Evaluation of Digital Repositories from an End-users' Perspective: The Case of the reUSE project

Along with the long-term preservation of digital publications the next important goal is public access and in this regard user-centred design of digital repositories. Several repositories worldwide have shown that users are their most critical element. Repositories as such are valuable only if used. The success of the repository is often influenced by the content and the design of the interface. The lack of content is the main reason for unsuccessful repository as well as design-centred interface. Many digital repositories’ interfaces are design-centred rather than user-centred. Quite a few users claimed that the search interface was too complicated and distracting and that specific jargon, wording and explanation within the certain interface did not help them at all [1][2].