Showing 17 results for Evaluation
Faeze Delghandi, Ghasem Azadi Ahmadabadi,
Volume 1, Issue 2 (7-2014)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Interaction in a digital library help users locating and accessing information and also assist them in creating knowledge, better perception, problem solving and recognition of dimension of resources. This paper tries to identify and introduce the components and elements that are used in interaction between user and system in search and retrieval of information in digital library.
Method: This paper investigate the different studies in the field of interactive search of digital library by the library approach and also identifies capabilities that can be used in digital library by the use of heuristic methods.
Results: The components of identified, interactive search including: 1. Interaction before search including using directories, applying ontology, and filtering. 2. Interaction in the time of search including annotation, suggesting the interactive terms by the use of subjective thesaurus. Syndicate list, colon searching, filtering. Interaction after search: motion, fragment, copying, collecting, cutting, segmentation, probing, rearrangement, re illustration, searching, visualization based on graph, personalization and recommendation systems.
Conclusion: With perception of interaction and interactive search, the efficient design and evaluation of digital library can be done. The designers of digital libraries can use different interaction according their resources. Librarian also can familiar with different interaction and would be able to give their users necessary education until they can search and retrieval efficiently.
Zeinab Sedighi, Alireza Isfandyari-Moghaddam, Atefeh Zarei,
Volume 3, Issue 2 (9-2016)
Abstract
Purpose: Digital library user interfaces has a determining role in desirable performance of this kind of libraries. Digital Library service providers to the blind and deaf users will have their best performance when the users (deaf and blind users) could have a proper interaction with them. This study aims to evaluate and analyze the criteria related to user interface in digital libraries service provider to the blind and deaf users in the world.
Methodology: This is an applied and evaluative study. This study has been used library research method for extracting criteria and descriptive survey method for everything from evaluating library. A checklist consist of 13 criteria (Screen capabilities, Ability of organizing the screen, Search facilities, Links, Visual symbols and images, Options for customizing the texts, Help services and Tips, Error message alert, Interaction and feedback facilities, user interface Language, User controls, Library resources in various format, Study facilities of retrieved resources from the library) and 109 component is prepared. Then have been finalized by using the Delphi method and completed for each Library. 12 digital library service providers to blind and deaf user in the world perform the population.
Finding: Results of the study showed that the criteria of '' user interface language '' (with 97.92 %) and the criteria of '' user control'' (with 9.67 %) reached the highest and lowest scores respectively. Among the 12 digital libraries investigated worldwide, "Digital library for the blind" with respect 63.53 reached the maximum and "U.S. National Library Service for Blind" with respect 37.62 grasped the minimum levels.
Hamid Keshavarz, Fatemeh Fahimnia, Alireza Nouruzi, Mohammadreza Esmaeili Givi,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (12-2016)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The current research aims to develop a literature-dependent and expert-modified model related to credibility evaluation of web information.
Methods: Regarding the approach, mixed method would be utilized. The research method then is mixed-heuristic using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In the first stage of the research, meta- synthesis was used as a qualitative research method. Secondly, exploring experts’ points of view was conducted by a Delphi method to develop the conceptual model identified in the first stage.
Results: Using the seven stage mode of meta-synthesis, a model was designed in four layers including concepts, categories, codes and indicators. A set of 68 indicators were incorporated into the different layers of the model. For reliability testing of the conceptual mopdel, a Delphi study was conducted in two rounds after which the comments of the experst were included into the model. Regarding the high degree of Kendall’s coeficinet of concordance about %.65 and the agreement perecentage of the most dimensions of the model higher than %90 the conceptual model was confirmed by the sample experts.
Conclusion: The conceptual model derived from the meta-synthesis and Delphi studies is a model accepted by experts and a base for future research to design some tools for related studies. The findings showed that the credibility evaluation is a concept whith different and multiple dimensions and components suitable for users, designers and policymakers to take them into consideration in design and evaluation of web resources.
Mohsen Nowkarizi, Mr Mahdi Zeinali,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (12-2017)
Abstract
Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to measure the overlap of 4 local Persian search engines of Parsijoo, Yooz, Parseek, and Rismoun and to compare the capabilities of these engines in covering indexable web.
Methods: This was an applied and evaluative research. To collect data, a keyword-based method was used. First, the selected keywords were entered into the search engines and then a sample was extracted of the retrieved records. Finally, based on the existence or absence of these records in the search engines, the necessary data were gathered. Accordingly to analyze the data, inferential statistical methods were used.
Results: The relative overlap of the Parseek compared to that of Parsijoo and Parsijoo's one compared to Yooz was 26 percent on average and Parseek had the most recall. Rismoun had not any common records with the other investigated search engines. Three search engines (Parseekc, Parsijoo and Yooz retrieved 27 common records out of 225 recalled records; there was a significant difference between the relative overlap of the 4 search engines. Also, on average, Parseel, Parsigoo, Yooz and Rismoun covered respectively 38, 31, 26, and 6 percent of the indexable web. There was a significant difference between the coverage of the 4 search engines.
