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QA Focus Surveys
QA Focus carried out a number of surveys
of project Web sites in September 2002 in
order to identify compliance with standards
and best practices.
Compliance with
HTML standards
Compliance with
accessibility
guidelines
QA Focus
Surveys
404 error
pages
Web server
analysis
Availability in
Internet Archive
The surveys have used Web-based tools
which enable projects to repeat surveys
without needing access to specialist tools
QA Focus – a JISC-funded advisory service
supporting JISC 5/99 projects
Survey of HTML
Compliance
The W3C’s HTML validation service was
used to analyse compliance with HTML
standards for project entry points
Only 10 entry points
appeared to comply with
HTML standards, with 32
entry points failing to
comply
25
HTML 3.2
20
15
10
5
0
HTML 4
XHTML 1
Not
specified
Compliant
Not
compliant
No fewer than 22 entry
points do not have a DTD.
Of those that do, HTML 4 is
the most popular (used in
14 cases) followed by
XHTML 1 (6 cases) and
HTML 3.2 (1 case)
Comments
In order for HTML resources to be processed by
automated tools, it is highly desirable that the HTML
type is documented.
XHTML resources are more easily repurposed.
Compliance
with
standards
QA Focus
– a HTML/XHTML
JISC-funded advisory
serviceis needed
supportinginteroperability
JISC 5/99 projects
to ensure maximum
for resources.
Compliance with
Accessibility Guidelines
The Bobby accessibility testing tool was
used to analyse compliance with W3C WAI
guidelines for project entry points
Findings
19 entry points appeared to
25
comply with W3C WAI A
guidelines and 24 with AA 20
15
guidelines.
10
19 entry points fail to
5
comply with W3C WAI
0
guidelines.
A
Compliant
AA
Compliant
Not
Compliant
Discussion
It should be noted that the Bobby accessibility
testing tool was used to analyse only accessibility
aspects which could be identified by automated
tools.
A more thorough accessibility survey would require
manual analysis in order to identify problem areas
which automated tools would not detect.
QA Focus – a JISC-funded advisory service
supporting JISC 5/99 projects
Projects And The
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive can provide historical
access to Web sites.
Findings
30
19 Web sites are available 25
Available
in the Internet Archive.
20
Not
15
19 Web sites are not
Available
10
Banned
available in the Internet
5
Archive.
0
2 Web sites ban robots from accessing the site.
Discussion
Although project Web sites often provide valuable
information about the project (including access to
project deliverables, publications, etc.) Web sites
can disappear after project funding finishes.
If a project Web site disappears the Internet
Archive may provide access to useful resources.
In addition if a Web site is available in the Internet
Archive this indicates that the Web site is
accessible to robot software.
QA Focus – a JISC-funded advisory service
supporting JISC 5/99 projects
Project 404 Error Pages
404 error pages can be an important
navigational feature for Web sites.
Findings
14 Web sites have tailored
their 404 error message.
28 Web sites use the
server default error
message.
30
25
20
15
10
Tailored
Default
5
0
Example
An example of a 404
error page which
contains the project’s
branding and provides
useful navigation
features is shown.
Additional Features
Additional features for 404 pages include:
● Access to search facilities
● Context-sensitive information
QA Focus – a JISC-funded advisory service
● Automated
or manual
notification
supporting
JISC 5/99
projects to page author
Web Server Technologies
HTTP headers were analysed in order to
profile the server technologies used.
Web Server Software
40
37 Web sites made use of
the Apache Web server
and 4 used Microsoft’s IIS
server.
30
40
30
20
Apache
v1.3
Apache v2
IIS v4
10
IIS v5
0
20
Apache
IIS
10
0
Web Server Version
33 Web sites used
Apache v 1.3, four used
Apache v4, two used IIS
v 4 and two used IIS v5.
Further surveys will aim to profile technologies
such as scripting environments.
This information will be useful in certain cases
when establishing the requirements for
deploying projects into a service environment.
QA Focus – a JISC-funded advisory service
supporting JISC 5/99 projects
Discussion
The survey tools may
provide incomplete
information or the
findings may need
careful interpretation
Some Web sites provide
access to deliverables,
others are the deliverable
while others are intended for
intra-project communications
Limitations of
survey tools
Relevance
to projects
Discussion
Of Surveys
Completeness
of surveys
The surveys only cover
a very limited area of
project Web sites
Use of third-party
Web tools
The surveys make use of
third-party Web sites
which may disappear or
change their terms of use
QA Focus – a JISC-funded advisory service
supporting JISC 5/99 projects