Comparing Evaluation Methodologies for a Digital Exhibition: The End of Tobacco Road: Scenes from Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company’s final days in Durham, North Carolina, 1999

by Russ, Johanna M.

This study seeks to develop evaluations that assess user satisfaction with digital exhibitions of archival material. The study also aims to recommend evaluation methodologies appropriate for cultural heritage institutions with few resources. The study evaluates an exhibit created for Durham County Library in Durham, North Carolina, by using an online survey and one-on-one interviews. These two methodologies are compared qualitatively on their abilities to suggest improvements or enhancements for the exhibit, and quantitatively on three factors: number of usability problems revealed, response rate, and implementation cost. On the substantive factors of suggested improvements and usability problems, using both methodologies is most effective. For response rate and implementation cost, however, the online survey was far more effective than one-on-one interviews.