Conclusion: It seems that each search engine has a different indexing policy, and users need to search for more than one search engine to get comprehensive information about an issue. It can be predicted that by foraging in two search engines, Parseek and Parsijoo, one may access 70 percent of the indexable web.
Hashem Atapour, Fatima Fahimnia,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (6-2018)
Abstract
Background and Aim: this research investigates the impact of authors’ rank in Bibliographic networks on document-centered model of Expertise Retrieval. Its purpose is to find out what kind of authors’ ranking in bibliographic networks can improve the performance of document-centered model.
Methodology: Current research is an experimental one. To operationalize research goals, a new test collection was developed which includes 55 queries and 96375 documents. The queries were made by Iran Knowledge and Information Science PhD students, and the documents were papers indexed in the Web of Science database under Library Science and Information Science category. The queries were submitted to the database consisting of test collection documents, and then DLH13, a known IR model, were used to retrieve documents from database. The first 100 documents retrieved by DLH13 model for each query were chosen for second stage. All people names occurred in the retrieved documents were extracted, processed, and ranked in 5 different ways based on micro metrics of Social Network Analysis. The top 10 results of every method accumulated in a pool of authors. After relevance judgment on authors’ expertise, the expert finding performance of every ranking method was measured.
Findings: Results showed that performance of authors’ ranking in citation networks hadn’t significant difference with document-centered model, whereas authors’ ranking in co-authorship networks was weaker than document-centered model, and impact it negatively.
Conclusion: compared with author-based networks, citation-based networks are better evidence for individual’s expertise in different subject areas.
Fatemeh Zandian, Leyla Fathi, Mohammad Hasanzadeh,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (9-2018)
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Today, websites with diverse and varied uses have revolutionized all social, scientific, educational, artistic, commercial, and other fields of thought. In the meantime, the cinema has not gone away with this technological advancement, and a large number of cinema websites have been set up to help film makers in this field. Whatever the users of a website, the main purpose and the main goals is to provide quick and easy service and to satisfy users, and this goal is achieved only with the assurance of their efficiency and performance review and performance measurement. Web sites are not possible except by evaluating them. Only this way, one can see the strengths and weaknesses of the Web sites, and they have taken steps to refine or complete their progress and development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cinematic websites of Iran based on the three-level pyramid model.
Methodology: Using evaluative method, 38 Iranian cinemas were evaluated using two public and specialized criteria. Using these two logos, not screening, navigation, content, availability, interaction, informational services, special services, multimedia services, and customer service have been evaluated.
Results: The evaluation results show that Iran's cinema websites are based on the three-level pyramid model, which are general criteria, at a good level, in the middle of the pyramid with appropriate specialized standards at the head of the pyramid consisting of Specialized criteria are at the right level.
Conclusion: A fully cinematic web site is considered to include at least two criteria for special services and customer service at the head of the pyramid, one in a highly professional and user-friendly manner, and at the level of the best of the same foreign websites Have your website. It seems that Iran's cinematic websites are beginning to work on this and need more activity and experience.
Dr Azam Sanatjoo, Mr Mahdi Zeynali Tazehkandi,
Volume 7, Issue 2 (12-2020)
Abstract
Purpose: There are several metrics for evaluating search engines. Though, many researchers have proposed new metrics in recent years. Familiarity with new metrics is essential. So, the purpose is to provide an analysis of important and new metrics to evaluate search engines.
Methodology: This review article critically studied the efficiency of metrics of evaluation. So, “evaluation metrics,” “evaluation measure,” “search engine evaluation,” “information retrieval system evaluation,” “relevance evaluation measure” and “relevance evaluation metrics” were investigated in “MagIran” “Sid” and Google Scholar search engines. Articles gathered to inspect and analyse existing approaches in evaluation of information retrieval systems. Descriptive-analytical approach used to review the search engine assessment metrics.
Findings: Theoretical and philosophical foundations determine research methods and techniques. There are two well-known “system-oriented” and “user-oriented” approaches to evaluating information retrieval systems. So, researchers such as Sirotkin (2013) and Bama, Ahmed, & Saravanan (2015) group the precision and recall metrics in a system-oriented approach. They also believe that Average Distance, normalized discounted cumulative gain, Rank Eff and B pref are rooted in the user-oriented approach. Nowkarizi and Zeynali Tazehkandi (2019) introduced comprehensiveness metric instead of Recall metric. They argue that their metric is rooted in a user-oriented approach, while the goal is not fully met. On the other hand, Hjørland(2010) emphasizes that we need a third approach to eliminate this dichotomy. In this regard, researchers such as Borlund, Ingwersen (1998), Borlund (2003), Thornley, Gibb (2007) have mentioned a third approach for evaluating information retrieval systems that refer to interact and compose two mentioned approaches. Incidentally, Borlund, Ingwersen(1998) proposed a Jaccard Association and Cosine Association measures to evaluate information retrieval systems. It seems that these two metrics have failed to compose the system-oriented and user-oriented approaches completely, and need further investigation.
