DiSSCo Prepare Milestone report MS2.3 - Compilation of services and facilities to be included in the helpdesk

Abstract

DiSSCo Helpdesk will constitute a single point of contact, providing the necessary information and support on the use of the infrastructure, its services and facilities, both to data providers and users. With that goal in mind, four complementary services have been envisaged. The Helpdesk should include the service of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and their answers, where a knowledge-based tool will allow to search among to help the users find faster the information they seek. Users who do not find the information they seek in FAQs should have the opportunity to interact with human experts through the Human Intermediated Question and Answer Service (HIQAS). This service will use a support ticket system and will include three lines of support. Questions/Answers issued through HIQAS will be used to feed into the FAQs. The Helpdesk should include a Catalogue of Services (CS), which will list the main services provided by DiSSCo at a glance, organized according to users’ functional demands. Finally, the Helpdesk should offer online How-to guides and other support documentation, that will guide the user in an interactive way on how to apply and use the DiSSCo’s services.

The Helpdesk should consider automatic detection and translation of languages, ideally offering the researcher the possibility to interact with the system using native language statements/commands. This possibility will promote equal opportunities among users, and attract non-English speaking users and stakeholders, ultimately increasing satisfaction with DiSSCo and sense of community.

The Helpdesk should follow the recommendations of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), minding everyone who is permanently or temporarily disabled.

Finally, the Helpdesk should be flexible and customizable, allowing the change of its structure in time so that it best fits users’ needs, and accommodates new services