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A lack of differentiation in the function and appearance of web portals has led to fierce competition; attracting users' attention is no doubt the most important factor for portal success. This study aims to combine rational assessment factors and non‐rational assessment factors to examine their impact on the intended use of portals.

The research participants were individuals who have experience using web portals. A total of 215 valid questionnaires were collected. Structural equation modelling was used to test the research hypothesis.

This study is based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), a significant model in MIS research. The results show that all assessment factors have an impact on the intended use of web portals.

TAM emphasised perceived usefulness as the key determinant of user acceptance of technology. This study finds, however, that in the portal context, non‐rational assessment factors such as perceived playfulness and habit have more significant effects on users' intention than perceived usefulness.

The paper concludes that non‐rational assessment factors are important boundary conditions to the validity of the technology acceptance model. To attract users, web site designers should be more aware of aesthetics and the hedonic nature of web users.

This study has contributed to the original TAM by incorporating non‐rational assessment factors. It also validates this empirical model. The results of this study can help practitioners create a more successful business model and help researchers better understand user behaviour on the internet.

The purpose of this article is to present a conceptual model for the design of a scholarly web portal at the University of Tébessa, with which it is hoped that scholarly work stations that combine local and remote holdings, tools and documents will be created. Today, with access to enormous quantities of information facilitated by the web, boundaries between remote and local source documents become invisible. This is of extreme interest for libraries in Algeria, whose local holdings are very limited.

An outlined conceptual model of library portal architecture, with ontological classifications and relationships is presented. The model comes from applying literature reviews to the needs and specifications of the authors and leads to a detailed breakdown of the planning and implementation process.

Three findings in particular are worth noting. First, the contribution of web services to the seamless utility of a scholarly portal is indispensable: interoperable features, formats and protocols can be carefully customized. Second, the conceptual model assists not only in visualization but in implementation phases of the process from assessment of user needs and behaviors through interface creation and ongoing maintenance. Third, a method for recycling (or “porting”) existing applications in constructing new library services is a key component.

Though this library portal is conceived for an Algerian library, which will ultimately benefit from inclusion in a nationwide network, Réseau Régional Inter Bibliothèques Universitaires (RIBU), the conceptual model may guide anyone interested in aggregating online information resources into a single, seamless terminal.

Because of the competitive economy, organizations today seek to rationalize, innovate and adapt to changing environments and circumstances as part of business process reengineering (BPR) efforts. Irrespective of the process reengineering program selected and the technique used to model it, BPR brings with it the issues of organizational and process changes. Thus, BPR initiatives involve risk taking. Effective management of risks and their prediction and estimation should help in minimizing failures from BPR efforts. Risk management is non‐trivial due to the large uncertainty involved with business success with BPR efforts. Though some attempt has been made to model risk management in enterprise information systems using conventional conceptual modelling techniques, the previous works have analyzed and modeled the same just by addressing “what” a process is like, but do not address “why” the process is the way it is.

The approach presents a new technique for analyzing and modelling early‐phase requirements of organizational risk management that provides the motivations, intents, and rationales behind the entities and activities.

A case study has been considered to illustrate this approach.

The approach is novel in the sense that there is no similar intentional modeling approach for risk management to the best of one's knowledge. The approach is expected to be valuable because by using this approach one can reason about the risks associated with BPR and can incorporate prominently the issues related to risk in the process of systems analysis and design.

To present the state of the arts application of semantic web technologies in web portals and corresponding achievable improvements for identifying the potential improvement made by semantic web technology.

An evaluation scheme is proposed to investigate various web portals that make use of semantic web technologies in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This scheme consists of three layers: information access, information processing and grounding technologies. Two academic portals and two commercial portals are selected based on the definition of semantic web portal. Detailed evaluation based on the proposed scheme is conducted on these four select portals.

Semantic web technologies can definitely increase the information consistency and the information processing quality of web portals by using ontologies to model portal structure and consensus knowledge. Furthermore, semantic web services will be acting as the key technologies to lift current portals to next level.

This paper proposes an elaborated evaluation method for investigating various portals. It reveals the current status of semantic web applications in web portals.

To determine the extent and nature of library involvement in campus portal development.

Campus technology staff from US colleges and universities participating in the JA‐SIG uPortal open‐source software project were surveyed.

