High-level overview of Findability Standards developed at HBS in the context of Websites, Intranet sites and software apps. This slide deck covers the following Findability components: User Research, Search Engine, Content being indexed, Creators of the content, and Management & Support. UI standards are in a separate slide deck to be uploaded soon.

1. HBS Findability Standards:
User Research, Engine, Content, Creators, Management/Support
For Web, Intranet, and Applications
Ravi Mynampaty
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College

2. What is Findability?
In the context of HBS Web, Intranet, and Apps…
1. The way in which end-users locate information.
2. The way the information is displayed so that end-users
understand what they have found.
3. The precision and relevance of the information
presented to them.
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3. What is the problem?
• Proliferation of different search tools
• Multiple UI design patterns
• No optimization, standardization
• No formal support system
• No formal feedback system
• Risk: Users not finding information they need
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4. What’s this all about?
1. Develop a global view of HBS Findability
2. Develop standards, practices, support mechanisms
3. Develop a plan for the evolution of HBS Findability
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5. Findability Components
A. User Research (includes Analytics)
B. UI – covered in a separate slide deck
C. Engine
D. Content
E. Creators
F. Management & Support
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6. Findability Components: Framework
Modified from “Search Patterns”, Morville & Callender 6

7. A. User Research Standards
1. Every Website, Intranet Site, and application that
requires a findability function should have measureable
findability objectives established.
2. Findability user needs from the perspective of the
stakeholder/business owner should be established for
primary user segments of the UI in question.
3. A findability analytics plan should be established in
order to understand user search behavior.
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8. A. User Research Standards
4. Findability usability testing should be included in the
overall usability testing plan during the design process as
part of a project.
5. Ensure all events on the Search Engine Results Pages
(SERPs) are trackable by the analytics package. Ensure
all search URLs, UIs, etc. are tagged for analytics.
6. Establish baseline (measures and values) for search
data based on a core set of standard reports designed to
meet findability objectives.
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9. B. UI Standards
• 15 standards listed in a separate slide deck.
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10. C. Engine Standards
1. Basic functionality
a. Multi-word queries
b. Search by email id and substring for HBS people information.
c. Leverage security permissions of the application layer. (Do not
have the search engine determine access rights.)
d. Stemming
e. Wildcard usage
f. Scoped/fielded searches (e.g., contenttype:”HBS Case”,
site:”hbswk.hbs.edu”)
g. Result sorting mechanisms
h. Support Boolean AND logic for multiple query terms, i.e., all terms
entered by the user should appear in records returned by the
engine. This should be the default setting.
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11. D. Engine Standards
1. Basic functionality (continued)
i. Spelling suggestions, i.e., A "Did you mean…?” function
j. Sub-second response times.
k. Recognition and indexing of explicit and implicit content
metadata. This metadata can be used for presenting
refinement options and for faceted navigation.
l. Best bets functionality
m. A web-based UI for tuning the relevance algorithm.
n. Support indexing of multiple datatypes such as MS Office,
PDFs, and XML.
o. Support a web services API. For example, the ability to return
results as JavaScript objects and/or XML. This will allow for
integration with federated functionality.
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12. D. Engine Standards
2. Add keyword search to browse-only search functions.
3. Present results in a structured format if metadata exists
for that content and is indexable by the search engine.
4. Tune the default result ranking algorithm for your
unique combination of users, content, and business
goals.
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13. E. Content Standards
1. Develop and adopt a formal content policy for the project
2. Follow the Content Tagging Quality Assurance Program
established by the KLS IMS team, tag content with
appropriate metadata to support access.
3. Follow the Information Lifecycle Management (ILM)
Program standards established by the KLS ILM team.
4. Use HBS Information Type Metadata Templates in
content creation tools.
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14. E. Creators Standards
1. Follow the established content policy and content plan.
2. Use content creation tools provided for this collection of
content. These tools should include the HBS
Information Type Metadata Templates.
3. Examine analytics reports and incorporate findings into
content creation process.
4. Meet HBS content and metadata quality criteria in the
creation process.
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15. F. Management & Support Standards
1. Define and implement a findability plan.
2. Define and implement a findability analytics program to
meet the findability objectives for the Web, the Intranet,
and individual sites and applications.
3. Define and implement support services agreement to
meet ongoing Findability support services.
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16. Thank You
• Questions?
searchguy@hbs.edu
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