Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Dissemination and web strategyPresentation to the Benchmark Group

7 April 2003

Dominique De Buys, GOPA-Cartermill International

EXTR@Web Knowledge Manager (WP 3-4)

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Web auditPurpose:

• Identify best practices in terms of content structure, navigation functionality and technology and

• Make recommendations for the design of the new Transport Research Knowledge Centre

Methodology:

• Web evaluation criteria: design, services, access to information

• 60+ sites reviewed: ERA government sites, networks, projects, other research and innovation sites

• Compilation of information into evaluation database

End Month 4: web audit report (D 3.2)

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Recommendations: overall design

• Clear mission statement of site scope (« About us »)• User profiling: provision of list of services by user type • Soft but effective branding through light image banner• Use of byline/slogan to emphasise brand name and service differentiation• Menu items on LHS or top with search facilities on RHS• Centre page on homepage features the key latest web items• Search function available on home page• Clear navigation through limited number of main menu items• Long text pages: hyper-links at top of page instead of scrolling down

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Overall design: samples (1)

CIVITAS Initiative site: home page. Soft but effective branding through light image banner and use of marketing slogan. Clear menu items and content teaser by showing current news.

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Overall design: samples (2)

Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute: site user guide for journalists – simple html page with hyper-links to relevant web sections suited to specific target audience.

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Transport themes and topics

• Trend is to structure large information sites in a thematic manner

• Themes can be broadly broken down into 5-15 main themes or

• into a more detailed list of subject areas or finally using even longer thesauri (NACE codes)

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Proposal: three-level theme categorisation

• By mode: Air / Waterborne / Land (freight/passenger) • By objective: efficiency, environment (local and global),

safety and security, ergonomic, equity and accessibility, economic development/competitiveness

• By strategy and process: Transport and land use Infrastructure provision (inc. TENs) Regulation / deregulation Intelligent transport systems Other information / awareness strategies Pricing and taxation Integration, interoperability, intermodality Finance Appraisal and evaluation EU enlargement

Development of bespoke thematic summary for any

combination of attributes

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Project/results information – baseline requirements

EUREKA example General information: • Title - Project reference and acronym • Status • Technological area• Start and end date - Duration (months) • Actual cost• Summary (3-4 lines) Project outline:• Description• Technological development envisaged • Market application and exploitation • Project codes (using NACE codes)

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Project/results information – baseline requirements

Eureka site: second layer of project information. Possibility to click directly on sub-headings (general information, project outline, participants, full project sheet (pdf), related documents

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

View / Search functionMain criteria:• Possibility to search by one or more countries• by transport topic • and by free text search • or also by status (proposals, running, finished)• by acronym, keyword or category (sector)

Further selection:• Possibility to refine search by consulting recent results or archived results • Advanced search using Boolean techniques

User support techniques:• State n° of hits found at the top to guide the user and restate the search request. Possibility to see most popular searches and eventually select them.

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

View / Search function: samples (1)

Eureka site - projects section: possibility to search for project by number or acronym. In the advanced search: by keyword (free text), partner country (multiple possible), by technological area, by status (proposals, running, finished).

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Events section

Main information:• Begin/end date• Title, organiser, country• Introductory paragraph• Contact person and Tel/fax).Search feature: country, area, search next/ past events (next/last 7 days, 15 days, 1 month, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year).Pull information service: add your own

event (via submission form)

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Links section – baseline requirements

Sort/Search features: • by country • by category (e.g. networks, institutional, government, research)• by modes• by themes

Site branding when clicking on a link url:the user is introduced to the requested site but within the design framework of the site visited initially: the site branding is thus maintained

Push/pull information:Possibility to add a link within an entry form, providing the category to which the site belongs and an e-mail address from the sender or to send a link to a friend (push information)

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

On-site marketing / user interaction

Specific tools can be used to enhance site visibility and provide customisation of user needs:

• Site marketing: include quotes « what others have said about the service » - representing views from each target audience

• Encouraging user feedback through online feedback forms

• Online request for further information• Send a link/page to a colleague• Online subscription to news alert• Online picture library• Service oriented: glossary of technical terms, acronyms• Privacy statement: encouraging submission of contact details

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Dissemination strategy: lessons learnt from previous EXTRA project

• Timeliness and turnaround time: faster information provision

• Retrievalibility: better search routine, browsing by interest area

• Completeness: information at all stages of the project• User friendliness: use of local languages where

possible, more picturesSucess requires that the website is well-known and well liked: included in users’ favourites

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Input to dissemination strategy: user surveys

• Creation of user needs’ questionnaire to review: Available information sources Information gaps Future information needs Main barriers Content and e-services• Sample user group: (+2000 names) Government Networks and influencers Product and service providers Research and academia

Launch e-mail survey in Nov 02, phone survey Jan 03

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

User surveys: key recommendations

• Information content: EU / national information almost equally important

• Timing: marked preference for project end and early notification of project start – much less concern about project progress

• Focus: policy rather than technology• Length: 1-3 pages + access to fuller final report info • Themes: all considered relevant (modal / objectives) • Geographic search: access to partners involved• Requested services: e-mail alert (also by topic of interest),

archiving of results, free text searching facilities

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

User surveys: information sourcing

• Primary source: EU or general search engines• Secondary source: national sites and transport

thematic sites • Press sources: shortlist of main transport press

TRKC needs to establish reciprocal links with all of these to raise its visibility

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Other awareness raising activities

• E-enquiry service: helpdesk@transport-research.info • E-bulletin: monthly (linked to web update and news / issues

context)• Media announcements: 3 per year• Publications: Annual compendium: programme directory (Oct 03) followed by

annual project/results overviews focusing on theme categorisationThematic reviews: up to 8Selected set of policy brochures: towards the end of the projet• Event attendance: annual DGTREN conference, launch event

(May 03) and TRKC representation by BG• Leveraging of networks and intermediaries: ETIS, EICs, IRCs

etc.

Presentation to the Benchmark Group, 7/04/03

Dissemination and web strategy

Input / feedback from Advisory/Benchmark Groups• Web and extranet design and structure: validation of high-level

requirements by mid-May, feedback on design (mid-May), user testing (June)

• Web links: submit relevant national links and ensure reciprocity in institutional sites (using template latest by mid-May)

• Contacts: provision of national media (by end-April) and other contacts for e-mailing list (mid-May)

• Dissemination actions: represent TRKC in national events (as appropriate) and provide info on forthcoming events (monthly), disseminate media announcements