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1 – 10 of over 30000
Article
Publication date: 10 August 2018

Simone Clunie and Darlene Ann Parrish

As libraries are required to become more accountable and demonstrate that they are meeting performance metrics, an assessment website can be a means for providing data for…

Abstract

Purpose

As libraries are required to become more accountable and demonstrate that they are meeting performance metrics, an assessment website can be a means for providing data for evidence-based decision making and an important indicator of how a library interacts with its constituents. The purpose of this paper is to share the results of a review of websites of academic libraries from four countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The academic library websites included in the sample were selected from the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Research Libraries of the United Kingdom, Council of Australian University Libraries, Historically Black College & Universities Library Alliance, Association of Research Libraries and American Indian Higher Education Consortium. The websites were evaluated according to the absence or presence of nine predetermined characteristics related to assessment.

Findings

It was discovered that “one size does not fit all” and found several innovative ways institutions are listening to their constituents and making improvements to help users succeed in their academic studies, research and creative endeavors.

Research limitations/implications

Only a sample of academic libraries from each of the four countries were analyzed. Additionally, some of the academic libraries were using password protected intranets unavailable for public access. The influences of institutional history and country-specific practices also became compelling factors during the analysis.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to broaden the factors for what is thought of as academic library assessment with the addition of qualitative and contextual considerations.

Details

Performance Measurement and Metrics, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-8047

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 October 2021

Didem Ölçer and Tuğba Taşkaya Temizel

This paper proposes a framework that automatically assesses content coverage and information quality of health websites for end-users.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper proposes a framework that automatically assesses content coverage and information quality of health websites for end-users.

Design/methodology/approach

The study investigates the impact of textual and content-based features in predicting the quality of health-related texts. Content-based features were acquired using an evidence-based practice guideline in diabetes. A set of textual features inspired by professional health literacy guidelines and the features commonly used for assessing information quality in other domains were also used. In this study, 60 websites about type 2 diabetes were methodically selected for inclusion. Two general practitioners used DISCERN to assess each website in terms of its content coverage and quality.

Findings

The proposed framework outputs were compared with the experts' evaluation scores. The best accuracy was obtained as 88 and 92% with textual features and content-based features for coverage assessment respectively. When both types of features were used, the proposed framework achieved 90% accuracy. For information quality assessment, the content-based features resulted in a higher accuracy of 92% against 88% obtained using the textual features.

Research limitations/implications

The experiments were conducted for websites about type 2 diabetes. As the whole process is costly and requires extensive expert human labelling, the study was carried out in a single domain. However, the methodology is generalizable to other health domains for which evidence-based practice guidelines are available.

Practical implications

Finding high-quality online health information is becoming increasingly difficult due to the high volume of information generated by non-experts in the area. The search engines fail to rank objective health websites higher within the search results. The proposed framework can aid search engine and information platform developers to implement better retrieval techniques, in turn, facilitating end-users' access to high-quality health information.

Social implications

Erroneous, biased or partial health information is a serious problem for end-users who need access to objective information on their health problems. Such information may cause patients to stop their treatments provided by professionals. It might also have adverse financial implications by causing unnecessary expenditures on ineffective treatments. The ability to access high-quality health information has a positive effect on the health of both individuals and the whole society.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates that automatic assessment of health websites is a domain-specific problem, which cannot be addressed with the general information quality assessment methodologies in the literature. Content coverage of health websites has also been studied in the health domain for the first time in the literature.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 46 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2022

Mohammadreza Esmaeili Givi, Hamid Keshavarz and Zahra Kargar Azad

Using asymmetric impact–performance analysis for examining an asymmetric relationship between user satisfaction and website features, the present research aims to identify…

Abstract

Purpose

Using asymmetric impact–performance analysis for examining an asymmetric relationship between user satisfaction and website features, the present research aims to identify features of high priority for quality improvement. For doing so, the current research was conducted in the context of the E-learning website of the most prestigious university in Iran, namely, the University of Tehran.