Conclusion: Search engines involve different components including: Crawler, Indexer, Query Processor, Retrieval Software, and Ranker. Scholars wish to apply the most efficient search engines for retrieving required information resources. Each metrics measures a specific component, to measure all, it is suggested to select metrics from all three mentioned groups in their search.
Mr Mahmoud Pouyanfar, Dr Mohammad Reza Kiani, Dr Mohammad Javad Hashemzadeh,
Volume 7, Issue 2 (12-2020)
Abstract
Purpose: Today, social networks and smart phones have become very popular. One of the interesting topics in the field of information science and cognition is the study of users' information behavior in mobile-based social networks. In this area, this study examines the role of psychological variables: communication Apprehension, Expression of the True Self, and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Instagram and Selfie use. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of communication Apprehension, Expression of the True Self, and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Instagram and Selfie use from the perspective of undergraduate students of Birjand University.
Methodology: This correlational study used 4 questionnaires "Communication Apprehension" (McCroskey, 1982), "Fear of Negative Evaluation" (Leary, 1983), " Instagram Use " (Lazebna, 2015) and "Taking a selfie" (Lazebna, 2015) (online) in a random sample of undergraduate students at the University of Birjand (357 participants).
Findings: Communication Apprehension and selfie use were significantly higher in women than in men. However, there was no significant differences shown for the other variables. Instagram usage was above average and sending and edited selfies were below average. The increase of most of the psychological variables investigated also showed the increase of use of Instagram, selfies and edited selfies. Also, with the increase of communication apprehension, the fear of negative evaluation increased.
Conclusion: Review of the literature revealed that there wasn’t any interest in the field of knowledge and information science for the topic at the national level. Although, there were limited studies presented in the international arena.
Samira Daniali, Dr. Amir Hossein Seddighi,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (9-2021)
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the University of Tehran website based on information architecture indicators to inform, assess the status and quality of the website.
Methodology: The research method is applied descriptive. Checklist was used to analyze the website in terms of organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems.
Findings: The results of the checklists showed that the University of Tehran website earned 20 points out of 37 in the organization, 37 points out of 57 in the labeling, 53 points out of 78 in the navigation, and 14 points out of 46 in the search, which imply a poor status in search system, an average status in organization system, and a good status in labeling and navigation systems. According to the obtained results, the search system of the University of Tehran website can be redesigned, its organization system can be reviewed, and other mentioned systems can be improved. In general, in order to increase the efficiency of websites, it is necessary to consider the principles of information architecture in their design. Moreover, this research can be a suitable source for future website policies by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the website.
Conclusion: Evaluating the information architecture of a website is a new field that, while important, has received less attention. This research tries to show the applicability of the method for use in similar cases by presenting a systematic evaluation in a case study for the University of Tehran website while introducing the strengths and weaknesses of this website.
Dr. Mohammad Moradi, Dr. Mojtaba Mazoochi,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (2-2022)
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose is to present an open government data evaluation method by considering comprehensive and complete dimensions and criteria - calculating the weight and importance of each criterion, examining the country in this area, clustering organizations and presenting a classification model to predict the situation.
Methodology: Library studies was used to extract the dimensions and criteria of evaluation. Population includes articles related to open government data evaluation criteria. Ten articles were reviewed by simple random sampling method. Multiple attribute decision making techniques was used to calculate the weight and importance of each criterion. Data mining techniques was incorporated to cluster and create a classification model.
Findings: By reviewing the articles 15 criteria of open government data evaluation including: Data originality, license openness, up-to-datedness, data access rate, metadata completeness, number of data sets, format openness, non-discriminatory, comprehensible, number of data fields, free, no missing data, data request ability, visual and feedback, were extracted. Using AHP technique, the weights of the criteria were calculated, which after normalization, the total weight of the 15 extracted criteria was equal to one. "Data originality" with a weight of 0.165, " license openness " with a weight of 0.124 and " up-to-datedness" with a weight of 0.109 were ranked first to third among 15 evaluation criteria, respectively. Weight of evaluation criteria obtained and data extraction of 358 organizations in harmony with 15 evaluation criteria, the weight of organizations was calculated. The sum of the weights was equal to one. "East Azerbaijan Agricultural Jihad Organization" with a weight of 0.088, "Statistics Center of Iran" with a weight of 0.062 and "Geological Survey" with a weight of 0.058 were the first to third ranks among 358 organizations and government institutions, respectively, based on the combination of criteria and the weight of criteria.
Conclusion: Evaluation criteria obtained, calculating the weight and importance of each criterion, examining the current situation of government organizations and institutions in the country and the classification model created can help managers to understand the current situation and improve it and thus increase citizens' interaction with open government data as a kind of human information interaction.
Dr. Ali Naimi-Sadigh, Dr. Mohammad Rabiei, Dr. Alireza Seghatoleslami,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Objectives: The National Conference of Information Technology Managers is conceivably the most significant of its nature in the country. Chief competitive advantage to comparable ones is its observant of products in IT as an alternative to papers. The purpose is a comprehensive design for the scientific evaluation of information technology products.
