The effect of user variables on academic websites usability : An empirical study. Issue 2 (17th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sagar, Kalpna; Saha, Anju
• Is Part Of: Journal of statistics & management systems. Volume 22:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 161
• Page End: 186
• Publication Date: 2019-02-17
• Subjects: Usability -- Usability Evaluation -- System Usability Scale -- Quantitative Assessment -- Academic Websites; Statistics -- Periodicals; Mathematical models -- Periodicals; Mathematical models; Statistics; Periodicals; 519.5
• DOI: 10.1080/09720510.2019.1580898
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0972-0510

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of the study is to delineate quantitative usability evaluation of 50-academic websites using System Usability Scale. 600-participants are enquired about usability of these academic websites using SUS a 10-question based survey created through Google form. The study utilizes one of different applications of SUS on academic websites in which, the users are not implored to execute particular tasks on these websites before giving the adjective rating for usability to specific website but are rather queried to gauge usability hinged on their experience with a given website. Results manifest that the end-users gave lower SUS scores for 38-websites, whereas experts gave lower SUS scores for only 10-websites. It is observed that female participants gave lower SUS scores for only 7-websites. Further, results show that the mobile and desktop users gave lower SUS scores for 35 and 9-websites respectively. The participants of age group 20-25 have rated 36-websites with lower SUS as compared to greater age groups. 8-websites fall into the low marginal section of acceptability range whereas 42-websites are rated at the lower level and fall into non-acceptability range. Results conclude that end-users and participants of age group 20-25 face more usability problems on websites which needs to be resolved. Female participants show more satisfaction with websites against male counterparts. Further, when websites have been evaluated on mobile phones then participants also face more usability problems. The study manifests explicit distinctions among websites and provides wholistic approach for presenting usability scores for academic websites while considering different user variables.