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Article
Publication date: 23 February 2010

Ejike Ofuonye, Patricia Beatty, Scott Dick and James Miller

The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on previous surveys that have looked at the quality of HTML documents on the worldwide web. Previous surveys have indicated that…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on previous surveys that have looked at the quality of HTML documents on the worldwide web. Previous surveys have indicated that the quality of HTML documents tends to be quite poor, with most documents containing defects.

Design/methodology/approach

To determine the extent of this problem, the paper undertook a large‐scale study of HTML document quality among the most popular web sites (approximately 100,000).

Findings

This paper found that the vast majority (over 95 per cent) of web sites did not adhere to the worldwide web consortium standards for HTML.

Research limitations/implications

This study represents a single investigation over a short timeframe. Hence, ideally the study needs to be replicated in the future to help generalise the findings.

Practical implications

Such poor quality may jeopardise the security or usability of a web site, making the site's users vulnerable to malware attacks. This poor level of quality has drastic implications for web usability and security.

Originality/value

This new survey undertook a more extensive examination of popular web sites than previous surveys.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2010

Mohammad Hassanzadeh and Fatemeh Navidi

This paper aims to provide knowledge about methods used to evaluate the accessibility of Iranian web sites through a real research environment.

1071

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide knowledge about methods used to evaluate the accessibility of Iranian web sites through a real research environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The main theoretical base of this article is that almost all research conducted to evaluate the accessibility of web sites has used only one of three methods (namely manual, automatic and users' experiences). However, it seems that using a combination of these three methods is actually necessary. Consequently, taking a critical approach this article examines 18 Iranian ministerial web sites using the three methods.

Findings

Findings in both documents and evaluative studies show that each of the methods has deficits and it is necessary to employ a combination of the methods in order to conduct a reliable accessibility assessment. The different rankings of ministerial web sites in various evaluations have confirmed this view.

Originality/value

Identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the three methods and employing them in real research environments to assess the accessibility of ministerial web sites has been a useful exercise. The work can not only be a starting point for further discussions on the reliability of accessibility evaluation methods, but can also be applied to other types of web site.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Alison Adam and David Kreps

The purpose of this article is to analyse the continuing problem of web accessibility for disabled people as a critical information systems issue.

3176

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to analyse the continuing problem of web accessibility for disabled people as a critical information systems issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The ways in which the web is used by disabled people, and problems that can arise, are described and related to the development of critical disability theory from older models of disability, including the medical and social models, noting that the social construction of disability model may tend to mask the embodied, lived experience of disability.

Findings

The lack of interaction of the critical disability approach and dominant discourses of web accessibility and internet studies, particularly in relation to embodiment, is a major contributor to the continuance of an inaccessible Worldwide web.

Research limitations/implications

The paper does not offer a comprehensive set of web accessibility issues, concentrating instead on the most common problems as exemplars.

Practical implications

The paper raises awareness of web accessibility.

Originality/value

The paper brings the topic of accessibility of technology by disabled people into the critical information systems arena and also incorporates social construction of disability and theoretical considerations of embodiedness in its analysis.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 November 2002

41

Abstract

Details

Work Study, vol. 51 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0043-8022

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2004

Steven John Simon and Spero C. Peppas

Internet2 research will lead to new technologies that will launch the Internet into another wave of unprecedented growth with enhanced interactivity and greater amounts of…

3845

Abstract

Internet2 research will lead to new technologies that will launch the Internet into another wave of unprecedented growth with enhanced interactivity and greater amounts of information delivered via richer communication. As a result, Web‐based retailers must begin to rethink the design of their sites, the amount of information to provide, and the degree of media richness to deliver. Based on a large sample of managers, this study examines media richness theory in the context of simple and complex products. The findings suggest that, overall, Internet users have more positive attitudes and higher levels of satisfaction with regard to rich sites than to lean sites, although the results for simple product sites were inconclusive. The study discusses the impact of the results for both simple and complex products and details the development of a new experimental instrument to measure user attitudes and satisfaction.

Details

info, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 July 2011

Fayaz Ahmad Loan

The main purpose of the present study is to identify open access e‐book collections in selected digital archives related to social sciences in general and greater Central Asia in…

1338

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of the present study is to identify open access e‐book collections in selected digital archives related to social sciences in general and greater Central Asia in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

The selected digital archives, which were all rich in Central Asia collections, were searched using different keywords. The first 50 hits were retrieved to identify open access e‐books and their bibliographical details were recorded to complete the present study.

Findings

The results reflect that a good collection of open access e‐books is available on Central Asia, and some titles date back to the nineteenth century. The collection includes both “made digital” and “born digital” items. The results further depict that most of these e‐books were published in developed countries like the USA and the UK. These books mostly deal with political science (especially international relations), sociology and economics, and are mostly published by national and international organisations like the US Strategic Research Institute (SRI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the World Bank (WB), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Research limitations/implications

The study does not explore the whole worldwide web, but only selected digital archives that have rich Central Asia collections.

