News
DTES RESEARCH
ACCESS PORTAL
What we have heard so far about the DTES RAP
Geoff D’Auria
Communications Specialist
UBC Learning Exchange
Emily Leischner
Graduate Research Assistant, UBC Learning Exchange
PhD Student, UBC Department of Anthropology
The Downtown Eastside InfoHub has been revamped with a new look and a new name: welcome to the Downtown Eastside Research Access Portal (DTES RAP).
We’ve addressed community feedback to make the portal more accessible and easier to navigate. You can now access a growing collection of over 900 items related to research in the Downtown Eastside. You can search for items or browse by topic. The latest version of the DTES RAP also features a researcher directory, a listing of research projects, and a resources page.
Have a look around and let us know what you think!
Needless to say, we were excited to make the RAP live, but we wanted to collect some friendly feedback to see if our excitement was warranted. We sent email announcements to collaborators, researchers who already had work in the DTES RAP, and other early supporters.
We contacted close to 400 people and the response was positive. A number of people replied with their thoughts and suggestions, and we saw a large jump in traffic and time spent on the RAP.
Here are some of our favourite comments:
- “Congratulations to all of you! I love the acronym RAP. I just poked around on the portal and found it easy to use, uncluttered layout, plain language … All exactly as it should be!” – DTES organization staff/resident
- “It certainly is an easy-to-use resource, very well laid out. I can’t get over all the content on here!” – University researcher
- “I’ve had some time to explore the new DTES RAP and must say how impressed I am with its improved usability, scope of content, and welcoming tone. Bravo!” – University staff
We compiled a handy infographic tracking the response. Check out the PDF version or the images included below:
What do you think about the changes we’ve made? What more would you like to see this portal do? Let us know using our contact form.
If you find the DTES RAP useful, please share with your networks.
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Would you like some support using the DTES RAP? Browse our help section or contact Community Engagement Librarian Nick Ubels at nick.ubels@ubc.ca for a one-on-one consultation .
