HELPING THE PUBLIC FIND THE RIGHT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS:

GOOD PRACTICES FOR ONLINE RESOURCE DATABASES

AIRS Taxonomy Committee (based on research by Georgia Sales of 211 LA County)

March 2014

This document is the result of AIRS Taxonomy Committee discussions over the past several months. When I&Rs first started making their resource databases available on public websites, many offered the same functionality that worked internally for trained professionals -- the traditional drilldown search through the six levels of the Taxonomy augmented by a keyword search of Taxonomy terms. For visitors experienced in Google and other commercial sites, the drilldown search in particular proved confusing and frustrating. Since then, I&Rs working with their software providers and user groups have been exploring various enhancements and alternative searching options. Over the past two years, consensus seems to have been reached that customizable guided searches are the most effective primary search option. The AIRS Taxonomy Committee developed additional criteria based on research and experiences within their own agencies to identify the features of a user-friendly public search. A rating tool was developed and 32 I&R websites were identified which included examples featuring the main software systems used by the field. Georgia Sales of 211 LA County conducted the assessment and consulted with colleagues along the way. This document is an outcome of that review process. It is being released to the field with an accompanying self-assessment tool.

The document has three sections: 1. Summary of Primary and Secondary Recommendations: A bulleted list of features that typify

“good” public websites. Both the summary and the more detailed section below are organized according to these categories:

o Home Page o Searching o Search Results o Other Useful Features

2. Good Practices with Examples: A more detailed description of the recommended features

together with screenshots of pages from websites identified through the review process that effectively illustrate best practices.

3. Featured Websites: A list of the websites, some of whose screens were used as examples,

together with URLs to allow readers to explore further. A couple of cautions:

• Although a number of pages from I&R websites have been identified for purposes of illustrating the principles, the Taxonomy Committee is not advocating a “cookie cutter” approach to achieving a quality website with public search capabilities. There are many different ways to structure a feature on a site, all of which may be equally excellent. Creativity is good!

• The screenshots in the document show individual features that illustrate the principle

involved, but like most programs, websites with database search functionality all have their strengths and weaknesses. Not all of the features of all websites represented in the document have been identified as exemplary.

• The structure of the website and the search features it offers are important, but the

bottom line will always be the quality of the underlying database. Without accurate and consistent indexing, descriptions that are informative and other hallmarks of excellence, the sophisticated features will be largely wasted.

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SUMMARY OF PRIMARY RECOMMENDATIONS Home Page

• The URL for the website/search page is easy to remember.

• The search function is prominently displayed.

• The search page is clean, well organized and easy to navigate.

• Search options include guided searches, keyword searches and agency/program name searches.

Searching

• A guided search with pictures or graphic icons representing service concepts is the most prominent search option.

• The keyword search window is placed below or to the side of the guided search and employs search logic whose objective is an inclusive search results list.

• Keyword searches incorporate Taxonomy use references.

• Taxonomy terms that have no associated resources are never shown as search options.

• The traditional Taxonomy drilldown search is NOT presented as a search option.

• Location information can be used to narrow a search by area served or proximity to a location.

• A search by agency/program name and associated AKAs is available.

Search Results

• The search results list is cleanly designed and includes, at a minimum, the provider name, address and telephone. A website address, a short service description, access to a map and other information may also be available.

• Agency and service details include all AIRS required fields and are formatted in a way that is easy to read.

Other Useful Features

• Information about how to contact the I&R service or initiate a chat session if help is required.

• A way to report inaccuracies in a listing or provide information about a new agency or site.

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SUMMARY OF SECONDARY RECOMMENDATIONS Home Page

• Non-search related “front page” messaging is situated to the side of or below the search

window(s) or is accessed via links that are organized in a useful way. Searching

• Taxonomy definitions are accessible.

• Services structured for particular target populations are clearly identified as such.

• Jumping directly to a very large search results list is typically unmanageable for the user. If possible, both guided and keyword searches present options which allow the user to narrow the search.

• Age and gender options (or other filters) may also be available.

