Search results

1 – 10 of over 8000
Article
Publication date: 1 January 2012

Panagiotis Zaharias and Panayiotis Koutsabasis

The purpose of this paper is to discuss heuristic evaluation as a method for evaluating e‐learning courses and applications and more specifically to investigate the applicability…

1714

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss heuristic evaluation as a method for evaluating e‐learning courses and applications and more specifically to investigate the applicability and empirical use of two customized e‐learning heuristic protocols.

Design/methodology/approach

Two representative e‐learning heuristic protocols were chosen for the comparative analysis. These protocols augment the “traditional” heuristic sets so as to cover technology‐enhanced learning properties. Two reviewers that have considerable experience in usability evaluation as well as in e‐learning were involved in this comparative analysis. Coverage, distribution and redundancy were employed as three basic criteria for conducting the evaluation

Findings

The main results of the study indicate that both heuristic protocols exhibit wide coverage of potential usability problems. The distribution of usability problems is uneven to a large number of heuristics for both heuristic sets, which reveals that some heuristics are more general than others.

Originality/value

This study shows the empirical application of two heuristic protocols in a usability evaluation of e‐learning applications. Furthermore, it provides a comparison of the two heuristic sets according to a set of criteria and provides a first set of suggestions regarding further development and validation of these heuristic sets.

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2013

Layla Hasan, Anne Morris and Steve Probets

The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodological usability evaluation approach for e‐commerce websites in developing countries.

4571

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodological usability evaluation approach for e‐commerce websites in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi‐faceted usability evaluation of three Jordanian e‐commerce websites was used, where three usability methods (user testing, heuristic evaluation and web analytics) were applied to the sites.

Findings

A four‐step approach was developed to facilitate the evaluation of e‐commerce sites, mindful of the advantages and disadvantages of the methods used in identifying specific usability problems.

Research limitations/implications

The approach was developed and tested using Jordanian users, experts and e‐commerce sites. The study compared the ability of the methods to detect problems that were present, however, usability issues not present on any of the sites could not be considered when creating the approach.

Practical implications

The approach helps e‐commerce retailers evaluate the usability of their websites and understand which usability method(s) best matches their need.

Originality/value

This research proposes a new approach for evaluating the usability of e‐commerce sites. A novel aspect is the use of web analytics (Google Analytics software) as a component in the usability evaluation in conjunction with heuristics and user testing.

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2008

S.M. Zabed Ahmed

The purpose of this research is to compare the results of two different usability techniques in evaluating the Web of Science interface.

2390

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.

Details

Performance Measurement and Metrics, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-8047

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 January 2018

Yavuz Inal

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usability of the National Library of Turkey website developed for all citizens in the country to retrieve information available in a…

1452

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usability of the National Library of Turkey website developed for all citizens in the country to retrieve information available in a wide range of areas.

Design/methodology/approach

The evaluation performed by 57 undergraduate university students involved the identification and analysis of usability problems in the selected website. The assessment process was mainly based on Nielsen’s Heuristics. The data obtained in the evaluation process were enriched using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Net Promoter Score (NPS) to conduct a more detailed analysis.

Findings

The participants identified many usability problems concerning the evaluated website and considered it as having low usability characteristics. The most violated heuristic item was found to be “consistency and standards” whereas the least violated heuristic item was “match between system and the real world.” The total number of the usability problems in heuristic evaluation correlated significantly and negatively with the SUS and the NPS results indicating that the more participants identified usability problems, the less they considered the website as usable and recommendable.

Research limitations/implications

The participants were not usability experts, however they were selected from among the students who received the Human Computer Interaction course to ensure that they had sufficient information and experience concerning the evaluation of a website with heuristics. Besides, the study was limited to a small number of university students. The implication is that results of this study have potential to guide libraries, which plan to adapt themselves to the digital world by delivering web services, by addressing critical points influencing users’ points of views toward library websites and their usability evaluation result.

Practical implications

Depending on the changes in user habits regarding the retrieval of information, libraries have made considerable investments in web technologies to meet their users’ demands, and recently, digital libraries have begun to take over physical libraries. Users always need to perform tasks efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily when using websites. As one of the most crucial sources of digital materials, library websites are expected to have usable characteristics that satisfactorily meet user requirements. Therefore, the practical implication is that the findings of the study will guide designers, developers and practitioners in the development of library websites.

Originality/value

In the context of usability evaluation of digital libraries, this is the first study to analyze effects of usability problems identified by users during the heuristic inspection on their overall evaluation score and willingness to recommend the website to their friends or colleagues.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 70 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2021

Di Wang, Deborah Richards, Ayse Aysin Bilgin and Chuanfu Chen

To address the key problem of lack of use in the advancement of open government data (OGD) portals from the aspect of good usability, which is an essential prerequisite to the…

Abstract

Purpose

To address the key problem of lack of use in the advancement of open government data (OGD) portals from the aspect of good usability, which is an essential prerequisite to the acceptance and usage of a portal, this paper aims to develop a usability framework including design principles and criteria for OGD portals and to discover problems in the present usability design.

Design/methodology/approach

This study builds the usability framework by extending usability principles for general websites to address the specific needs of OGD portals. Criteria for each principle are developed accordingly based on the literature. A comparative heuristic evaluation involving five expert evaluators and 13 Chinese province-level OGD portals has been carried out to test the capability of the usability framework.