Method: For the evaluation plan of the premium information technology award (FAB), three main scientific-technological, managerial-economical and cultural-social axes were studied. At the end, the criteria and sub-criteria were interviewed using the experts' focus group method. Initially, the information technology products were classified according to their nature. Then, the importance of criteria and sub-criteria were determined for all their features. Finally, evaluation of the products was done based on their identified importance.
Findings: The products are divided into 9 groups according to the type of customer and the product usage. Each of these 9 groups will have unique features and different sub-criteria. They receive their total weight by points given via expert judges that will be their score compared to the other products, and therefore could rank the products.
Conclusion: After receiving the products, in the first stage, they are evaluated in the internal scientific evaluation committee of the conference. In the next stage, the products receiving the highest points are for the evaluation of the presence of internal and external judges.
Samira Daniali, Amir Hossein Seddighi,
Volume 9, Issue 2 (9-2022)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Data as a strategic asset in any organization requires proper and effective management in order to provide transformative opportunities for the organization. In addition, the increase in the volume of data has forced organizations to move towards collecting, classifying and analyzing data so that they can identify the customer's needs and respond to them at the right time and in the right way. On the one hand, to manage such a volume of data and on the other hand, to maximize the business value resulting from the analyses based on these data, a concept called data governance has been introduced. Data governance is a system for determining the responsibilities, policies and standards used in connection with data-driven processes at the organization level, which tries to take steps to transform organization's data into business values while maintaining and increasing the quality of data. From this point of view, data governance is considered as a strategic program that aims to guide and monitor the various data dimensions of the organization in order to solve internal problems around data, and to improve collaboration between business and information technology departments. It will lead to increase productivity in data management and use, and help generate value by pushing the organization towards data-driven decisions. Considering the importance and role of data governance, organizations need to have a clear picture of their situation in this field. Therefore, the need for an approach that can evaluate data governance in organizations is strongly felt. For this purpose, this research tries to find an answer to this need by developing a model for evaluating data governance.
Method: In this research, first, a set of criteria for evaluating data governance is extracted from the literature, and according to the structure of the problem and the opinion of experts, a hierarchical structure is developed for evaluating data governance. Then the evaluation method is established using the proposed structure and a hybrid approach based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). In the following, the proposed approach is used in a case study in the food industry.
In the evaluation method, first, the weight of each criterion is calculated with the help of AHP. In this regard, the following steps are taken.
- Form a hierarchy
- For the elements of each level of the hierarchy, perform pairwise comparisons according to the expert opinion.
- Calculate the inconsistency rate for each matrix of pairwise comparisons.
- If the inconsistency rate for the matrix was more than 0.1, review the values of the paired comparisons of that matrix.
- Calculate the relative weight of the elements corresponding to each matrix of pairwise comparisons.
- The product of the relative weight of each criterion and the relative weight of all elements related to it, at all higher levels of the hierarchy, gives the final weight of that criterion.
- Now, with the help of the weights calculated for each criterion and using the TOPSIS method, the alternatives will be ranked. The TOPSIS method is based on choosing the alternative that has the smallest distance from the positive ideal solution and the largest distance from the negative ideal solution. In this method, it is assumed that there are m alternatives (organizations) that must be evaluated based on n criteria. The steps of this method are as follows.
- Evaluate the alternatives with respect to each criterion according to the expert opinion.
- Normalize the decision matrix so that the data are on the same scale.
- Obtain the normalized weighted decision matrix by multiplying each component of the normal matrix by the weight of similar criteria.
- Calculate positive ideal and negative ideal solutions.
- Calculate the distance of each alternative from the ideal positive and ideal negative solutions.
- Obtain the closeness coefficient of the alternatives.
- Rank the alternatives in decreasing order of the closeness coefficient.
- Finally, the proposed evaluation method is used to evaluate data governance in five organizations active in the food industry.
Findings: According to the results of this research, data governance can be evaluated at the first level from three different dimensions, which are data quality, internal organizational effects, and external organizational effects. Then, at the second level, different criteria are considered for each dimension of data governance. Data quality evaluation criteria include data accuracy, data completeness, data consistency, data availability, data timeliness, and data uniqueness. The data accuracy measure refers to issues such as the percentage of incorrect information, the percentage of the need for manual corrective actions on the data, and the percentage of change in the retrieval of incorrect information after the implementation of data governance. The data completeness criterion seeks to ensure the completeness of various dimensions of information that the organization must use in its business line, and is related to issues such as the percentage of information filled in the required fields, the percentage of usable information, and the percentage of incomplete information. Data consistency refers to ensuring that the data is consistent and aligned with the policies, rules and values set for the data in the business. Data availability seeks to assess the time the business group has access to critical information and data elements.
Data timeliness refers to the degree to which the data represents reality at a particular point in time.
Data uniqueness means that no information item is recorded more than once in the data set.
