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Human Information Interaction 2024, 11(1): 94-112 |
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ghaffari S, Bakhtiari M. Examining the user interface on the web pages of digital libraries: proposed criteria for the libraries of Payam Noor University. Human Information Interaction 2024; 11 (1)
URL: http://hii.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3146-en.html
URL: http://hii.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3146-en.html
Department of Information Science and Epistemology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (2979 Views)
Introduction
The purpose of this study is to propose evaluation criteria for assessing the user interface of national digital libraries for Payam Noor University. Payam Noor University's libraries have long preserved human culture and civilization, playing a significant role in the transmission of this culture through generations. As the main organization for a country's libraries, they must adapt to modern responsibilities to impact the development of libraries and information in the nation. Given the significance of designing a suitable user interface and the role of digital libraries at Payam Noor University, there is a need for research in this area. The study compares the user interface of digital libraries at Payam Noor University or selected digital collections with established criteria, identifying the richest library in terms of user interface within the studied community. The research questions include:
1. What is the status of each studied digital library regarding the 10 user interface criteria?
2. How well do the studied libraries adhere to the 10 user interface standards?
3. What is the best user interface recommendation for the digital library web pages of Payam Noor University libraries?
Methods and Materoal
The research uses a survey and descriptive method. The Norozi checklist (2018), which comprises 10 main criteria and 114 sub-components, serves as the research tool. A Delphi panel and descriptive survey method evaluate the libraries. Data collection is achieved through direct observation and scoring each component on the desired web page. The statistical population comprises 10 digital libraries affiliated with Payam Noor University in various countries. The final list of libraries was selected from those with English web pages, found through searches in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and the Pacific. The study's statistical population includes 10 digital libraries in America, Australia, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, Japan, India, and Italy. The research used the Delphi method and involved interviews with 10 experts. Some digital libraries with only the home page in English or in a non-English language were excluded. Similarly, certain cases, such as databases masquerading as digital libraries, were excluded as they did not meet the study's definition of a digital library.
Table 1. Selected digital libraries
The purpose of this study is to propose evaluation criteria for assessing the user interface of national digital libraries for Payam Noor University. Payam Noor University's libraries have long preserved human culture and civilization, playing a significant role in the transmission of this culture through generations. As the main organization for a country's libraries, they must adapt to modern responsibilities to impact the development of libraries and information in the nation. Given the significance of designing a suitable user interface and the role of digital libraries at Payam Noor University, there is a need for research in this area. The study compares the user interface of digital libraries at Payam Noor University or selected digital collections with established criteria, identifying the richest library in terms of user interface within the studied community. The research questions include:
1. What is the status of each studied digital library regarding the 10 user interface criteria?
2. How well do the studied libraries adhere to the 10 user interface standards?
3. What is the best user interface recommendation for the digital library web pages of Payam Noor University libraries?
Methods and Materoal
The research uses a survey and descriptive method. The Norozi checklist (2018), which comprises 10 main criteria and 114 sub-components, serves as the research tool. A Delphi panel and descriptive survey method evaluate the libraries. Data collection is achieved through direct observation and scoring each component on the desired web page. The statistical population comprises 10 digital libraries affiliated with Payam Noor University in various countries. The final list of libraries was selected from those with English web pages, found through searches in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and the Pacific. The study's statistical population includes 10 digital libraries in America, Australia, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, Japan, India, and Italy. The research used the Delphi method and involved interviews with 10 experts. Some digital libraries with only the home page in English or in a non-English language were excluded. Similarly, certain cases, such as databases masquerading as digital libraries, were excluded as they did not meet the study's definition of a digital library.
