VIVO User Scenarios

The VIVO Team and our collaborators have many ideas and questions regarding what scientists and others should be able to do with VIVO and the software associated with VIVO. The VIVO Project is beginning an effort to formalize these ideas into “user scenarios.” User scenarios are simple stories that tell how the system will be used. VIVO User scenarios will take the form of “Situation, Task Action Result” (STAR). STAR Scenarios are easy to read and understand by non-technical team members. They do not provide detail that may be required for a technical implementation. A separate design activity leading to a functional specification is needed for development could begin on a user scenario.

A sample user scenario appears below.

This scenario describes a situation and then a related task (edit my profile). It goes on to describe an action, and then results (both positive and negative). The scenario raises many questions (what does the screen look like, are there drop downs to select fields, how does Stephanie log in, can everything be edited, and many more). These questions are addressed during subsequent design work. The scenario merely indicates that a person can edit their own profile. This just one of many things that VIVO could be able to do.

The VIVO project needs a prioritized list of well-defined user scenarios. I have asked Elly Cramer of Cornell to lead the effort to develop such a list. Working with the team leads, we have developed a process for engaging all members of the VIVO team in the user scenario development.

Basically, we will use a step-wise refinement process to develop user scenarios. We would like to complete the scenarios in a timely manner. The process is outlined below. As you will note, the first two tasks have been completed.

Each task labeled “VIVO Team” means that we are asking each of you to provide feedback, input, comments, questions, new scenarios. Each task labeled “Scenario Team” will be done by a new team to be invited by Elly. As we get to the end, we will be asking you to score each scenario – but that comes later.

This week, the emphasis is on new scenarios. Please take a look at the User Scenario Draft, in the wiki at https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/ennsrd/Draft+User+Scenarios+List . All comments are welcome, but particularly those that offer new scenarios. We want to hear from you. Please send your scenarios, preferably in STAR format, to Elly. Elly will add them to the list.

Please provide your new scenarios and comments to Elly (elly.cramer@cornell.edu) by the end of the day Friday, April 16 (this Friday).

Our plan to develop user scenarios is aggressive. User scenarios are critically important for shaping the future of the project, its development, outreach and implementation efforts. We expect to have user scenarios drafted, refined and prioritized by the end of May. In the meantime, teams will continue to work on features and services already identified. Upon completion of the user scenarios, the teams will begin to orient their work to the priority user scenarios.

For more on User scenarios, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_story VIVO User scenarios can begin as user stories and are then refined into the STAR format for clarity.

Most of us have had ideas about what VIVO should do and what we would like to see VIVO do. This is your chance to get your ideas into the project. Please take the time to review the draft scenarios and offer additional scenarios that scientists and others will need to use VIVO successfully. Our effort to name, refine and prioritize user scenarios will provide an opportunity for each us to have our ideas represented in VIVO and the national network of scientists.

Some Questions and Answers About VIVO User Scenarios

Q: How do User Scenarios differ from User Stories or Use Cases?

A: VIVO uses the term “User Scenario” to describe what others have called a “User Story.” We prefer the term scenario – it leads to scenario planning. Story does not sound very scientific. Use Cases are more detailed that User Scenarios. Once we have developed scenarios, additional detail will be needed. That detail will come in the form of use cases and functional specifications.

Q: Will all the user scenarios be included as features in future versions of VIVO?

A: No. Some user stories will best be left for local implementation. Others be externally developed as part of the national network. Still others may not provide value to the national network. The prioritization exercise will help inform us regarding what to include.

Q: Are we voting to determine what to include?

A: Not exactly. The team will express interest in scenarios and provide explanations regarding the importance of the scenario for adoption, implementation, outreach and/or development. The team will also provide their views regarding prioritization. Final prioritization will be done in concert with advisory boards and project management.

Q: How many user stories will we have?

A: As many as it takes to build a strong and desirable VIVO system, and a strong and desirable national network. Some stories will be variations on others. These will be consolidated into stories that are well-defined and easy to understand.

Q: Will the scenarios be shared outside the project!

A: Yes! VIVO is an open, participatory national movement to enable national networking of scientists. It is critically important that we share these scenarios.

Q: Once we create the scenarios, we will know what will be in VIVO?

A: Well, no, not exactly. Creating and refining scenarios involves continuous improvement and refinement. Creating a first set of scenarios is vitally important for identifying features to be built sooner rather than later. We expect to have scenario planning sessions at the national conference to begin an on-going refinement process for scenarios and VIVO.

VIVO Six Month Review

A big thanks to the crew that organized and staged the six month review. If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to provide feedback on the event. You feedback is critical to help us improve future reviews. One of the biggest concerns expressed by the team in the evaluation leading up to the review was the need for user scenarios – what will the VIVO system do? What will other applications do? We are addressing this with the User Scenario development effort. Additional items highlighted by the team will be addressed in future weeks.

VIVO Identity Elements

Giving a presentation or poster? Please use the identity elements developed by the Marketing and Branding team. The elements are available here: https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/ennsrd/Materials If you find these do not meet your needs – you need different sizes, layouts, colors – please do not edit the elements yourself. Consistent use of identity elements is important. Please contact the Marketing Team who can make new elements for you and share them with the rest of the team. Consistent use of the identity elements is important for building national adoption of VIVO.

VIVO and Elsevier

VIVO has been working with Elsevier to define new Elsevier offerings and modifications to existing Elsevier offerings that institutions might find attractive with respect to VIVO. Specifically, we are in discussions with Elsevier around a non-subscription product (one time purchase) that would provide an institution with all simple citation records of its faculty, ready to be loaded into a VIVO instance. Institutions purchasing this data would then be able to make the data public and use the data obtained in perpetuity. Similar opportunities would be available to those with SCOPUS subscriptions – subscribers would be able to use data from the subscription pertaining to their faculty to populate their VIVO instances. This data would be made publically available through VIVO and remain the property of the institution if and when the subscription terminates. Institutions might choose to purchase such data to simplify the loading of their VIVO instances. In no way does the VIVO project endorse Elsevier, its products or the products of any other vendor. We will have more detail as discussions continue.

VIVO and Collexis

VIVO has also been working with Collexis to create a partnership. As this work is completed, we will have more information about the relationship between Collexis and VIVO. We are working to finalize three elements of a relationship: Collexis would 1) offer at a reduced price (similar to the Elsevier offering), disambiguated PubMed data for ingest into VIVO; 2) host VIVO implementations in Collexis facilities for a nominal charge; 3) Collexis would engineer BioMed Experts to consume Linked Open Data from VIVO sites. These offerings are new opportunities for VIVO sites to make use of Collexis products and services, should they choose to do so. In no way does the VIVO project endorse Collexis, its products or the products of any other vendor. We will have more detail as discussions continue.

Ideas, Questions, Comments

Have an idea, question, or comment about VIVO? Pass along your thoughts to your team lead. We are always looking for good ideas!

And please review the draft user scenarios and send comments to Elly (elly.cramer@cornell.edu) by the end of the week!