The second dimension of data governance evaluation focuses on its internal organizational effects,andthe main criteria in this dimension are data governance efficiency, data governance productivity, and business cost savings. These criteria seek to evaluate the level of involvement, participation and impact of data governance in the organization. Among the important things in evaluating the efficiency of data governance are the number of business lines, functional areas, system areas, project teams, and other parts of the organization that have come together to support monitoring and providing resources for data governance, and in addition, categorizing and tracking the status of all issues that fall within the scope of data governance tasks. The data governance productivity considers the impact of data governance in relation to the amount of support and investment in this area, and includes issues such as the amount of reduction in resources required to coordinate members, products and other entities in data systems, the amount of reduction in work required to solve existing data problems, the percentage of projects or initiatives within the organization that have been identified and eliminated as redundant by the data governance program, and the number of redundant systems eliminated in order to create a single definition of customer, product, or other master data. Finally, the cost savings measure reflects the business value of data governance in terms of internal organizational impacts.
The third dimension of data governance evaluation considers the effects that go beyond the internal boundaries of the organization and affect the entire business of the organization. The criteria considered in this dimension include obtaining and improving customer satisfaction, complying with laws and creating business opportunities, which express the main motivations and drivers of the organization to adopt data governance in the current competitive environment. The customer satisfaction criterion measures the fruit of the efforts made to govern and manage data and turn it into a real business value. On the other hand, there are laws and regulations that are defined in relation to data and depending on the type of business at different national, regional and international levels, and failure to comply with them, in addition to monetary fines, will sometimes result in the suspension or even termination of the organization's business. Therefore, the level of compliance with laws is one of the key criteria in the evaluation of data governance from the perspective of external organizational effects. Finally, it is expected that high-quality data along with analysis and reporting systems will lead to informed decisions and data-driven insights and provide new business opportunities for the organization, which is the subject of the last criterion in this dimension.
Finally, five organizations active in the food industry were examined from the perspective of data governance. According to the information collected from these organizations and using expert opinion, pairwise comparisons were made at different levels of the proposed hierarchy. Then, using AHP, the weight of each dimension and criteria was calculated. According to the results, it can be seen that the external organizational effects is the most important dimension of data governance evaluation in organizations. In addition, customer satisfaction was chosen as the most important evaluation criterion, and compliance with laws and productivity were placed in the next positions. Then, the solutions and the distance of each organization from these solutions were calculated. studied organizations were scored based on the data governance criteria on a scale between zero and ten, and using the TOPSIS method, ideal positive and ideal negative Afterwards, the closeness coefficient and accordingly the rank of each organization was obtained.The results show that the third organization has the best performance in the field of data governance among other organizations, and
the second and fourth or ganizations are placed in the next places with a slight difference from each other.
The fifth organization has a much weaker performance and the first organization is in the last place by a large margin. These results emphasize the applicability of the proposed approach for evaluating data governance and show the steps to perform such an evaluation in a case study in the field of food industry. Such an evaluation in the target organizations can be used as a measure to determine the current state of data governance on the one hand, and on the other hand, it can be used to set goals to reach the desired state in data governance. Moreover, considering the comprehensive and general nature of the proposed approach, it enables its application in other organizations, regardless of their size and type, which is one of the advantages of this approach.
Conclusion: The volume of data is exploding in the last decade and its complexity is continuously increasing. Moreover, organizations have become more adept at using data, which has created new demands that require different methods to combine, change, store and present information. Leading organizations are finding that traditional solutions for data management are becoming more expensive and unable to truly manage the business. Therefore, organizations need to solve these data problems in another way and by implementing an effective data governance. Data governance, by monitoring data quality and aligning it with business goals, is one of the causes of internal organizational changes, such as increased productivity. It has external impacts like increasing customer satisfaction and creating new business opportunities. Therefore, organizations need to use, implement, and evaluate data governance in their business to maintain competitive advantage and comply with laws and regulations. The present study tried to provide an applicable approach to evaluate data governance in organizations. For this purpose, the dimensions of data governance and different criteria for their evaluation were determined using the literature review and the opinion of experts. Then, a hierarchical structure was proposed to evaluate data governance. This structure considers data governance from the three dimensions of data quality, internal organizational effects and external organizational effects of data governance. In the following, for each of these dimensions and depending on their nature, different criteria were introduced and explained. Then the evaluation method was developed based on the obtained structure and using a hybrid AHP and TOPSIS approach. In the next step, the proposed approach was used in a case study to evaluate data governance in five organizations active in the food industry. This study, while showing the implementation steps of the proposed approach, specifies its applicability and generalizability in other organizations. In addition, the results of this evaluation can help organizations to improve the state of data governance and while ensuring customer satisfaction and compliance with laws in the field of data, provide a platform for organizational excellence and new business opportunities.
