Quality Assurance & Improvement Flashcards

Which data collection method would provide the most actionable qualitative feedback on researcher experience with an online finding aid?

Answer: Structured usability testing with think-aloud protocols

Usability testing with think-aloud protocols captures real-time user reasoning, revealing specific confusions and pain points that quantitative data cannot.

In archives assessment, the term 'utilization-focused evaluation' means that evaluation design should be driven by what primary consideration?

Answer: Intended use by intended users of the findings

Utilization-focused evaluation, developed by Patton, prioritizes designing evaluations so that findings will actually be used by specific stakeholders to make decisions.

When an archives sets a target of reducing its processing backlog by 20% within one fiscal year, this target is best described as what type of goal?

Answer: SMART goal

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound; a quantified backlog reduction with a deadline meets all five criteria.

An archivist reviews reference statistics and discovers that 80% of denied requests stem from three recurring access restriction types. This finding is best visualized using which tool?

Answer: Pareto chart

A Pareto chart would rank the restriction types by frequency, making the 80/20 pattern visible and prioritizing which restrictions to address first.

Which professional framework provides a self-assessment tool specifically designed to help U.S. archives evaluate their own programs against best practices?

Answer: Preservation Self-Assessment Program (PSAP)

PSAP, developed at the University of Illinois, provides a structured self-assessment tool for archival and library collections against preservation best practices.

A program that collects feedback surveys immediately after researcher visits but never aggregates or acts on the data is failing which quality principle?

Answer: Evidence-based decision making

Collecting data without analyzing or acting on it violates the principle of evidence-based decision making, which requires using data to drive decisions.

Which approach to quality improvement focuses on eliminating 'waste' (non-value-adding steps) in archival processing workflows?

Answer: Lean methodology

Lean methodology targets the elimination of waste (unnecessary steps, waiting, rework) to streamline workflows and deliver value more efficiently.