Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age

ISBN-13: 9781856045971 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 224 str.

G.G. Chowdhury; Sudatta Chowdhury

Opis

Gives an overview of the necessary issues relating to information users and the usability of information services in the digital world, including user-centred design, and the characteristics and behaviour of information users. This book helps readers understand why information users and the usability of information services are important.

Spis treści

1. Introduction

• Information users
• Users in the web environment
• User studies
• Human information behaviour
• The usability and evaluation of information services
• So, what’s the problem?
• About this book
• Summary
• References

2. Information needs and user studies

• Introduction
• Information needs
• Analysis of information needs
• User studies
• Factors affecting information needs
• User study methods
• Qualitative vs quantitative research in user studies
• Methods of data collection
• Summary
• References

3. Human information behaviour studies and models

• Introduction
• Human information behaviour
• Information seeking and retrieval
• Models in human information behaviour and information seeking and retrieval
• Information seeking on the web
• Some new information seeking behaviour models
• Summary
• References

4. Usability study basics

• Introduction
• Usability
• How to conduct a usability study
• Summary
• References

5. Usability study participants

• Introduction
• Selection of study participants
• Challenges when selecting study participants
• Summary
• References

6. Usability data analysis

• Introduction
• Data types
• Independent vs dependent variables
• Nominal vs ordinal data
• Descriptive vs inferential statistics
• Parametric vs non-parametric tests
• Comparing means: t-tests vs ANOVA tests
• Correlation analysis
• Chi square tests
• Qualitative analysis
• Summary
• References

7. Web usability

• Introduction
• What are the challenges?
• Which method?
• User-centred design and accessibility issues
• Web usability and accessibility
• Usability metrics and heuristic evaluation
• Summary
• References

8. The usability of digital libraries

• Introduction
• Approaches to digital library usability studies
• Usability factors in digital libraries
• Digital library usability study models and techniques
• Usability studies conducted by members of the Digital Library
• Federation
• Usability studies of Europeana Digital Library
• MEDLIS: a digital library usability model
• Summary
• References

9. The digital divide, digital natives and usability

• Introduction
• Connotations of the digital divide
• Indicators of digital divide
• Digital divide indicators and usability
• The digital divide and digital natives
• Information skills and usability
• Context and the digital divide
• Summary
• References

10. Issues and trends in usability research

• Introduction
• Usability methods and techniques
• External factors affecting usability
• Emerging technologies for access to digital content
• Usability of e-books
• Emerging access and business models
• Social challenges: the digital divide and information skills
• Conclusion
• References