A comparison of usability techniques for evaluating information retrieval system interfaces
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to compare the results of two different usability techniques in evaluating the Web of Science interface.
Design/methodology/approach
At first three human factors experts conducted a heuristic evaluation with the interface. Then, usability testing was conducted with 22 students recruited from various departments at Loughborough University, UK.
Findings
A comparison of these techniques showed that heuristic evaluation revealed qualitative information whereas usability testing uncovered mostly quantitative data about usability of the interface. Although heuristic evaluation found more problems than usability testing, it also identified complementary information.
Research limitations/implications
This paper recommends applying multiple usability techniques to ensure comprehensiveness in evaluating IR interfaces.
Originality/value
This paper shows that using multiple usability techniques resulted in a high degree of comprehensiveness in evaluating IR user interfaces.
Keywords
Citation
Zabed Ahmed, S.M. (2008), "A comparison of usability techniques for evaluating information retrieval system interfaces", Performance Measurement and Metrics, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 48-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/14678040810869422
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited