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Information Resources Management Committee

GUIDELINES FOR TRIAL OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

(Adaptation of International Coalition of Library Consortia)

It is recommended that selectors follow the guidelines set out in this document to ensure that all product trials are conducted smoothly and uniformly.

  1. Trial requirements
    • Minimum time period: One month after successful connection to the resource
    • Cost: Access to information during trial period should be at no cost
    • License Agreements: Establishment of trials should not require signing of a license agreement
    • Access Parameters: A reasonable level of access should be the goal
      • Mode(s) of access during the trial should be determined. If the product is web-based, the selector should request access for the uwaterloo.ca domain (IP 129.97.*.*), and not password restricted. This will not always be possible.
      • Statistics that can be expected from the system once it is installed should be known and the selector should determine what statistics are desirable
      • Content: the entire content of the product and full functionality should be available during the trial

  2. Conducting Trials
    • Trial Participants: Selector should seek to have a representative group involved in the trial.
    • Providing access: Determine if this is a public trial or a trial by staff only. (Consultation with TUG partners may be necessary if the trial is to be conducted simultaneously).

      For Web based products, contact the TUGWEB representative (Doug Morton) who will be responsible for providing access from a Web page, adding the URL to the Proxy server, and adding the title to the evaluation form.

      For CDROM products, the IRMC Systems representative will be responsible for adding the title to one or more machines, or the Library network. Consider the need for evaluation forms or other means of getting feedback, since there is no standard evaluation form for CDROM products.

    • Demonstrations: Consider the need for introductory demonstrations and/or printed instructions for participants.
    • Trial Report: At end of the trial, feedback should be tabulated, documented and forwarded to IRMC by the selector. The report should also include the selector's recommendation. IRMC may contact selector for further clarification or information
Information Resources Management Committee
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August 4, 2005