Design/methodology/approach

The main question was which of the three groups of basic, performance and excitement factors has the required dimensions of the quality of the website based on the model WebQual 4.0 by considering Kano’s user satisfaction model and impact–performance analysis. This is a descriptive survey, applied and cross-sectional study. The study population included Tehran University’s students who enrolled in virtual courses in the academic year 2020–2021 from which a sample of 457 students was selected. The data collection tool was the questionnaire of Webqual 4.0, as well as a researcher-made questionnaire to measure end-user satisfaction.

Findings

Using structural equation modeling and multiple regression, the findings showed that the customer’s overall satisfaction with the mentioned website is primarily affected by the feature interaction with services, including the two structures of trust and empathy, and then the dimensions of usability and quality of information. Examining the Webqual 0.4 dimensions indicated that the website usability dimension is a part of the high-performance excitement factors group, the information quality dimension is a part of the high-performance basic factors group and the website interaction dimension is in the low-performance basic factors group.

Originality/value

The research is highly innovative taking the theoretical model of Kano and methodological investigation of asymmetric impact–performance analysis into consideration alongside the WebQual 4.0 as a fundamental model for website assessment. Moreover, the research was conducted on an E-learning website, which is unique and a necessity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Information Discovery and Delivery, vol. 51 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6247

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 5 December 2018

Han Shen, Xinge Li and Yangfan Zhang

With the development of tourism industry, online travel agencies (OTA) have gradually become an important channel for tourism product supplies and sales. Some OTAs provide…

Abstract

With the development of tourism industry, online travel agencies (OTA) have gradually become an important channel for tourism product supplies and sales. Some OTAs provide consumers with a platform for tourism guidance and online travel sharing. They not only satisfy some tourists’ desire to share their experiences but also provide reference for more consumers to choose travel products. This process is the process of value co-creation by customers and online travel companies. This study is conducted under DART theory, a theoretical framework of value co-creation composed of four dimensions, namely dialog, access, risk-assessment, and transparency. Brand equity is divided into four aspects: brand loyalty, brand awareness, customer perceived value, and brand image. This study uses the structural equation model to investigate the impact of customer value co-creation behavior on brand equity of online travel enterprises and interprets the process and mechanism of customer value co-creation behaviors for online travel business brand equity, which provides more efficient strategies and methods for platform interaction and value co-creation.

Article
Publication date: 21 August 2007

Nitza Davidovitch

The aim of this paper is to present conclusions from a series of studies on the introduction of new learning technologies at the College of Judea and Samaria, Israel, including

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present conclusions from a series of studies on the introduction of new learning technologies at the College of Judea and Samaria, Israel, including course websites and a computerized marking system.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper summarizes four distinct empirical studies based on annual student surveys, questionnaires developed specifically for the study and the College exam database. The first series of three studies was designed to examine usage rates and students' evaluations of effectiveness of website courses, in three concentric circles in the College: on the institutional, faculty and departmental level. The fourth study tracked an institutional initiative towards enhanced quality of instruction, by comparing College‐wide data on students' ratings and grades for courses whose instructors implemented and used a computerized grading system for multiple‐choice on‐line exams.

Findings

Studies show that academic e‐learning in Israel has focused on quantity rather than quality; and on superficial technological adoption rather than conceptual pedagogical change process.

Practical implications

Institutions wishing to encourage the introduction of innovative learning aids and technologies must develop the necessary conditions that ensure that technology adoption serves rather than dominates pedagogy.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the reasons for a focus on quantity rather than quality, and on superficial technological adoption rather than the introduction of a conceptual pedagogical change process, in Israeli higher education's approach to online learning. Empirical findings highlight the need to introduce technological innovations that are grounded in and develop from a sound pedagogical base.

