The Usability Evaluation of the Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences Central Library Website using Cognitive walkthrough

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Websites are one the basic electronic mediums of access to university libraries and serve as a gateway for directing users to the information sources and services of their interest. Given the huge knowledge dissemination potential of university library websites, their usability is a matter of great interest to university administrators as well as users. In this study, the usability of websites of central libraries of Iranian medical universities was evaluated by expert evaluators through cognitive walkthrough methodology. Method: A descriptive survey was designed with the goal of evaluating the usability of websites of central libraries of type-1 medical universities in Iran. Research procedure involved a library study to identify the tasks typically needed in library websites, using the identified tasks to design a checklist for measuring the three dimensions of usability (effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction), and finally a usability evaluation by two medical informatics experts and two librarianship experts. Data analysis was performed in SPSS 24 using descriptive and analytical statistics (Mann-Whitney test). Results: Websites of central libraries of type 1 medical universities were rated good (60-80%) in terms of usability. Among the evaluated websites, the website of central library of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences was rated excellent in terms of effectiveness and satisfaction and the website of central library of Shahid Beheshti University was rated excellent in terms efficiency. No statistically significant difference was found between the evaluations of different experts. Conclusion: More attention to website usability can improve the users’ interest in the provided services and facilitate the realization of the goals of parent organizations. The results of this research can provide a basic framework for website development and improvement with proper attention to usability dimensions.