A user research interview is a valuable tool for any company, journal or otherwise.
In a previous article, we talked about the importance of user research interviews, and how they can help. JAMS, like any other product, benefits greatly from having feedback from its users.
For JAMS, we take seriously understanding ourselves through the lens of our clients. As such, we hope that our users are able to assist us in further improving the systems and services that we provide. How can you help though? JAMS has several different ways in which you can help.
What data does JAMS want?
JAMS is interested in data that can result in valuable insight for improving our services and systems. Unlike the broader “internet usage” of the term “data”, JAMS does not collect personal data, instead, we seek qualitative insights into workflows, challenges, and needs that will help us build better features. This helps to ensure that JAMS remains a powerful, user-friendly platform for journal publishers.
Information like “what kind of workflow do you have” and “what challenges do you face” are examples of questions that provide JAMS with a great deal of information.
This information, in turn, lets JAMS to better tune its products and services to be more beneficial for you. This can be achieved in a number of ways, but interviews is one of the most straightforward ways to get this information. JAMS believes that by listening to the users, we can provide better support and tools to make the publishing journey more streamlined and intuitive.
How does the research interview process work?
Generally speaking, the process is broken up into three separate steps (with a bonus step at the end).
- Sign up
- Contact
- Taking the study
- Thanks!
We’ll address the bonus step later.
Signing up for the research interview
The first step is a simple one: you sign up for the interview process. In order to enroll in the JAMS User Research Program, you only need to fill out a form. The process is quick and let’s us get basic information for the next part of the process.
Getting contacted by our team
Once you’ve signed up for the research interview, our team will reach out to you based on your availability and area of expertise. It is critical for us to make sure that your feedback is carefully considered. As such, we need to ensure that we do not waste your time asking questions that are not related to you or your experience.
Our team will carefully consider your time in this.
Participating in the research interview
JAMS offers more than just research interviews. Due to the constantly changing nature of technology, as well as the evolving needs to users, an interview may not be sufficient in some cases. As such, a simple survey might be used instead of an interview. In other cases, we might have the opportunity for our users to participate in hands-on prototype testing.
Because our aim is to make sure that JAMS meets as many of our customer’s needs as possible, we aim to use as many tools in our disposal to make that happen.
Thanking you for your time
Depending on the type of participation, the time commitment involved, and other factors, we will thank you for your time. These exclusive rewards might be discounts, special offers, or vouchers.
A show of how much your feedback means to us.
What does your research interview do?
While it might not be obvious, your research interview can have a major impact. You can make a difference—not just in helping us to shape the platform to better serve the academic community—but also in supporting causes that matter. This might take the shape of funding educational initiatives, helping underserved researchers gain access to publishing resources, or contributing to organizations that promote knowledge-sharing.
Your participation can be tremendously valuable. Not just for JAMS, but also for other people and organizations.