New Dissemination Model - Getting ready for Beta Test

Consultation objectives

In April 2012, Statistics Canada launched its multi-year New Dissemination Model project to modernize the methods for disseminating data on its website. The key objective is to create a user-centric website and to increase coherency, consistency and simplicity in dissemination activities.

As part of this project, Statistics Canada consulted with Canadians in April and May 2014. The consultation was designed to evaluate the website's ease of use and navigation as well as user satisfaction with the new design. The sessions tested the functionality and intuitiveness of tables and charts, the analysis section and archived content, as well as the reference subcategory labels.

Consultation methodology

Statistics Canada held in-person usability consultations. Participants were asked to complete a series of tasks and to provide feedback on the proposed website.

How to get involved

The consultation is now closed.

Individuals who wish to obtain more information or to take part in a consultation may contact Statistics Canada by sending an email to consultations@statcan.gc.ca.

Please note that Statistics Canada selects participants for each consultation to ensure feedback is sought from a representative sample of the target population for the study. Not all applicants will be asked to participate in a given consultation.

Statistics Canada is committed to respecting the privacy of consultation participants. All personal information created, held or collected by the Agency is protected by the Privacy Act. For more information on Statistics Canada's privacy policies, please consult the Privacy notice.

Results

What Worked

Participants liked the clear and simple tables, datasets and charts. The label "Add/Remove Data – For Advanced Customization" was intuitive and useful for obtaining more complex data. All participants used the drop-down menus and the checkboxes at the top of the pick lists correctly and modified the charts with either the left-hand side bar or by clicking on the "Customize" button.

Accessing the "Analysis" page was intuitive, and all participants used the keyword search box. Lastly, when asked to categorize different publications into the correct "Analysis" sub-categories, participants were successful.

Areas of Improvement

• Participants wanted to be able to display all age groups in the simple table.
• While some participants successfully copied the chart into a document, most selected the wrong link when putting the chart data into a spreadsheet.
• The "Archived" box, under the "Analysis" section, was not intuitive.
• Participants struggled with identifying which result page corresponded to which "Reference" section.

Recommendations

• Keep the simple table view as the default.
• Keep the "Add/Remove data – for advanced customization" button.
• Place the "Modify chart" options to the left of the chart.
• Under "Analysis", place the "Archived" box under the "Year of publication" in the left-hand side bar. Wording requires further testing.
• The "Reference" sub-categories were not intuitive and require further testing.

Statistics Canada thanks participants for their participation in this consultation. Their insights guide the Agency's web development and ensure that the final products meet users' expectations.