Practical implications

The study is very helpful for Central Asian academic communities, worldwide scholars conducting research on Central Asia and library and information professionals serving the academic and research communities of the region.

Originality/value

The study is original research highlighting the role of library and information managers in information discovery and identification. The study is a corner‐stone in information discovery and is very valuable for research, academic and literate communities in this region and other parts of the world conducting research on Central Asia.

Details

Collection Building, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0160-4953

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2010

Victoria L. Rubin, Yimin Chen and Lynne Marie Thorimbert

Conversational agents are natural language interaction interfaces designed to simulate conversation with a real person. This paper seeks to investigate current development and…

3648

Abstract

Purpose

Conversational agents are natural language interaction interfaces designed to simulate conversation with a real person. This paper seeks to investigate current development and applications of these systems worldwide, while focusing on their availability in Canadian libraries. It aims to argue that it is both timely and conceivable for Canadian libraries to consider adopting conversational agents to enhance – not replace – face‐to‐face human interaction. Potential users include library web site tour guides, automated virtual reference and readers' advisory librarians, and virtual story‐tellers. To provide background and justification for this argument, the paper seeks to review agents from classic implementations to state‐of‐the‐art prototypes: how they interact with users, produce language, and control conversational behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

The web sites of the 20 largest Canadian libraries were surveyed to assess the extent to which specific language‐related technologies are offered in Canada, including conversational agents. An exemplified taxonomy of four pragmatic purposes that conversational agents currently serve outside libraries – educational, informational, assistive, and socially interactive – is proposed and translated into library settings.

Findings

As of early 2010, artificially intelligent conversational systems have been found to be virtually non‐existent in Canadian libraries, while other innovative technologies proliferate (e.g. social media tools). These findings motivate the need for a broader awareness and discussion within the LIS community of these systems' applicability and potential for library purposes.

Originality/value

This paper is intended for reflective information professionals who seek a greater understanding of the issues related to adopting conversational agents in libraries, as this topic is scarcely covered in the LIS literature. The pros and cons are discussed, and insights offered into perceptions of intelligence (artificial or not) as well as the fundamentally social nature of human‐computer interaction.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2009

Blanca Hernández‐Ortega, Julio Jiménez‐Martínez and M. José Martín‐DeHoyos

The main objective of this paper is to analyse how important the previous experience of firms with different information technologies is for their acceptance of web procurement.

Abstract

Purpose

The main objective of this paper is to analyse how important the previous experience of firms with different information technologies is for their acceptance of web procurement.

Design/methodology/approach

To analyse the different types of experience a study was conducted using structural equation modelling techniques. A multi‐sample analysis was also carried out to test whether there are significant differences in behaviour according to the sector of activity to which the organisation belongs.

Findings

The findings show that using various precursor information technologies, such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or the internet generates knowledge that both facilitates and encourages subsequent web procurement. Once a firm has acquired this knowledge its impact is the same in all sectors.

Practical implications

The work examines the importance of making a continuous investment in IT and shows that previous experience of earlier information systems determines the future technological development of a firm. Thus, firms should be aware that this type of knowledge would help them to obtain competitive advantages and improve their profitability.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the study is its analysis of experience from a multiple perspective. First, the use of different applications: EDI, internet, commercial management software and web procurement. Second, to proxy for experience, the paper considers aspects other than intensity of use: perceived ease of use and usefulness. Finally, the relevance of technological experience for any economic activity is empirically tested.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2009

Francisco Javier Miranda, Ramón Sanguino and Tomás M. Bañegil

The internet is becoming increasingly important in the communication between local governments and citizens, which makes the usability of municipal web sites a critical factor in…

1251

Abstract

Purpose

The internet is becoming increasingly important in the communication between local governments and citizens, which makes the usability of municipal web sites a critical factor in government‐citizen communication. The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model for evaluating the potential of municipal web sites.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work an objective investigation of the issue has been conducted by manually accessing and evaluating 84 European municipal web sites. Quality of web home pages was determined using an original Web Assessment Index, which focuses on four categories: accessibility, speed, navigability and content.

Findings

A detailed report of the results arising from this investigation is presented and systematically analyzed.

Originality/value

The most valuable output from this paper is not the ability to identify the best sites, but to see how each municipal site is compared to related sites and to spot ideas and practices that can improve city sites. These findings will be useful for both researchers and practitioners who seek to understand the issues relevant to municipal e‐government.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 19 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2003

Thomas Hart and Gerhard Rolletschek

Although the debate about Internet governance has cooled off as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)’s ambitions have narrowed, there remains a broad…

1391

Abstract

Although the debate about Internet governance has cooled off as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)’s ambitions have narrowed, there remains a broad variety of regulatory issues that will require an international approach. Apart from ICANN, a diverse set of institutions is already involved in setting standards, allocating resources, and resolving conflicts. This paper looks at how the operations of these institutions, together with the experiences of ICANN, could serve as a starting point for a more integrated and comprehensive approach to tackling the challenges the Internet will face in the years to come.

Details

info, vol. 5 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

Keywords

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