Details

On the Horizon, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1074-8121

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 March 2023

Seng Boon Lim and Kamalia Azma Kamaruddin

Common evaluation tools on e-government websites are available globally and locally to standardise and improve the quality of information and services. However, a commonly ignored…

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Abstract

Purpose

Common evaluation tools on e-government websites are available globally and locally to standardise and improve the quality of information and services. However, a commonly ignored aspect is the way to obtain detailed measurements of factors influencing citizen centricity; in other words, how official websites cater to the needs and contributions of citizens at different levels of government. Thus, this paper aims to apply a citizen-centric framework in evaluating the e-government websites of three different levels of authority in Malaysia: federal, state and local.

Design/methodology/approach

The adapted citizen-centric checklist for e-government websites (aCCEW) with 40 characteristics across four components – openness (21), transparency (5), participation (10) and responsiveness (4) – was adopted to evaluate case studies of 36 government agency websites in Malaysia. Any conformity between the characteristics was marked using a binary measure, and the citizen-centric value was calculated for each component/characteristic.

Findings

Through website observations, ratings and descriptive comparisons, this study found that the aCCEW is a useful tool, especially for identifying certain critically violated factors. These were deficiencies in e-decision-making, revealing successful initiatives created through open data, revealing fund transfers and expenditure records and the level of social media responsiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The research contributes theoretically by improvising characteristics in the CCEW to become aCCEW and testing it in multiple levels of government in Malaysia to see its applicability to be adopted in other similar research of e-governments. This could become a new benchmark through the additional research insights it offers into similar perspectives of public values realisation in e-government website design that focuses on more than merely functionality. Attempt to relate the violated factors and strengths of aCCEW website design components to the level of centralisation (power) of federal, state and local governments was also genuine in the e-government research.

Practical implications

Regardless of the many different government systems, federal, state and local governments can benchmark the examples assessed in this study, rethink their power relationships, and further improve their e-platforms to suit the contexts of their users/residents’ needs and contributions.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study contributed to the first Malaysia-based research that identifies and compares factors that contribute to citizen-centric e-government website building at the federal, state and local government levels. The discussion adds value by comparing different systems and levels of e-government websites to their power possession.

Details

Journal of Systems and Information Technology, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1328-7265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2020

Mohd Ramadan Ab Hamid, Mastura Mohd Isamudin, Siti Sabariah Buhari and Emmy Hainida Khairul Ikram

The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of websites accessible to patients looking for Web-based information regarding hypertension management.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the value of websites accessible to patients looking for Web-based information regarding hypertension management.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional research was carried out by finding out Malay and English language websites about hypertension. For this purpose, the keywords “hypertension and treatment” were entered on the Yahoo, Google, Ask.com, Bing and DuckDuckGo search engines, and the first five pages of the results obtained were inspected. The DISCERN tool was deployed for evaluating the quality of information. The actionability and understandability were assessed through the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Eight assessors were asked to assess and grade the involved websites.

Findings

Of the 216 websites, eight (4.0%) conformed to the inclusion norms. All websites were classified into private, 4 (50%); government, 2 (25%) and personal, 2 (25%). The general rating of the eight websites was good (mean 51.6 ± 8.2 on a 75-point scale); however, half of the websites were rated as fair (mean 45.3 ± 3.1 on a 75-point scale). All websites conformed to the standard score of ≥70% for understandability (mean 76.1 ± 11.4), but none for actionability (mean 52.8 ± 13.9). Analysis of variance indicated there was no statistical difference with regards to quality (p = 0.525), understandability (p = 0.484) and actionability (p = 0.188) among the three website sets.

Originality/value

Considering the surplus of websites dedicated to information on hypertension, an independent assessment of the quality of these websites will be advantageous. Patients should be rendered high understandability, quality and actionability to evade deceptive online information.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 51 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2016

Antonino Galati, Maria Crescimanno, Salvatore Tinervia and Dario Siggia

The purpose of this paper is dual. The first is to assess the quality of websites of Italian wineries, using the Web Assessment Index (WAI), and compare e-commerce and e-marketing…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is dual. The first is to assess the quality of websites of Italian wineries, using the Web Assessment Index (WAI), and compare e-commerce and e-marketing websites. The second is to verify the existence of a relationship between the website quality and business revenue, on one hand, and the characteristics of managers, on the other.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-step survey was carried out to respond to the aims of the study. First, a sample of wineries was contacted to capture information on both the wineries and managerial characteristics. On the basis of the observed data, a second step of the analysis was performed taking into consideration 84 wineries having a website. The website quality has been evaluated by WAI, and afterwards, it has been related to the internal business factors previously identified.