All respondents indicated having an active campus portal. A majority of respondents had at least one library feature on their campus portal. Some library features included automated display of information specific to the portal user such as library account information. Collaboration between campus and library staff was a common theme among institutions successfully deploying library features.

Findings are based on a small sample of campuses currently deploying portals. Recommended follow‐up studies include surveys of institutions using proprietary portal software and surveys of library staff and end‐users.

While considerable research has been done on library portals, this paper is unique in its exploration of library participation in broader campus portal initiatives. Portal features discussed and illustrated in this paper might serve as models for libraries interested in developing a presence on their campus portal.

The article explores the quality dimensions that the visitors of national and foreign business‐to‐consumer portals use to assess the performance of their service offering. Based on the SERVQUAL model and previous research on Web site evaluation and quality, the paper identified three quality dimensions that proved to be stable across sites’ nationality and user profiles. Several implications are drawn from these results for both Web site marketers and future academic research.

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to present a brief overview of some proposals for portal quality models. In addition, a comparative study is carried out to determine the similarities and differences of these models. Design/methodology/approach – In order to compare the different portal quality models, their main characteristics were analysed as well as the different dimensions proposed in each model. Findings – As a result, several similarities and differences have been established among the portal quality models. For example, the dimensions present in all the models are navigation, representation, personalization and intrinsic data quality. This means that, as expected, it was found that researchers pay special attention to visual aspects. Practical implications – The comparison attempts to determine which aspects are important for the quality of a web portal, and also to clarify which proposal is the most broadly relevant. The paper also identifies, where necessary, what features must be added in order to ensure that all aspects related to web portal quality are considered. Originality/value – This work tries to identify a portal quality model that can be used to gauge portal quality levels. The model could also be used where there is a low quality level for a particular dimension, giving some guidelines for improving the weaker aspects.

The main purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a survey carried out in Southern African Development Community (SADC) universities to explore their knowledge portal practices and ignite debate on best practices regarding the importance, design and management of knowledge portals in developing world contexts.

The main data collection instrument was a questionnaire which was largely quantitative except one question was qualitative for additional comments.

The major finding of this study is that only one out of ten participating universities had a knowledge portal. Furthermore, what other participating universities have in place as web sites can only be described realistically as “extended web sites”.

Initially, the main purpose of this study was to explore SADC university knowledge portals and based on the findings ascertain the best practices prevailing among SADC universities. This purpose could not be fully achieved as most SADC participating universities do not have knowledge portals. Instead, they have extended web sites; hence, most responses are based on university extended web sites. Thus, the study reports on one case of a knowledge portal and describes how “extended web sites” might fit as foundational knowledge portals. Since the study was limited in its sample size (ten universities), it has implications for generalisation of the research findings.

This paper provides a theoretical framework for designing an effective university knowledge portal and creates the awareness of the importance of knowledge portals in universities. Also, the paper fills a gap in the literature on knowledge portals, and clarifies the difference between a knowledge portal and a web site.

The Central Medical Library (CMK) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, created its Web site in 1997 and has since then been actively involved in its maintenance and improvement. The analysis of Web site usage, which was performed using different data‐mining methods, revealed an increasing interest among the Slovene biomedical community. Patrons have often complained to librarians about information overload and difficulty in following all the Web site’s enhancements. This situation called for a dynamic restructuring of the CMK Web site. Such problems are often solved with customisable and personalised library portals. Having limited financial and human resources, it was decided to customise and extend an existing library portal software solution (MyLibrary from North Carolina State University). The MyLibrary portal for the CMK was not only customised, but some important new functionality, most notably multilingual support, was added. This experience of developing a personalised library portal could be of interest to most libraries that offer information in at least two languages.

This paper aims to give the reader an insight into the evolution of a fast‐growing and innovative Internet company by helping to understand the web portal business in Germany and to identify and assess strategies to transform an Internet portal to an Internet communications enterprise.

The case is based on field research accomplished together with executives of the company.

The case shows that implementing a professional management structure and a continuous strategic analysis of the competitive environment are crucial for being successful in a dynamic Internet business.

Teachers can use this case study in advanced management courses for applying methodologies of strategic analysis, e.g. M. Porter's five‐forces‐model, value‐chain analysis, concept of key success factors, SWOT‐analysis. Students are expected to know basics about financial analysis, and information technologies. Managers can take the case as a best practice example for successful entrepreneurship in the Internet world.

The paper provides insights into the strategies of an innovative Internet company.