• Taxonomy based “Common Searches” or “Top 25” options display terms in alphabetical order.

• “Show me how” or video clips to help people with search functionality are available but not obtrusive.

Search Results

• Location information may be offered as a filter when the search results list is displayed.

• See also terms from the Taxonomy may be presented as “services you may also be interested in”, but only if they have associated resources.

• Lists of Taxonomy terms do not replace agency/service narratives. Such lists blur important distinctions and give all services provided by the organization equal weight.

• The searcher can access an organization’s website from the search results list and/or agency detail.

• The date of last update appears somewhere in the organization’s record. Other Useful Features

• The ability to change the font size on the site or access instructions for making font and color adjustments.

• Maps with locale details, street view photos and driving/transit directions.

• The ability to print, email or send the entire search results list or selected service details to a phone.

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• A language translation function with accurate translations.

• Focus pages or portals related to issues that are of current interest to the community.

• Special guides, directories or other resources that are available for download on or via

the site.

• A copy of the organization’s Inclusion/Exclusion Policy for the database.

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GOOD PRACTICES WITH EXAMPLES Home Page

• If the I&R service’s general website is the starting point for searches, make sure the search function is prominently displayed and the means of access is obvious.

• The URL for the search page should be easy to remember. The Findhelp, Toronto and

Iowa COMPASS URLs are good examples: http://www.211toronto.ca and http://search.iowacompass.org

• The home page for the search function needs to be clean, well organized and easy to

navigate. The examples below show nicely structured search pages. Both the Iowa COMPASS and the Findhelp pages have keyword and guided searches (sometimes called “category searches”). The San Diego site has a keyword search and selected focus areas.

Iowa COMPASS Site – Refer

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Findhelp, Toronto Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

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2-1-1 San Diego Site – Visionlink

• Don’t clutter the first page that visitors see with an oversized banner, announcements, publications, apps, an overly long welcome and other non-search related material. Better to have a brief welcome and present the primary search functions right up front. Place other “front page” messaging to the side or below your search window(s) or provide links to them that are organized in a useful way. The three sites above are good examples. Links on a title bar are a clean way to present some options.

• Don’t use huge type, large gratuitous photos or other similar devices for emphasis. They

distract from where the focus should be: on the search function. A clean, well organized first page is critical for making a visitor want to stay. Form is function…

• Don’t have pop-up questions or other unexpected messaging that covers up material that

people may be looking at. Visitors will find the interruption distracting. Better to strategically place these items and allow people to access them voluntarily.

• Don’t mix service search options with other types of messaging, e.g., a Health Insurance

or Holiday Services search in the middle of a list of “contact us”, “update your record”, “click here for news” and other similar items.

Searching

• The first search option should ideally be a guided search, preferably with picture or graphic icons representing the service concepts. The best guided searches have two levels with corresponding Taxonomy terms at the third level. The I&R service should be able to customize the guided search to reflect the needs of their community. A helpful feature of some sites is the ability to include service terms in more than one category (e.g., WIC in both Food and Public Assistance categories). Seeing the total number of resources in the category when you hover over an icon is a nice touch (as on the Atlanta

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site). The example below shows a guided search for Transportation (illustrated by the van photo). There are two subsections which can be expanded to show the associated Taxonomy terms by clicking on the +. Adapted Vehicles, Automobile Purchase Loans and the other options on the list below “Transportation Assistance/Services” are Taxonomy terms that can be selected as search keys.

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

• Taxonomy definitions should be accessible. The question marks in blue shown above allow you to display a Taxonomy term definition (as below). In other systems, definitions can be accessed in other ways.

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

• Keyword search functionality is also useful but should not be presented as the main option. Rather it should be placed below or to the side of the guided search. See the Iowa COMPASS site above where the keyword search box is to the right of the guided search. Partial word search functionality (e.g., “abu” returns “abuse”, “abusive”) should be supported and should be a given, not an option that must be selected. If there are search options, “Any words” should probably be the default for greater inclusivity. Some systems auto-populate the selection field with suggested Taxonomy terms as you type.

