Usability Evaluation of the Central Library Websites of the Universities dominated by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology

پژوهشنامه کتابداری و اطلاع رسانی

Article 8, Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 4, October 2011, Pages 137-158   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/riis.v2i1.9345

Authors

Mohsen Nowkarizi^{* 1}; Tayebeh Abedini²

¹Associate Prof., Library and Information Science department, Birjand University

²Empoloyee of South Khorasan Public Library Foundation

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed at evaluating the usability of central libraries’ websites of universities subordinated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) from the students’ point of view.

Method: 30 universities had independent pages for their central library website. After making use of a two-stage cluster sampling method, 5 universities and 92 students from each university were chosen. Then, the students’ views on different usability components of the central libraries’ websites were studied.

Findings: The findings showed that, generally in the users’ opinion, the application of the usability components in the central libraries’ websites of universities subordinated to the MSRT was at an “average” state (between 40-60). ‘Content’ with 3.42 (about 57%) had the lowest and ‘user interface design’ with 3.5 (about 58.84%) had the highest mean score. There was a significant difference among the mean scores of the users’ judgments in using the usability aspects in an ideal state (80%). Furthermore, a significant difference was observed among the judgments of “different users from different grades”, “users having varied degrees of acquaintance with computer and the Internet” and “users with varied degrees of acquaintance with their central library’s website” on using the usability components of the central library websites of the chosen universities. However, no significant difference was observed between the judgments of “male or female users” or among the judgments of “users in different ages”.

Keywords

Website usability; University central library websites; Iranian Universities; MSRT

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