	Notes	Images
Are videos captioned?	Sometimes	Captions do not appear for the full video, it only appears for certain parts. The only parts captioned are the parts that are part of the transcript.
If captions are closed, and need to be turned on by the user, is that process straightforward and intuitive?	Always
Are captions typo-free and grammatically correct (unless slang and grammatical errors are intentionally used in the video)?	Always
Does caption placement avoid blocking any important visual components necessary to understand the video?	Sometimes	In one of the videos I assessed, it blocked, a tiny bit, an interviewee's name and organization they were associated with.
Are the captions in sync with spoken words?	Never	Only a few words are displayed at a time, chopping up the sentence. Also, some words in the middle of a sentence do not appear in captions.
For videos that contain captions, are transcripts provided?	Always	Yes, but they are not great. It seems that the captions come from the transcripts.
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?	Never
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
If a transcript is provided, does it accurately capture the content of the audio?	Not Applicable

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