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• Keyword searches incorporate use references (i.e., synonyms for Taxonomy terms). In the example below, three of the first five items on the search results list were retrieved via a use reference, which is noted in parentheses next to the actual term name.

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

Some systems list the use references first since they contain the entered text that created the match as in the example from the Taxonomy website below.

From the Taxonomy Website

• The keyword search results page shows Taxonomy terms that match entered search text and permit further refinement of the search rather than jumping directly to a display of matching database records. Taxonomy terms with no associated resources should not be shown as search options. The page below combines Taxonomy terms retrieved in a search on “ex-offender” with an opportunity to add location information and tips for searching. The number of matches for each term is shown in a column to the right of the term names. The information layout is clear and clean.

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House

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• If you are going to offer a “Common Searches” or “Top 25” option based on Taxonomy terms, put the terms in alphabetical order or in another logical sequence that will help people browse the list.

• Don’t offer too many different sections of specialized searches unless you make it really

clear how they differ and organize them in some type of logical structure. Otherwise, people may get confused and miss something that may be useful.

• Don’t ruin the usability of a good guided or common searches function by presenting a

very general set of concepts and jumping directly to a search results list with hundreds of listings when people make a selection. If your software does not allow you to suggest more specific service concepts to select following an initial choice, make sure your original list contains specific enough options to provide a manageable result. Below are a couple of helpful progressions from two different systems (Findhelp’s Drupal/Oracle application and Orange County 2-1-1’s iCarol site). Other sites/systems featured in this document also have guided searches that systematically narrow searches in a helpful way.

Example 1: From the Findhelp site in Toronto. First, find the topic of interest (Youth):

Findhelp Topics Search -- Drupal/Oracle Application

Next, click on Youth to display further search options, and the system displays subtopics with a one sentence description for each:

Subtopics Relevant to Youth

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Last, choose a topic and run the search. The system displays a search results list with records that can be expanded to show further details.

Search Results for Youth, LGBTQ Example 2: From the 2-1-1 Orange County site. First, find the topic of interest (Health Care):

2-1-1 Orange County – iCarol Next, click on Health Care to see further search options. The system displays four subset categories, each with links to Taxonomy terms for related services.

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2-1-1 Orange County – iCarol When you click on a Taxonomy term (Community Clinics), the system takes you to the search results list at the top of which is a box that allows you to add your ZIP code and specify the sort order (alphabetically or by proximity). A map showing the location of resources is also shown.

2-1-1 Orange County – iCarol

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• Services structured for particular target populations should be identified as such.

United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help Site – Refer

Combining definitions for both service terms and any applicable target terms in the same window is useful.

United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help Site – Refer

• A third type of search is an organization/program name search which can be combined in

a keyword search window (a streamlined approach shown on the Findhelp site below) or in a separate search interface which is generally very simple. The other examples below are the Minnesota Help site (Resource House) and the United Way of Greater Lorain County 2-1-1 site in Akron (Refer).

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Findhelp, Toronto Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

Minnesota Help – Resource House

United Way of Greater Lorain County 2-1-1 (Akron) – Refer

• Don’t offer the traditional Taxonomy drilldown search at all if you can avoid it. The

newer guided searches are much more manageable for people who cannot be trained in the logic of the hierarchy (as is the case with the general public).

• A location specification function can accompany any of the search options. The

information can be filled in prior to running a search to screen out resources that don’t qualify, or can be offered as a filter, if not used earlier, when the search results list is presented. See the Search Results section below for an example of the latter. A way to narrow a search by area served or proximity to a location (usually a ZIP/postal code) or to re-sort a search results list by proximity is a nice feature. Some location specification features, like the one shown for the Atlanta site, also have age, gender and language

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options. “Located in my community” and “serving my community” is user-friendly language (see the Findhelp screenshot further below).

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

Findhelp Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

• Don’t force people to enter location information. They may WANT information pertaining to your whole service area or may not have the information to enter. Requiring a county may be particularly difficult unless it “comes along” with a city when specified.

