Embedding e-Science Applications Designing and Managing for Usability
Marina Jirotka (Principle Investigator)
Anne Trefethen (Co-Investigator)
Ralph Schroeder (Researcher)
Sharon Lloyd (Researcher)
m.c. schraefel (Researcher)
Andrew Warr (Usability Research Officer)
Grace de la Flor (DPhil student)
Project Aims
This project will address 2 major challenges
of e-Science projects, namely:
1. The difficulty of managing requirements
for usability
2. Developing collaborative approaches to
system development that allow for
communication of the requirements
Project Objectives
This project will output a number of deliverables:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A report on eDiaMoND project management
activities and their perceived effectiveness (D1.1)
A report on eDiaMoND identifying usability issues
and challenges for further investigation (D1.2)
A report identifying issues and methods for
interacting with service providers (e.g. NGS) to
ensure a drive towards usability (D2.1)
A report evaluating the use of Personal Access
Grids. This report will include a set of
recommendations for use and best practices (D3.1)
A report identifying techniques and methods to best
establish a shared understanding across multidisciplinary and multi-organisational teams (D4.1)
The Past and Present

We have so far planned and specified 5 studies:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A retrospective analysis of eDiaMoND (contributing towards D1.1 and D1.2)
A longitudinal study of AccessGrid (contributing towards D4.1)
An evaluation of NGS (contributing towards D2.1)
A longitudinal study into the use of collaborative/communication technologies
(contributing towards D4.1)
A review and critique of project management methodologies (contributing
towards D1.1)
We have completed our retrospective analysis of the eDiaMoND project

Warr, A., de la Flor, G., Jirotka, M. & Lloyd, S. (2007). Usability in e-Science:
The eDiaMoND Case Study, In the workshop: Increasing the impact of
usability work in software development - at CHI 2007, 28 April - 03 May 2007,
San Jose, USA.



This case study may contribute towards a subsequent book chapter
We are delivering 2 reports from the eDiaMoND case study (D1.1 and D1.2)
We have conducted an ethnographic study observing how CancerGrid
research staff collaborate using Polycom PVX. We are currently
analysing the data (contributing towards D3.1)
Future Work

In the near future…
 We are looking for a suitable e-Research project and diverse set of
stakeholders to deploy our diary study to (contributing towards D4.1)
 We are recording and analysing AccessGrid meetings in collaboration
with the e-Infrastructures project (contributing towards D4.1)
 We will be working with a project management special interest group
trying to establish best practice guidelines for project management in
e-Science (building upon D1.1)
 Jirotka, M. & Warr, A. Usability in e-Science: Challenges and Tools for
Support. To appear in Dutton, W. & Jeffreys, P (eds.) 'World Wide
Science: The Promises, Threats and Realities of e-Research: How eResearch Will Reconfigure Access to Information, Expertise and Tools
in the Sciences and Humanities'

Further down the line…
 A comparison of desktop-based vs. room-based video conferencing
systems - Polycom PVX vs. AccessGrid (contributing towards D4.1)
 Begin the study evaluating the NGS (contributing towards D2.1)
 …
Questions?
Andrew Warr
Oxford e-Research Centre
University of Oxford
andrew.warr@oerc.ox.ac.uk