Resources

Comparisons

There are a variety of options for online file storage depending on what your needs are and the type of data you need to store (see the Data Security Classificatio

Experts & Communities

Enterprise Data Management and Reporting (EDMR) is the organization supporting efforts to achieve the full value of the University’s data and information assets.
RDM is a Google Group for researchers and on-campus service providers to discuss research data management issues related to storage, security, archiving, sharing, preservation, and beyond.
U-Spatial provides support and training for Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial computing.
The UM Analytics User Group is a resource for those who have completed the UM Analytics author training for creating dashboards and analyses.
The University Data Community is everyone who is interested in and works with University data. We support community members involved in data management, reporting, and analytics.

How-Tos

Under the tasks column, you are able to preview a survey by clicking on "view." If it results in the screen below, it may be due to a request for authentication.
Create an Individual Account Read and agree to the Terms of Use.
All active University of Minnesota staff and students may use Qualtrics. To activate your Qualtrics account, log in to UMN Qualtrics:
If you have questions about accounts, access, groups, ownership changes, or availability of features on the University instance of Qualtrics, contact 
A contact list includes the names and email addresses of individuals to which a survey is sent. There are a variety of different ways to get a contact list. Below are some options recommended by the University.
The following instructions will help Qualtrics survey distributors create a survey where University of Minnesota accounts are required to log in and take the survey, and where the respondent's Internet ID is captured
Only Qualtrics Campus Administrators can create and modify membership in groups. Please contact [email protected] with the following information for assistance:
If you are the Owner of a UofM Qualtrics survey and wish to transfer ownership to another UofM Qualtrics account, you must contact UofM Qualtrics Support,
If your name, Internet ID or Email address are incorrect in Qualtrics:
Set up a University-Branded Email using Qualtrics Qualtrics Mass Email Requirements Email sent from Qualtrics must follow the
In the previous version of UM Analytics (OBIEE 11g), any analysis that appeared on a dashboard would automatically run as soon as it was opened. This was often problematic and could cause performance issues.
Start Tableau Desktop. Select Web Data Connector in the Connect - To a Server category. The Web Data Connector window is displayed.

Resources

It's important to debrief with your team at the end of the project to find out what went well and where things went wrong, to celebrate great performances, and to document your findings.
This article from copyblogger.com outlines thirteen questions you can use to help you draft your content strategy.
A self-help guide to plan, write, and manage content at the federal level
Clear steps to consider during content strategy audit stage
This article from the Buffer.com social media blog reviews the results of the content audit that they conducted on their site. The article provides a number of tips and takeaways on how to conduct a content audit.
Offers a printable sheet about accessibility basics.
Exploring the business reasons for creating a taxonomy
Card sorting helps you to understand how your users think you should organize your content. From this information you can create a site structure that enables your users to find what they are looking for.
Resources for planning, moderating, and assessing results of your own focus group.
This article from MeetContent.com, they have compiled some of the content types commonly encountered in higher ed and some special considerations for managing them effectively.
A complete guide to Complete Guide to choosing and implementing a content calendar.
Grow your team's knowledge about content strategy with a certificate program designed to take your workflow even farther.
In this video Karen McGrane will discuss why you need to deliver content wherever your customer wants to consume it — and what the risks are when you don’t make content accessible to mobile users.
The Usability Lab is located in the basement of Walter Library, 117 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 on the East Bank of
Oracle's PeopleSoft applications are the basis for a great number of the University's mission critical functions.
Show the accessibility benefits of plain language with this interactive online exhibit
Focus groups help you generate ideas by listening to your current and prospective users discuss their experiences and expectations with one another. Focus groups can provide:
Use this currated list of resources to find free web asseccibility tools.
This article from uxmastery.com review the process of conducting a content audit including what to include and where to begin.
In this article from Buffer.com Social Media blog, Kevan Lee review the process they take to write their blog posts. They present a good process that others can follow.
This article from Moz.com illustrates the "long tail" of search demands. This helps people decide what to keep, what to expand on, and stuff that doesn't belong online.
Purchasing Teams You’re purchasing something that needs to be easy for the whole University community to use. We can:
A template for creating page tables.
A github resource produced by University Relations that provides a working online page table for developing and reviewing site content. Requires a UMN login.
PeopleSoft BI Publisher reports provide users with operational real-time data with data presented through a template. Creating BI Publisher reports requires advanced knowledge of PeopleSoft data structures.
PeopleSoft queries provide users with operational real-time data. View available queries through the Query Viewer or build a query in Query Manager.
Personas help you get out of your own head when you are writing content and designing your product. Personas are:
Determining answers to questions of purpose, users, content, scope, and resources when planning your taxonomy project
Create an interdisciplinary team with the right mix of roles and responsibilities.
Use this RACI chart template for your project
Rapid prototyping is a helpful approach when you want feedback on an early design. At this stage, the design can be on paper or screen.
A stash of headline formulas, social media updates, and more to help organize your team's content on realtime media.
A definition of what "soft launch" entails.
Whether you are a novice or an advanced user, there are many ways to learn more about how to utilize Tableau! Below are just some of the resources you can explore:
Task-based Usability Evaluations are useful when your design is getting close to being fully functional but you still have some ability to change the interface or content.
In academia, we’re notorious for using older, “fancy”, ten-dollar words, when plain language would be clearer and more effective.
Check the effectiveness of your content in a couple minutes.
Find the gaps in your content and prioritize them based on feasibility.
Research on how different tones of voice on a website have measurable impacts on users’ perceptions of a brand’s friendliness, trustworthiness, and desirability.
The launch of a new blog is an event that shouldn’t go to waste.
Tree testing helps you to learn if your proposed site structure is going to make sense to your users, before you start designing your interface.
Create standards-compliant websites and applications at the University.
"User research focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation techniques, task analysis, and other feedback methodologies." This article from usability.gov reviews the variou
Examples of simple, precise words and phrases you might substitute in your writing
Check links and anchors in Web pages or full Web sites
Your content is the most important part of your site.
The Reporting Center contains enterprise reports from UM Reports, UM Analytics, and PeopleSoft.
Often times it can be easy to get ahead of yourself and jump in to a full fledged hard launch. 
Part of a research-based guide that covers writing actionable content

Self-Help Guides

Content is one of the main components of a great user experience. This self-help guide walks you through the process of planning the right content to meet your website's goals.