• Make sure the search function on your website works with all popular browsers (Internet

Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and others) and mobile devices; and test all of the browsing paths to ensure that people navigating through the system end up where you want them to go. Some of the things you discover may be issues to discuss with your software vendor.

• “Show me how” or video clips to help people understand the search functionality are a

very nice touch. It is easier for most people to watch something being done than to read about it. A written “search tips” option is a less snazzy option, but also helpful. Make sure these functions are visible but not obtrusive. Below are the questions associated with the “Show Me How…” function on the Atlanta site and search support services offered on the Contra Costa site. The information for the latter also pertains to organizations wanting to update their records and includes screens for recommending the addition of a new agency or adding a new site.

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2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

Search Results

• There are all kinds of ways to display search results. On the next pages below are a number of examples. The first is from a site that specializes in aging and disability resources. It presents the resource list as a grid with listings that can be mapped, grouped in various ways, exported, etc. This is a very rich presentation with a lot of information and a number of useful live links that allow you to go elsewhere. The second example is the Iowa COMPASS site, the result of a search for Medical Escort Services, and the third is from the Atlanta site, the result of a guided search ending in the selection of Art Museums. The fourth shows the Contra Costa Crisis Center (Bowman Systems) search results list.

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Minnesota Help Site – Resource House

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Iowa COMPASS Site – Refer

Atlanta 2-1-1 Site – Refer

Note that in all of these examples, the actual search text (“Accessibility Information”, “Transportation and Travel Medical Escort Services” and “Recreational Art Museums” in the above examples; and “ex-offender” in the example below) is included at the top of the search results list. A good reminder of what the lists actually contain which is especially useful if the list will be saved or shared.

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Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

• Location information may also be available on the search results page and be used as a

filter (to screen out resources that don’t match) or as a sorting mechanism for the list. The example below also shows a more complete list of filters associated with a search results list which can be used to further refine the search results. Filter options are known as “service conditions” in some systems.

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House

• It is nice to see a display of “see also” terms from the Taxonomy which can be presented as “services you may also be interested in” as is illustrated in the screenshot of the search results page for a search on “Child Abuse Prevention” on the next page below. Make sure the suggested terms have associated resources.

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Nebraska 2-1-1 Site – IRis

• The agency and service details should include all AIRS required fields and should be

easy to read. Below is an agency overview with the location shown on a map followed by the expanded service details page which is accessed by the link next to the Taxonomy term (Ex-Offender Reentry Program).

Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

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Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

• Don’t substitute a list of Taxonomy terms for an agency narrative. All organizations have

services they are known for and other things they do. Taxonomy term lists blur the distinctions and give everything equal weight. Narrative descriptions allow you to represent the individual character of your community’s service providers and helps visitors distinguish organizations that “specialize” in a particular area from others that don’t.

• It is helpful to see other services that are available at a particular site and access related

information if you find something of interest. Below is a screenshot showing the service details for a prisoner reentry and fatherhood programs site which illustrates this point. Note the links in blue at the bottom of the page.

United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help Site – Refer

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• The ability to access an organization’s website from the search results list entry and/or agency detail is useful. In the entry below, the website address is on the search results list.

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House

• The date of last update should appear somewhere in the organization’s record. In the example above, it is located in the search results list but also repeated in the full agency entry (shown below) as is the website information.

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House

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Some sites show both the date of last full update and the date the record was last modified. The record from the Findhelp site below illustrates this point.

Findhelp Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

• A number of sites have the ability to save the results of searches for future use, but

people have to register on the site to do so.

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House Other Useful Features

• Providing information about contacting the I&R service if additional help is required is

essential (and a requirement of the AIRS Standards). Most sites post a message with contact information – usually “call 211” – if the person is having trouble finding what they need searching on their own. Some provide a link which allows the person to email an I&R specialist. Those equipped to respond to texting or have a chat service generally provide a way to initiate a session. If the hours for the chat service are more limited than the phone service, they should be noted.