Table 1. Selected digital libraries
| Internet address | Name of the library |
| http://www.nla.gov.au/digicoll/ | National library of Australia (Digital collection) |
| http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html | Ntional library of America |
| http://gallica.bnf.fr/?&lang=EN | National library of France(Digital library) |
| https://www.ehelvetica.nb.admin.ch/pages/main.jsf | National library of swiss(Digital collection) |
| http://ndha-iki.natlib.govt.nz/ndha/pages/Bugs | Newzeland national digital herittage archive |
| http://www.polona.pl/dlibra?action=ChangeLanguageAction&language=en | National digital library of Poland |
| http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/?/en/homepage | Naional library of netherland |
| http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/ | National Diet Library (digital library of japan) |
| http://paniit.iitd.ac.in/indest/ | Indian national digital library in engineering science and technology |
| http://www.iccu.sbn.it/opencms/opencms/en/main/bdi/index.html | Italian Digital ibrary |
Descriptive statistical methods have been used to analyze the data of this research. The basis of data analysis was the check list, whose scores are based on yes (1) and no (0). Also, due to the quality of some of the sub-components, it was possible that the studied libraries did not comply with them equally, or in other words, absolute presence or absence could not be applied to them. Regarding these components, in addition to two levels of zero and one, 50% of the average score has also been used. The score obtained by each of the studied libraries in relation to each of the components is multiplied by the average of the coefficients obtained (weighted average) by the components from the Delphi panel. It should be noted that the weighted average of each of the components is given in the relevant tables in front of the sub-components related to each of the ten criteria. In the selection of tools, after reviewing the researches, the research of Norozi (2008) was chosen as the basis and it was adapted for the current research by using other researches. In preparing the desired list, he first extracted the most frequent criteria and components after studying the available texts and sources in this field, and then using the opinions of experts and using the method of list verification. This list was used for the present study because it was more complete and comprehensive in terms of the number of criteria to be evaluated and the components mentioned in the field of user interface of digital libraries.
Resultss and Discussion
In the first question, the issue was addressed to what extent is the status of each of the studied digital libraries in terms of the 10 user interface criteria. Out of 10 libraries under review, 8 libraries have managed to get more than 50% points. Digital Library of America with 598/68 points (70.42%), France with 573.56 points (62.09%) and Switzerland with 569.07 points (61.59%) are in the first three positions respectively. have The digital library of Italy is in the last place with 50.366 points (40.14%).
In the second question, it was addressed to what extent each of the 10 criteria of the user interface is observed in the studied libraries. From the obtained information, it has been determined that among the 10 investigated standards, the standard of the user interface language has the highest level of compliance among the standards by obtaining 98.35% of the points of the standard. Another criterion that is in the next position is the criterion of simplicity. Compliance with the components of this standard also seems necessary in terms of facilitating the user's communication with the library in question. The criterion that has received the lowest possible score is the user control criterion, which has received only 6.70% of the score of this criterion. Due to the characteristic of digital libraries in eliminating human factors, there is a need for more consideration in this field. To answer this question, the average of all countries in compliance with each criterion is used.
In the third question, it was discussed that what is the optimal user interface proposal for the digital library web pages for Payamnoor University libraries. However, by looking at the observed components, it is clear that most of the libraries have been successful in complying with the general criteria and most of the points obtained are related to the compliance with the general criteria that are of interest on the website pages and special attention is paid to the criteria that are in the scope of the duties of digital libraries. is not included due to the definitions. As seen in the previous questions, the standard of interface language has had the highest level of compliance. One of the reasons for observing the components of this standard in all libraries could be the fact that the language of these countries is not English, and for this reason, for the convenience and interaction of the user, we have tried to observe the writing notes related to the pages. Also, observing the writing points and brevity of the sentences is one of the important and main categories in the design of web pages. A successful digital library is a library that, despite the complexity of its system, can provide information to users simply and with the least amount of time. Also, by providing different options and facilities, it makes the user unnecessary to go to the library and provides the maximum amount of information for his community. More than half of the studied digital libraries, in the design of their user interface, have observed the evaluated criteria at a level of more than 50%, which should be taken into consideration by the digital libraries of Payam Noor University.
Conclusion:
Digital libraries should be able to improve and accelerate information access methods. The existence of various components of search functionality facilitates this possibility. The existence of different search capabilities is effective in more user interaction. The interaction steps should be in such a way that the loading of the memory is low and short. Due to the fact that the information society is developing rapidly, the time validity of the information may also change rapidly, so one of the important things is to mention the date of updating on the pages of digital libraries. The non-activation of library links is another reason for the library not being up-to-date. Therefore, it is recommended to include the update date on all pages. One of the characteristics of digital libraries is self-service expansion, so appropriate library guidance helps in this goal. Another feature of digital libraries is the elimination of human factors. As a result, it is necessary to have options to ask the librarian. The digital library should be able to provide appropriate guidance to users to enable them to obtain the information they need in the desired formats. The use of a suitable combination of color, font, shading options to distinguish them from nearby options, the use of clear images and symbols, etc., all affect the user's understanding of the system, which has been observed relatively well in the studied libraries. But some options require more attention. Determining mandatory information entry fields allows the user to easily get the desired results, which, based on the findings of this research, has not been observed by any of the libraries. The use of graphics, sound and images is effective on the user's understanding and makes the environment more enjoyable. Personalization, because it identifies the user's needs and successfully solves them, establishes