Findings

Findings show that the website quality is higher in e-commerce websites than in e-marketing websites, and that business revenue and the education level of managers have a positive influence on the websites’ quality.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the study need to be interpreted within the context for which this research was designed and cannot be applied generally to all businesses.

Practical implications

Findings have some theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical point of view, this study validates the WAI model in the wine sector. From a managerial perspective, results are useful both for wineries creating an online presence for the first time, and for those already existing which, and for system designers of websites.

Originality/value

Very few empirical studies have been conducted on the relationship between website quality, business performance and managerial characteristics.

Details

International Journal of Wine Business Research, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1062

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 12 September 2022

Adam Finn and Ujwal Kayande

Identifying the dimensionality of a construct and selecting appropriate items for measuring the dimensions are important elements of marketing scale development. Scales for…

Abstract

Identifying the dimensionality of a construct and selecting appropriate items for measuring the dimensions are important elements of marketing scale development. Scales for measuring marketing constructs such as service quality, brand equity, and marketing orientation have typically been developed using the influential classical test theory paradigm (Churchill, 1979), or some variant thereof. Users of the paradigm typically assume, albeit implicitly, that items and respondents are the only sources of variance and respondents are the objects of measurement. Yet, marketers need scales for other important managerial purposes, such as benchmarking, tracking, and perceptual mapping, each of which requires a scaling of objects other than respondents such as products, brands, retail stores, websites, firms, advertisements, or social media content. Scales that are developed without such objects in mind might not perform as expected. Finn and Kayande (2005) proposed a multivariate multiple objective random effects methodology (referred to here as M-MORE) could be used to identify construct dimensionality and select appropriate items for multiple objects of measurement. This chapter applies M-MORE to multivariate generalizability theory data collected to assess online retailer websites in the early 2000s to identify the dimensionality of and to select appropriate items for scaling website quality. The results are compared with those produced by traditional methods.

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2016

Monireh Gharibe Niazi and Masumeh Karbala Aghaei Kamran

As a result of the so-called information explosion, it is very important for researchers, faculty members and students to access scientific and research information, which…

Abstract

Purpose

As a result of the so-called information explosion, it is very important for researchers, faculty members and students to access scientific and research information, which highlights the importance of designing university websites. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate Iranian state university websites using the Web quality evaluation method (WebQEM).

Design/methodology/approach

The research method was a combination of a descriptive survey and Delphi technique. The research population included 100 Iranian state university websites. Data collection was done using the checklists prepared by WebQEM. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and analysis statistics (Spearman rank-difference correlation coefficient) were used for data analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that Iranian state university websites met the four main criteria considered in WebQEM; reliability (mean = 0.67), efficiency (mean = 0.66) and functionality (mean = 0.62) were in a “good” condition, and usability was in a “middle” condition (mean = 0.59). Also, the findings showed that 60 per cent of the websites were in a good condition and 37 per cent were in a middle condition. In conclusion, Iranian state university websites were found to be in a “good” condition (mean = 0.63). Also, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad was ranked in the first place (score = 0.822). The hypothesis that there was a very weak correlation between Iranian state university ranking and Iranian state university websites ranking was confirmed (with the correlation of 0.22).

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the development of user interface of academic websites. This paper fills a part of the gap in terms of an urgent need for research on how university websites can be standardized. If university websites have significant and necessary standard factors (i.e. ISO 9126-1), students may succeed in academic information retrieval. Using the results of this research can help university website designers to fix weaknesses for active participation in these websites.

Originality/value

This study has evaluated Iranian state university websites using WebQEM.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

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