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A couple of examples are below. The first is for the 2-1-1 Orange County (iCarol) site which has a prominent “Dial 2-1-1” message. The second is for the Atlanta site which has chat contact box on the right hand side of the search page. WIN 2-1-1 (Resource House) has a “click to chat” option on the banner at the top of the page. The Cleveland site provides access to an instant messaging option as part of their “Contact Us” information.

2-1-1 Orange County – iCarol

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House

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United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help Site – Refer

• A number of software systems provide the ability to change the font size. The text

resizing function is located in the upper right hand portion of the banner on some sites. Other software systems may not support this feature.

Findhelp Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer

Washington Information Network 2-1-1 Site – Resource House

Nebraska 2-1-1 – IRis

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The Iowa COMPASS site does something different. When you click on the “Change Text Size” link, the system takes you to a WC3 Web Accessibility Initiative site that provides instructions for how visitors can change text size and color on their screens with illustrations for different browsers.

Changing Text Size – Iowa Compass Site – Refer

• Maps can be helpful. It is good to have both a map showing locations of all matching programs and, after a selection has been made, a more focused map showing the street location. A street view photo of the agency’s facility and a link to driving/transit directions are also helpful. Below are some examples. The first shows the location of organizations on a search results list; the second, the more detailed location of one of the options on the first list. Note the landmarks that are shown. The third shows a map as part of a service detail on another website with an option to view a larger map or get

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directions. The fourth shows the street view of the facility at which the selected service is available. Driving directions are an added option.

Findhelp, Toronto Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

Findhelp, Toronto Site – Drupal/Oracle Application

Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

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The United Way of Greater Houston Community Resource Database for Seniors Refer

• The ability to print, email or send service details to a phone, usually from the service

detail page is also important. Most site are able to print. Others have the wider variety of options. Below is a screenshot from the Iowa COMPASS site showing their options (print/phone/email).

Iowa COMPASS Site – Refer

The Minnesota Help site locates the Email and Print options on the search results page enabling visitors to print or send the entire list.

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Minnesota Help – Resource House

• Some sites have a language translation function (which ideally should be tested for accuracy). Here are two examples:

Utah 2-1-1 – Bowman Systems Flags for Language Translation

2-1-1 Atlanta Site – Refer Dropdown Box for Language Translation

• Some sites provide links to helpful information on specific topics -- in some cases, in

great detail. They may be educational sites as well as a source for resource lists. The Minnesota Help site has a special topics list on their main page coupled with a column of related resources made available by the Aging & Disability Resource Center’s Technical Assistance Exchange (TAE). The information associated with the topics varies widely from descriptive information about how particular service systems work to nicely structured guided searches culminating in a list of Taxonomy terms that can be selected for searching.

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Minnesota Help Site – Resource House

Clicking on one of the topics in the list on the left (e.g., Health Care Link) takes you to a set of questions related to the nature of the person’s health care needs and a new set of related TAE links.

When you click on “Need Health Coverage?”, a new set of options appears. Note that there is a brief explanation for each.

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When you click on “Public Health Insurance”, you get this information, again with explanations:

When you click on “Medicare”, you are taken here, where you can enter location information and launch a search (for Medicare).

Launch a Search

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After the search is run, the system takes you to the search results list in the familiar grid format.

Partial Medicare Resource List – Minnesota Help Site When you click on the Senior LinkAge Line link, you are taken to the record for the organization, most of which is displayed below. A list of Taxonomy terms for the record is located to the left where a new search can be initiated.

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Senior LinkAge Line Record – Minnesota Help Site 2-1-1 San Diego’s site provides focus areas that include well organized information about specific programs or types of services of current interest to their community. Below as an example is their information on the CalFresh program.

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2-1-1 San Diego Site, CalFresh Program Focus Area (Visionlink)

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• Other organizations have special guides, directories or other targeted resources that are available for downloading on their site. Below is the way the Contra Costa Crisis Center lists their guides.