a satisfactory relationship between the user and the system, so in the design of digital libraries, one should be taken into account Users of a computer information system may be different in terms of physical and cognitive abilities, personality characteristics and cultural factors, and these differences should be considered in the design of user interface elements and features so that different groups of users can be satisfied with the computer system. None of the mentioned cases have been taken into consideration in the interface design of the studied libraries, which requires more consideration. Error correction criteria, although they are important for the user's interaction with the system and reducing the user's error during work, are very few in the interface design of the libraries. study, have been considered. The method of writing, announcing and designing error messages to attract the user's attention should be taken into account, considering the elimination of human factors.Users turning to the Internet due to the lack of enough time to visit libraries was one of the reasons for creating digital libraries. Digital libraries have facilitated and accelerated users' access to the required information in order to provide various facilities. But what realizes this goal is a suitable architecture and design in creating a digital library. If the needs of users, the type of society and other factors are taken into consideration in the design of digital libraries, it can be said that the library will reach the desired goals. Due to the fact that in the design of digital libraries, the discussion of user interface is very important in order to eliminate human factors, digital libraries should consider the features related to the user interface in their design. Due to the importance of this discussion, the user interface of different digital libraries need to be continuously evaluated. The present research also aimed to investigate this issue by: "Evaluating the user interface on the English web pages of selected national digital libraries based on the criteria found in the texts and sources". Conducting the research needed criteria so that the evaluation could be done through it. After examining the history related to the research in the field of digital library and user interface, it was observed that despite the studies conducted in the field of user interface, these studies were not conducted in a complete and comprehensive manner and different researchers each have only one or a limited number of criteria. had investigated in the field of different information systems. The only comprehensive work done was Norozi's doctoral thesis (2008) and the researcher finally decided to use his model in the current research. Then, all 114 desired components were evaluated by direct observation on the web pages of the libraries under review. By looking at the observed components, it is clear that most of the libraries have been successful in complying with the general criteria and most of the points obtained are related to the compliance with the general criteria and more than half of the national digital libraries under study, in the design of their user interface, have evaluated the criteria. At a level of more than 50%, it is suggested that the digital libraries of Payam Noor University also use these criteria for more success. Based on the findings of the research, in order to improve the user interface of digital libraries, suggestions are provided for Payam Noor libraries:
1. In addition to observing the general components of the search, it seems necessary to observe the specific components such as proximity search, related keyword suggestion, marking of the search results, in order to save the user's time. And this should be seen in the libraries of Payam Noor University.
2. The existence of the site map facilitates the use of the library for the user.
3. Information display criteria should be given more attention in order to make system information accessible.
4. Reducing the time spent by the user and attracting and maintaining the user need attention. Users expect the elements on the first page to be important, so the existence of a site map, and access to pages with many visitors, are among the necessities.
5. In the design of the user interface of digital libraries, in addition to the criteria that are considered in the design of public websites, special criteria should be given special attention.
Resultss and Discussion
In the first question, the issue was addressed to what extent is the status of each of the studied digital libraries in terms of the 10 user interface criteria. Out of 10 libraries under review, 8 libraries have managed to get more than 50% points. Digital Library of America with 598/68 points (70.42%), France with 573.56 points (62.09%) and Switzerland with 569.07 points (61.59%) are in the first three positions respectively. have The digital library of Italy is in the last place with 50.366 points (40.14%).
In the second question, it was addressed to what extent each of the 10 criteria of the user interface is observed in the studied libraries. From the obtained information, it has been determined that among the 10 investigated standards, the standard of the user interface language has the highest level of compliance among the standards by obtaining 98.35% of the points of the standard. Another criterion that is in the next position is the criterion of simplicity. Compliance with the components of this standard also seems necessary in terms of facilitating the user's communication with the library in question. The criterion that has received the lowest possible score is the user control criterion, which has received only 6.70% of the score of this criterion. Due to the characteristic of digital libraries in eliminating human factors, there is a need for more consideration in this field. To answer this question, the average of all countries in compliance with each criterion is used.
In the third question, it was discussed that what is the optimal user interface proposal for the digital library web pages for Payamnoor University libraries. However, by looking at the observed components, it is clear that most of the libraries have been successful in complying with the general criteria and most of the points obtained are related to the compliance with the general criteria that are of interest on the website pages and special attention is paid to the criteria that are in the scope of the duties of digital libraries. is not included due to the definitions. As seen in the previous questions, the standard of interface language has had the highest level of compliance. One of the reasons for observing the components of this standard in all libraries could be the fact that the language of these countries is not English, and for this reason, for the convenience and interaction of the user, we have tried to observe the writing notes related to the pages. Also, observing the writing points and brevity of the sentences is one of the important and main categories in the design of web pages. A successful digital library is a library that, despite the complexity of its system, can provide information to users simply and with the least amount of time. Also, by providing different options and facilities, it makes the user unnecessary to go to the library and provides the maximum amount of information for his community. More than half of the studied digital libraries, in the design of their user interface, have observed the evaluated criteria at a level of more than 50%, which should be taken into consideration by the digital libraries of Payam Noor University.