Professor Saleh Rahimi, Ms Fatemeh Rahimi, Samira Daniali,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (10-2022)
Abstract
Purpose: Due to increasing the amount of information and the importance of applying images in various fields, the significance of visual literacy is obvious and research showed that visual literacy has a positive effect on learning. So, the purpose of this study was to determine the importance of visual literacy and to identify the necessity of its use in education and learning, as well as to dictate the components of visual literacy to improve learning.
Methodology: Using the library method and utilizing descriptive research method, the literature in the field of visual literacy has been reviewed
Findings: Visual literacy is typically considered as an ability to evaluate, analyze and interpret the meanings of images and their use, also as a main concept is contemplated.
Conclusion: Visual literacy standards help us study, analyze, understand, and recognize visual elements based on a reasonable and pre-defined framework. It makes people benefit more appropriately from information resources in the form of symbols and images. The concept of visual literacy is evolving and requires more advanced tools. Therefore, students must be acquainted with the tools of this technique.
Nosrat Riahinia, Farzaneh Shadanpour, Keyvan Borna, Gholam Ali Montazer,
Volume 9, Issue 3 (10-2022)
Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates the automatic keyword extraction from the table of contents of Persian e-books in the field of science using LDA topic modeling, evaluating their similarity with the golden standard, and users' viewpoints of the model keywords.
Methodology: This is mixed text-mining research in which LDA topic modeling is used to extract keywords from the table of contents of scientific e-books. The evaluation of the used approach has been done by two methods of cosine similarity computing and qualitative evaluation by users.
Findings: Table of contents are medium-length texts with a trimmed mean of 260.02 words, about 20% of which are stop-words. The cosine similarity between the golden standard keywords and the output keywords is 0.0932 thus very low. The full agreement of users showed that the extracted keywords with the LDA topic model represent the subject field of the whole corpus, but the golden standard keywords, the keywords extracted using the LDA topic model in sub-domains of the corpus, and the keywords extracted from the whole corpus were respectively successful in subject describing of each document.
Conclusion: The keywords extracted using the LDA topic model can be used in unspecified and unknown collections to extract hidden thematic content of the whole collection, but not to accurately relate each topic to each document in large and heterogeneous themes. In collections of texts in one subject field, such as mathematics or physics, etc., with less diversity and more uniformity in terms of the words used in them, more coherent and relevant keywords are obtained, but in these cases, the control of the relevance of keywords to each document is required. In formal subject analysis procedures and processes of individual documents, this approach can be used as a keyword suggestion system for indexing and analytical workforce.
Dr. Amir Hossein Seddighi,
Volume 9, Issue 4 (1-2023)
Abstract
Purpose: As mission-oriented organizations, research institutes have the task of answering community questions in specialized areas, and should therefore be able to effectively present their outputs to their target users. Achieving such a goal requires the proper use of information architecture principles to properly organize the information platform in which the research institutes interact with their audiences. Therefore, reviewing and evaluating the information architecture of Research Institutes’ websites as their main communication platform with their users is of particular importance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology’s website based on information architecture.
Methodology: The research method is based on content analysis and case evaluation and is done using direct observations and checklists in March 2022. In this regard, first the components of the information environment, ie the context, content, and user of the website are identified. Then, we check the information architecture subsystems of the website using checklists based on the components of the information environment. The organization system checklist contains 14 main questions, the labeling system checklist contains 32 main questions, the navigation system checklist contains 20 main questions, and finally, the search system checklist contains 41 main questions. The checklists were prepared using the library research method and approved by an expert panel. Excel software is used to collect and analyze data.
Findings: Users of the Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology’s website can be categorized into four groups: researchers and students, science and technology policymakers, librarians and informants, and educational and research institutions. The main content of this website includes reports, books, articles, research projects, information systems, scientific events, training courses, laboratories, and collaborative services. The context of the website is based on service development and delivery in the areas of knowledge management, scientific and technological information management, dissemination of information science and technology, supporting science and technology policymakers, Publicizing the use of information technology, cooperating with universities and research institutes, and supporting research in the field of information science and technology. The results of the checklists indicate the score of this website for the organization system, the labeling system, the navigation system, and the search system as 67.6%, 68.4%, 65.4%, and 34.8%, respectively.
Conclusion: The status of the Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology’s website is assessed as good in terms of the organization system, the labeling system, and the navigation system, and poor in terms of the search system. The use of an audience-oriented organization plan in the website organization system, the use of index labels in the form of unique entities in the website labeling system, and the use of a main navigation bar with an integrated and similar design in the website navigation system are among the strengths of the website information architecture design. On the other hand, according to the research findings, to improve the search system, it is necessary to pay attention to features such as “correcting spelling errors in the input query”, “highlighting the input query in the retrieved results”, “adding logical operators to the search system”, “searching metadata”, “sorting results in alphabetical and chronological order”, and “adding search filters such as subject and year”.
Saeed Ghaffari, Masoud Bakhtiari,
Volume 11, Issue 1 (6-2024)
Abstract
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
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.