Findings

A usability framework with 24 principles and 63 criteria has been built. The heuristic evaluation shows OGD portals performed better in meeting general principles than the OGD portals specific ones. Insufficient help functions weakened OGD portals' usability. Similarities and differences were found of Chinese OGD portals compared with similar studies in the United States.

Originality/value

This paper proposed a usability framework for OGD portals and proved its capability in recognizing usability problems and its causes by carrying out a comparative heuristic evaluation in China. By comparing the evaluation results with other studies in the United States, the findings and lessons learnt in this study can thus be shared across international borders.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 41 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 November 2018

Isabel Mariann Silvis, Theo J.D. Bothma and Koos J.W. de Beer

The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated list of heuristics and an information architecture (IA) framework for the heuristic evaluation of the IA of academic library…

5261

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated list of heuristics and an information architecture (IA) framework for the heuristic evaluation of the IA of academic library websites as well as an evaluation framework with practical steps on how to conduct the evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

A set of 14 heuristics resulted from an integration of existing usability principles from authorities in the field of usability. A review of IA literature resulted in a framework for dividing academic library websites into six dialogue elements. The resulting heuristics were made applicable to academic library websites through the addition of recommendations based on a review of 20 related studies.

Findings

This study provides heuristics, a framework and workflow guidelines that can be used by the various evaluators of academic library websites, i.e. library staff, web developers and usability experts, to provide recommendations for improving its usability.

Research limitations/implications

The focus of the usability principles is the evaluation of the IA aspects of websites and therefore does not provide insights into accessibility or visual design aspects.

Originality/value

The main problem that is addressed by this study is that there are no clear guidelines on how to apply existing usability principles for the evaluation of the IA of academic library websites.

Abstract

Details

The Development of Open Government Data
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-315-4

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2021

Rubén Alcaraz Martínez, Mireia Ribera, Jordi Roig Marcelino, Afra Pascual Almenara and Toni Granollers Saltiveri

Statistical charts are an essential source of information in academic papers. Charts have an important role in conveying, clarifying and simplifying the research results provided…

Abstract

Purpose

Statistical charts are an essential source of information in academic papers. Charts have an important role in conveying, clarifying and simplifying the research results provided by the authors, but they present some accessibility barriers for people with low vision. This article aims to evaluate the accessibility of the statistical charts published in the library and information science (LIS) journals with the greatest impact factor.

Design/methodology/approach

A list of heuristic indicators developed by the authors has been used to assess the accessibility of statistical charts for people with low vision. The heuristics have been applied to a sample of charts from 2019 issues of ten LIS journals with the highest impact factor according to the ranking of the JCR.

Findings

The current practices of image submission do not follow the basic recommended guidelines on accessibility like color contrast or the use of textual alternatives. On the other hand, some incongruities between the technical suggestions of image submission and their application in analyzed charts also emerged. The main problems identified are: poor text alternatives, insufficient contrast ratio between adjacent colors and the inexistence of customization options. Authoring tools do not help authors to fulfill these requirements.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is not very extensive; nonetheless, it is representative of common practices and the most frequent accessibility problems in this context.

Social implications

The heuristics proposed are a good starting point to generate guidelines for authors when preparing their papers for publication and to guide journal publishers in creating accessible documents. Low-vision users, a highly prevalent condition, will benefit from the improvements.

Originality/value

The results of this research provide key insights into low-vision accessibility barriers, not considered in previous literature and can be a starting point for their solution.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

Liezl H. Ball and Theo J.D. Bothma

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the heuristic evaluations of five e-dictionaries according to the criteria developed by Ball and Bothma (2018). E-dictionaries are…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the heuristic evaluations of five e-dictionaries according to the criteria developed by Ball and Bothma (2018). E-dictionaries are increasingly making use of modern information technology to create advanced information tools. It is necessary to ensure that these new products are still usable. Heuristic evaluation is a usability evaluation method used to evaluate the usability of a product.

Design/methodology/approach

Five e-dictionaries were evaluated through heuristic evaluation. This method requires an evaluator to evaluate a product by using a set of criteria or guidelines.

Findings

Various usability issues, as well as good features of e-dictionaries, could be identified through these evaluations, and are discussed under the categories of content, information architecture, navigation, access (searching and browsing), help, customisation and use of other innovative technologies.

Originality/value

Through the evaluations in this study, the criteria could be validated and an example of how the criteria can be used to evaluate e-dictionaries could be presented.

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2008

Najko Jahn

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the usability of the recently developed IREON – International Relations and Area Studies Gateway – with the aid of an anthropological…

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the usability of the recently developed IREON – International Relations and Area Studies Gateway – with the aid of an anthropological motivated research design. Within such an approach, the work environment and subject experiences of the test subjects become a crucial part of the observation.

Design/methodology/approach

The objectives are achieved by contextualisation of the digital library under examination. Furthermore, previous evaluation models of digital libraries are discussed from an anthropological point of view. As a result, a multi‐method approach that is context‐relative and self‐reflexive is applied to assess the usability of IREON.

Findings

The structural and cultural complexity of people involved in the development, operation and usage of IREON justifies a multi‐method approach. Whereas information specialists and web designers tend to focus on different kind of problems, there is a high degree of common discoverability between political science students and researchers.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the contingent nature of digital library usage, evaluation methods and findings have to be always reassessed.

Practical implications

Anthropologically motivated usability evaluations are an inexpensive but efficient way to improve design activities.

Originality/value

This paper provides librarians with basic knowledge of anthropological methods to evaluate digital library services.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 8000