Main IUSR Public Site

Increasing the Visibility of Software Usability

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In October of 1997, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated an effort to increase the visibility of software usability, the Industry USability Reporting (IUSR) Project. Cooperating in the IUSR project are prominent suppliers of software and representatives from large consumer organizations. The IUSR project is a product of the Visualization and Usability Group, Information Access Division, of the Information Technology Laboratory.

Project Overview: historical roots, accomplishments, future goals
Participants
Papers and Publications

Goals:

Encourage software supplier and purchaser organizations to work together to understand user needs and tasks
Perform standardization activities
Create extensions/variations to the Common Industry Format (CIF) in areas such as requirements (see CISU-R below), formative testing, testing with hardware

Current Initiatives
	CIF approved as ISO standard ISO/IEC 25062:2006 What is the CIF? Why should I use the CIF? (presentation) Get a copy from ISO Top 10 things to know Are you using the CIF? Let us know!
Summative	Internationalizing the CIF: Steering Committee is working with the International Standards Organization through JTC1/SC7

Formative	Although the CIF was designed only for summative reporting, the lack of standards for formative reports is a gap that organizations and usability practitioners have filled by modifying the CIF for this purpose. The goal of this effort is to identify best practices for communicating and reporting formative usability testing. The CIF IUSR Formative Project

	Common Industry Specification for Usability–Requirements(CISU-R): Working Group is developing standards to specify usability requirements. What is the CISU-R? See the final document.

Accomplishments
	Developed a common usability reporting format for sharing usability data with consumer organizations
	ANSI/INCITS 354-2001: Common Industry Format (CIF) for Usability Test Reports became a Standard December 2001
	Conducted pilot trials to determine how well the usability reporting format works and the value of using this format in software procurement
	The ISO TC159/SC4-JTC1/SC7/JWG1 Joint Working Group on Common Industry Format was formed to develope standards around usability requirements .

Current Initiatives

CIF approved as ISO standard ISO/IEC 25062:2006

What is the CIF?
Why should I use the CIF? (presentation)
Get a copy from ISO
Top 10 things to know
Are you using the CIF? Let us know!

Summative

Internationalizing the CIF: Steering Committee is working with the International Standards Organization through JTC1/SC7

Formative

Although the CIF was designed only for summative reporting, the lack of standards for formative reports is a gap that organizations and usability practitioners have filled by modifying the CIF for this purpose. The goal of this effort is to identify best practices for communicating and reporting formative usability testing.

The CIF IUSR Formative Project

Common Industry Specification for Usability–Requirements(CISU-R): Working Group is developing standards to specify usability requirements.

What is the CISU-R?
See the final document.

Accomplishments

Developed a common usability reporting format for sharing usability data with consumer organizations

ANSI/INCITS 354-2001: Common Industry Format (CIF) for Usability Test Reports became a Standard December 2001

Conducted pilot trials to determine how well the usability reporting format works and the value of using this format in software procurement

The ISO TC159/SC4-JTC1/SC7/JWG1 Joint Working Group on Common Industry Format was formed to develope standards around usability requirements .

Questions and comments	iusr@nist.gov
Project Manager	Dr. Sharon Laskowski