Conclusion:
Digital libraries should be able to improve and accelerate information access methods. The existence of various components of search functionality facilitates this possibility. The existence of different search capabilities is effective in more user interaction. The interaction steps should be in such a way that the loading of the memory is low and short. Due to the fact that the information society is developing rapidly, the time validity of the information may also change rapidly, so one of the important things is to mention the date of updating on the pages of digital libraries. The non-activation of library links is another reason for the library not being up-to-date. Therefore, it is recommended to include the update date on all pages. One of the characteristics of digital libraries is self-service expansion, so appropriate library guidance helps in this goal. Another feature of digital libraries is the elimination of human factors. As a result, it is necessary to have options to ask the librarian. The digital library should be able to provide appropriate guidance to users to enable them to obtain the information they need in the desired formats. The use of a suitable combination of color, font, shading options to distinguish them from nearby options, the use of clear images and symbols, etc., all affect the user's understanding of the system, which has been observed relatively well in the studied libraries. But some options require more attention. Determining mandatory information entry fields allows the user to easily get the desired results, which, based on the findings of this research, has not been observed by any of the libraries. The use of graphics, sound and images is effective on the user's understanding and makes the environment more enjoyable. Personalization, because it identifies the user's needs and successfully solves them, establishes a satisfactory relationship between the user and the system, so in the design of digital libraries, one should be taken into account Users of a computer information system may be different in terms of physical and cognitive abilities, personality characteristics and cultural factors, and these differences should be considered in the design of user interface elements and features so that different groups of users can be satisfied with the computer system. None of the mentioned cases have been taken into consideration in the interface design of the studied libraries, which requires more consideration. Error correction criteria, although they are important for the user's interaction with the system and reducing the user's error during work, are very few in the interface design of the libraries. study, have been considered. The method of writing, announcing and designing error messages to attract the user's attention should be taken into account, considering the elimination of human factors.Users turning to the Internet due to the lack of enough time to visit libraries was one of the reasons for creating digital libraries. Digital libraries have facilitated and accelerated users' access to the required information in order to provide various facilities. But what realizes this goal is a suitable architecture and design in creating a digital library. If the needs of users, the type of society and other factors are taken into consideration in the design of digital libraries, it can be said that the library will reach the desired goals. Due to the fact that in the design of digital libraries, the discussion of user interface is very important in order to eliminate human factors, digital libraries should consider the features related to the user interface in their design. Due to the importance of this discussion, the user interface of different digital libraries need to be continuously evaluated. The present research also aimed to investigate this issue by: "Evaluating the user interface on the English web pages of selected national digital libraries based on the criteria found in the texts and sources". Conducting the research needed criteria so that the evaluation could be done through it. After examining the history related to the research in the field of digital library and user interface, it was observed that despite the studies conducted in the field of user interface, these studies were not conducted in a complete and comprehensive manner and different researchers each have only one or a limited number of criteria. had investigated in the field of different information systems. The only comprehensive work done was Norozi's doctoral thesis (2008) and the researcher finally decided to use his model in the current research. Then, all 114 desired components were evaluated by direct observation on the web pages of the libraries under review. By looking at the observed components, it is clear that most of the libraries have been successful in complying with the general criteria and most of the points obtained are related to the compliance with the general criteria and more than half of the national digital libraries under study, in the design of their user interface, have evaluated the criteria. At a level of more than 50%, it is suggested that the digital libraries of Payam Noor University also use these criteria for more success. Based on the findings of the research, in order to improve the user interface of digital libraries, suggestions are provided for Payam Noor libraries:
1. In addition to observing the general components of the search, it seems necessary to observe the specific components such as proximity search, related keyword suggestion, marking of the search results, in order to save the user's time. And this should be seen in the libraries of Payam Noor University.
2. The existence of the site map facilitates the use of the library for the user.
3. Information display criteria should be given more attention in order to make system information accessible.
4. Reducing the time spent by the user and attracting and maintaining the user need attention. Users expect the elements on the first page to be important, so the existence of a site map, and access to pages with many visitors, are among the necessities.
5. In the design of the user interface of digital libraries, in addition to the criteria that are considered in the design of public websites, special criteria should be given special attention.
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