Contra Costa County Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

• Navigation tips can also be helpful if strategically positioned, but can confuse or look like clutter if misplaced. Below in the guided search on the Iowa COMPASS site, there is a helpful hint about searching on another category if the current one does not suit. You can also go back to enter a ZIP code and a good reason is provided why someone might want to do that.

Iowa COMPASS Site – Refer

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• Help functions can be very useful. The page below is from the Minnesota Help site (Resource House) and has, among other things a set of accessibility tips. Their other “help” topics are also listed. Some of the latter, e.g., Taxonomy Information, may come with the software.

Minnesota Help Site – Resource House Help Topics/Accessibility Tips

• One of the requirements of the AIRS Standards is that organizations publish their inclusion/exclusion criteria “so staff and the public are aware of the scope and limitations of the database”. In keeping with the intent of the standard, it is a good practice to make the agency’s policy available on its public website. Below is an example of such a posting from the United Way of Greater Lorain County (Akron) site. Notice of the policy is included on a page titled “What is 2-1-1?”, a link to which is included on the title bar at the top of every page (shown directly below). Clicking on the link takes you to their policy (shown on the next page below). Inclusion of a link to the policy on a “Help” page is another possibility.

“About 2-1-1” on Title Bar United Way of Greater Lorain County (Akron) – Refer

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Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Blurb United Way of Greater Lorain County (Akron) – Refer

United Way of Greater Lorain County (Akron) – Refer

• Some sites allow visitors to provide information about a new agency or site to add. “Add an Agency” and “Add a Site” are options on the Contra Costa site below.

Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

When you click on “Add an Agency”, the system displays the form on the next page below, only part of which is displayed.

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Contra Costa Crisis Center Site – Bowman Systems

• The ability of visitors to report inaccuracies in a listing is useful to resource database staff. This function is generally available on an agency detail display page as in the example below. See the text in red above the map. People may be required have an account on the site to report errors or verify current information (which may be a disincentive for people who do not want to take an additional step).

2-1-1 Arizona – Bowman Systems

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• It is a good idea to have a disclaimer on the site regarding the accuracy of the information being shared. The Cleveland site has a useful one at the bottom of their search results page:

United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help Site – Refer

• Non-search but related items are sometimes nice. Cleveland, for example, provides live

access to their call statistics which are shown in pie chart, list and graphic forms. Current news is sometimes shared. Again, make sure these features are positioned so they are accessible but not a distraction.

United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help Site – Refer

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FEATURED WEBSITES Below is information about the featured websites, some of whose individual pages were used as examples to illustrate functions discussed in the section above. The listings include a Web address for the site for those who might want to do their own review and a note identifying the software system/vendor. Please note that selection for this purpose does not constitute an endorsement of the website or a comment on the overall design of the website in its entirety. Like most programs, websites with database search functionality all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Not all of the features of all websites included in the document have been identified as exemplary. 2-1-1 Arizona: http://www.211arizona.org/ Bowman Systems Community Point 2-1-1 Atlanta http://211online.unitedwayatlanta.org/ Refer 2-1-1 Orange County: http://www.211oc.org/ways-to-search-211oc-database.html iCarol 2-1-1 San Diego: http://www.211sandiego.org/resources-and-services Visionlink Contra Costa Crisis Center: http://cccc.bowmansystems.com/ Bowman Systems Findhelp Toronto: www.211toronto.ca Drupal/Oracle Application Iowa Compass: http://search.iowacompass.org/ Refer Disability Services Minnesota Help: http://www.minnesotahelp.info/public/ Resource House Aging/Disabilities Nebraska 2-1-1: www.ne211.org Iris United Way 2-1-1 Cleveland/First Call for Help: United Way 211/First Call for Help Refer United Way of Greater Houston Community Resource Database for Seniors: http://referweb.net/uwtg-senior/ Refer Aging Services United Way of Greater Lorain County (Akron): http://211lorain.org/ Refer Utah 211: http://uwsl.bowmansystems.com/ Bowman Systems Washington Information Network 2-1-1: http://www.resourcehouse.info/Win211/ Resource House