UXII Moderator Script

Introduction and Setup (7 minutes)

Greeting

Hi, I’m XXX, thanks so much for coming in today!

Overview and Permission to Record

Before we get started let’s get these consent forms filled out. Basically we’re going to be recording both your computer screen, and your face through that camera, and then our audio conversation. Those recordings are going to be posted on the internet under Creative Commons licensing, so they’ll be available for anyone who’s interested in this research to view at least part of them. By signing here, you’re agreeing that’s okay. Also, if you initial down below, we’ll label the video with your first name. If you’d rather we didn’t, we’ll label it with a made-up name instead. Do you have any questions?

Great, let’s talk a little about what were going to be doing here today. We’re collecting feedback on Wikipedia.org. Basically, I’ll ask you some questions and then watch you use the web site. The whole thing will take about 45 minutes.

Set up

Your job is really easy, you just have to be yourself and act as you naturally would. I did not design this website, and I don’t actually work directly for Wikipedia, I’m just collecting feedback, so I promise, nothing you say could hurt my feelings! As you use the site, please be honest with your positive and negative thoughts. There are no right or wrong answers. You are not being tested; the Wikipedia webpage is being tested.

Background Questions

So let’s get started with a few quick background questions.

What was it you were doing on Wikipedia when you filled out the survey a few weeks ago?

You said you come to Wikipedia XXX often. What are you usually looking up/doing? How has your experience been in the past?

(Non-editors) You mentioned that you haven’t edited Wikipedia before, but you’d be willing to. What are the reasons that you haven’t in the past?

Can you tell me what you know now about the process of editing?

(Editors) You mentioned that you have contributed to Wikipedia before. Please tell us about those experiences. Can you tell me what you know now about the process of editing?

Roles + Think Aloud

Next I’d like to have you go on Wikipedia to do a couple of tasks.

There’s one thing that I would like you to do differently. Please think aloud as you use the web site today. For example, if you are reading something read it out loud and feel free to say anything that comes to your mind as you read - for example that’s interesting or what in the world are they talking about? Also, talk out loud while you’re doing a task, so I can understand what you are thinking and doing. (e.g.: Now I’m going to try to use the search engine) And, if you get to a point where you would naturally stop working, let me know.

I’ll let you decide your task is complete, whether you find what you are looking for or not. Just tell me when you’re finished. Were going to be focusing on navigating through the website and making changes to Wikipedia entries. For the tasks that we’re going to do, we will be previewing your changes but for most of the time we won’t be permanently saving your changes (note: we will walk them through that if necessary)

Do you have any questions before we continue?

Okay, let’s go to the Wikipedia website. Does this all look pretty much how you’re used to it?

Let’s go ahead and log in.

Tasks (10-15 min each)

Personal Content

Let’s go ahead and visit the page you were looking at when you filled out the survey for this interview. Go ahead and continue doing that, or walk me through how you were doing that… (Alternatively: Hometown; Favorite sports team, movie, singer, actor; Last meal you had/book you read; College or University you attended.)

If you wanted to add a paragraph of info to this page, how would you do that? Go ahead and show me. (Steer towards making a change in the lower part of the article, to see if they use the ToC. Pre-fab sentence to give user if they don’t know what to add: Free knowledge for everyone on the planet. If necessary, show them how to preview and cancel their changes instead of saving them here, and continue to do this throughout as needed, as we don't want to save any changes!) Great, let’s go back up to the top and take a look at that. (Do they use the ToC to get there?)

Is that something you think you might do? Why/why not? What other types of things might you want to edit? Why? (fix typo, add section, add reference, add comment on discussion page…)

How did you feel about that process? How was that process?

What do you think about the way this is all laid out (the text, the navigation, and the other elements on the edit page)? How’s the information on this page? What information would you expect to be there? What information do you actually see there? Why do you think this information is here?

During this process, probing more deeply on: overall toolbar, help.

What about this section over here on the right (table of contents), what is it for? (Observe interaction with abbreviated headings and text position when using ToC to navigate.)

Please go to the discussion page for this article. Have you ever read, used or contributed to a discussion page for a Wikipedia article? (if yes) Please tell me about that.

Formatted Content

Let’s go ahead and go to another entry on Wikipedia. You can choose whatever’s interesting to you. Alternatively: Hometown; Favorite sports team, movie, singer, actor; Last meal you had/book you read; College or University you attended.

Let’s say you wanted to add some information here from another source, say a document on your computer or in this case, another website. (Let user choose if there's something they would like to add. Help them come up with examples.

How would you go about doing that? Is that something you would do? Why/why not? How was that process?

(if user doesn't mention References) Did you see the section about references? Would you add a reference from your text to the XX site? Why/why not? Go ahead and show me how you would do that.

(if user doesn’t mention External Links) Did you see the section about external links? Would you also add the CC site to the external links? Why/why not? Go ahead and show me how you would do that.

Note: if there is not a 'References' or 'External Links' on the Wikipedia entry that the user is viewing, direct them to the entry for “The Cathedral and the Bazaar”

Let's say you wanted to link to another Wikipedia article from within this article (called internal linking). How would you go about doing that? Is that something you would do? Why or why not? Let’s give it a try. … Great, thanks! (If this attempt was for an article that exists, add another one that doesn’t, or vice versa. Observe whether user is aware of and correctly interprets the icon to the right of the field.) How was that process?

Great, thanks so much for trying that! There’s one more thing I’d like to try here, if you don’t mind. Let’s see if we can add a table. How do you think you would do that?

Editing a Page that uses a template

(If doesn't happen on homewtown or other page):

Let’s go ahead and take a look at the Wikipedia page on San Francisco, CA.

If you wanted to edit just the 'Transportation' section here, how would you go about doing that?

If you wanted to add a new section here, how would you go about doing that?

Transportation section (hand user printed instructions):

Create a new section, call it “Bridges”
Include this text under the section heading:

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge

Save your changes
Then, above this text at the top of the section, please add the following:

Looking Back (5 minutes )

General (Navigation, Instructions, Help)

What do you think of everything you've seen and used?

Summaries (Likes + Dislikes)

What might encourage or increase your participation on Wikipedia.org?

Is there anything that you would want to see changed/done differently on the Wikipedia website? Particularly related to the tasks you completed today? If so explain. Any other likes or dislikes that you’d like to mention? Anything else you’d like to share with me or ask me? Would it be okay for us to contact you if we have any follow up questions or information?

Incentive and future contact

Well [participant name] that does it for us. Here’s your $75 Amazon gift certificate. Again, thanks so much for coming in and talking to us- it’s really useful for our research!