Yaghoub Norouzi, Sima Tarashi, Narehreh Jafarifar,
Volume 11, Issue 2 (9-2024)
Abstract
A museum website is an online platform created by a museum to provide information about its collections, exhibitions, programs, and services. The website serves as an important tool for engagement, allowing both local visitors and distant audiences to connect with the museum’s officials. The Persian web pages of Iranian museums play a crucial role. Persian web pages help catalog and document Iranian artifacts, ensuring that cultural heritage is preserved for future generations. They serve as educational platforms, providing information about the cultural significance and history of the items in their collections. By showcasing exhibits and events, these websites can attract both domestic and international tourists interested in Iranian culture and history. They facilitate cultural exchange by providing insights into Iranian traditions, encouraging global visitors to explore Iran's cultural treasures. Persian web pages allow for better outreach to the Persian-speaking population, ensuring that the museum information is easily accessible to locals. They enable museums to engage with the public through online exhibits, virtual tours, and interactive content, making them more accessible to those unable to visit in person. Academics and students can use these web pages as valuable resources for research on Persian art, history, and archaeology. They often provide access to digital archives, scholarly articles, and other resources to support education and research efforts. Museums can announce community events, workshops, and educational programs, fostering a sense of community involvement. By highlighting local culture and history, these web pages help reinforce a sense of national identity and pride among Iranians. Persian web pages support the use of the Persian language, promoting literacy and engagement among Persian speakers. They provide information that is culturally relevant and linguistically accessible for Iranian citizens, particularly in regions where other languages may dominate. Therefore, Persian web pages of Iranian museums are vital for promoting cultural heritage, enhancing tourism, facilitating research, engaging communities, and ensuring that the rich history of Iran is preserved and shared with the world. Evaluating the user interface of Persian web pages for Iranian museums is essential for several reasons:
- Cultural Significance: Museums are custodians of culture and heritage. A well-designed interface can effectively represent and communicate cultural values and historical narratives.
- User Experience: A user-friendly interface enhances the visitor experience, making it easier for users to access information about exhibits, events, and educational resources.
- Accessibility: Evaluating the interface helps ensure that it is accessible to a diverse audience, including those with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can engage with the museum’s offerings.
- Information Dissemination: Museums play a crucial role in education. An effective interface helps disseminate information about collections, research, and educational programs efficiently.
- Tourism Promotion:An attractive and functional website can promote tourism, attracting both domestic and international visitors to Iranian museums and cultural sites.
- Technological Advancements: With the rapid development of web technologies, it’s important to regularly evaluate and update interfaces to meet current standards and user expectations.
- Feedback Mechanism: Evaluation can provide insights into user preferences and behaviors, allowing museums to refine their digital strategies and improve overall engagement.
In conclusion, the evaluation of user interfaces is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness and appeal of museum web pages and ensuring that they serve their educational and cultural missions. The present study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the user interface of the Persian web pages of Iranian museums and comparing them with the criteria found in the texts and sources. Evaluating the user interface of museum websites can provide valuable insights for both designers and users. Present Findings Illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the current websites. Provides practical suggestions for improvement. This approach not only highlights the current status but also aims at enhancing the user experience in the future.
Methods and Materoal
The research is of an applied type and it was carried out by a survey method of the type of Heuristic Evaluation. The statistical population of the research includes 10 museum websites under the supervision of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage of Iran which include:
The research tool is the evaluation list based on the criteria found in the texts and sources including 10 main indicators (search, Cohesion, guidance, Show information, Page design, navigation, User interface language, Simplicity, User control, Error correction) and 103 sub-components. Here’s an elaboration on each of the 10 indicators specifically regarding the user interface of Iranian museum websites:
- Searching
- Accessibility: The search bar should be prominently placed, often at the top of the page, to ensure users can easily find it.
- Relevancy: The search results should be accurately related to user queries, featuring filtering options for better refinement (e.g., categories like exhibits, events, or collections).
- Consistency
- Consistent Design: Elements such as fonts, colors, and icons should remain the same across all pages, facilitating an intuitive experience.
- Unified Message: The website should consistently reflect the museum's themes (e.g., art, history) in both content and visual design.
3. Guidance
- Supportive Resources: There should be a dedicated section for user assistance, possibly including FAQs and tips on how to navigate the site.
- Clear Pathways: Guides or prompts should be available to help users navigate complex information or sections, enhancing overall orientation.
4. Presentation
- Effective Communication: Information should be presented in a straightforward manner, avoiding overly complex language.
- Engaging Visuals: The use of high-quality images and multimedia should enhance content comprehension and engagement, making exhibits come alive.
5. Design
- Visual Appeal: The design should authentically reflect the museum’s identity and cultural significance, employing a harmonious color palette and suitable typography.
- Logical Layout: Content should be arranged in a way that follows a natural reading order, ensuring that users can scan and find information quickly.
6. Navigation
- Intuitive Paths: Users should navigate seamlessly through sections, with clear labels for each category.
- Utilization of Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumb navigation helps users understand their current position on the website and easily backtrack if needed.
7. Language
- Cultural Relevance: The language used should resonate with both local users and international visitors, with translations where necessary.
- Clarity and Simplicity: Technical terms should be minimized or clarified to ensure accessibility for all users, including those who may not be experts.
8. Simplicity
- Uncluttered Design: The interface should prioritize essential information and minimize distractions, leading to easier navigation.
- Focus on Key Functions: Critical features like ticket booking or exhibit details should be straightforward and easy to access.
9. User Control
- Customization Options: Users should be able to adjust settings (like text size or language) to fit their preferences.
- Easy Navigation: The site should allow for quick changes between sections without losing previously entered data or context.
10. Error management (recovery)
- User-Friendly Feedback: When an error occurs (like a broken link), users should receive a clear message explaining the issue and offering solutions.
- Recovery Options: Users should have straightforward options to undo actions, such as going back to previous pages or reattempting forms without re-entering all data.
By focusing on these indicators, Iranian museum websites can enhance their usability and create a more engaging experience for visitors, helping to promote cultural heritage effectively.
For each index, a score between 1 and 3 was considered according to the degree of importance, and in this way, the criteria compiled in the list were ranked with 3 degrees of importance. The points obtained by each of the studied museum sites in relation to each of the components were multiplied by the average coefficients obtained (weighted average of the criteria) by the components from the Delphi panel. It should be noted that in this research, the final rank of the following indicators was obtained based on the Delphi panel presented in the doctoral dissertation of Hariri & Norouzi (2011). Data collection was done using the direct observation method, in this way, each of the components of the user interface design evaluation list was examined on the website page under study and the points obtained from it were recorded. Scores were given based on yes, present (1) and no, not present (0). Also, due to the quality of some of the sub-components, it was possible that the studied site 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, i.e. zero and one, 50% of the average score was also used. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman test were used to analyze the data. Excell, SPSS, Oegin pro Origin lab software were used.
Resultss and Discussion
Indicator: Simplicity with average compliance 100 % , Indicator: Error management (recovery) with average compliance 98.13 %, Indicator: language with average compliance 97.51 %, Indicator: design with average compliance 73.92 %, Indicator: consistency with average compliance 63.03 %, Indicator: Guidance with average compliance 61.22 %,Indicator: presentation with average compliance 50.36 %, Indicator: navigation with average compliance 48.89 %, Indicator: Searching with average compliance 26.83 % and Indicator: User control with average compliance 21.90 %, has been observed by ten museum websites under study respectively. Therefore, The findings showed that among the 10 main indicators, the criteria of simplicity, Error management (recovery) and language scored 100%, 98.13% and 97.51%, respectively. The criteria of User control and Searching had the lowest compliance with the components of the evaluation list with 21.9% and 26.83%, respectively.Among the statistical population. Niavaran Museum site had the highest level of quality compliance with 71.71% . National Museum of the Islamic Revolution and Holy Defense with 68.55%, Iran national Museum with 68.03%, Iranian National Museum of Medical Sciences History with 67.96%, Razavi Museum with 67.7%, Malek Museum with 66.73%, Sa'dabad Museum Complex with 66.73%, Golestan Museum with 66.59%, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art with 55.27%, Iran Communication Museum with 42.52 were placed in the next positions.Iran Communication Museum had the lowest level of quality compliance with the evaluation list with 42.52%.
Conclusion
Friedman test is one of the famous non-parametric tests that was used to determine the order of importance of the factors mentioned in the research and to rank the sites. In Friedman test, since the answers are interdependent, comparison can be made in terms of rank. For this reason, Friedman test was used to rank the websites of the studied museums in compliance with the criteria. The results of the investigation of the Friedman test showed that Niavaran Museum Website with a graded average 6.65, National Museum of the Islamic Revolution and Holy Defense Website with a graded average 6.5, Iranian National Museum of Medical Sciences History Website with a graded average 6.45, Razavi Museum Website with a graded average 6.35, Iran national Museum Website with a graded average 6.1, Malek Museum Website with a graded average 5.8, Sa'dabad Museum Complex Website with a graded average 5.8, Golestan Museum Website with a graded average 5.75, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art Website with a graded average 4 and Iran Communication Museum Website with a graded average 1.6 won the first to 10th rank respectively. Results Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed Among the ten indicators of the user interface evaluation list in the studied museum websites, Simplicity Criterion fully complied; Criteria: Guidance, presentation, navigation on average, more than 50% have been observed; criterias: Searching, Consistency, Design, Language, User control, Error management (recovery)on average, less than 50% have been observed. The results of the investigation of the research hypothesis showed that the studied museum sites differ in respect of user interface evaluation indicators, and the websites of the studied museums have acted differently in terms of compliance with the indicators. Therefore, it was concluded that the user interface designers of each of the sites did not have similar approaches. In order to achieve unity and success as much as possible, it is suggested that a working group be formed to share knowledge and skills among the relevant officials of the studied museums, so as to improve the existing situation. The evaluation list presented in the current research can be adapted for other Iranian museum websites and can be considered by the stakeholders as a proposed model of the user interface.