David Robins

Aesthetics and credibility in web site design

Web sites often provide the first impression of an organization. For many organizations, web sites are crucial to ensure sales or to procure services within. When a person opens a web site, the first impression is probably made in a few seconds, and the user will either stay or move on to the next site on the basis of many factors. One of the factors that may influence users to stay or go is the page aesthetics. Another reason may involve a users judgment about the sites credibility. This study explores the possible link between page aesthetics and a users judgment of the sites credibility. Our findings indicate that when the same content is presented using different levels of aesthetic treatment, the content with a higher aesthetic treatment was judged as having higher credibility. We call this the amelioration effect of visual design and aesthetics on content credibility. Our study suggests that this effect is operational within the first few seconds in which a user views a web page. Given the same content, a higher aesthetic treatment will increase perceived credibility.

Shifts of focus on various aspects of user information problems during interactive information retrieval

The author presents the results of additional analyses of shifts of focus in IR interaction. Results indicate that users and search intermediaries work toward search goals in nonlinear fashion. Twenty interactions between 20 different users and one of four different search intermediaries were examined. Analysis of discourse between the two parties during interactive information retrieval (IR) shows changes in topic occurs, on average, every seven utterances. These twenty interactions included some 9,858 utterances and 1,439 foci. Utterances are defined as any uninterrupted sound, statement, gesture, etc., made by a participant in the discourse dyad. These utterances are segmented by the researcher according to their inentional focus, i.e., the topic on which the conversation between the user and search intermediary focus until the focus changes (i.e., shifts of focus). In all but two of the 20 interactions, the search intermediary initiated a majority of shifts of focus. Six focus categories were observed. These were foci dealing with: documents; evaluation of search results; search strategies; IR system; topic of the search; and information about the user.

Use of scholarly book reviews: implications for electronic publishing and scholarly communication

Studies examining the use of printed materials by scholars are necessary precursors to the development of scholarly electronic journals and the development of the field of electronic publishing. Electronic publishing of journals is important in scholarship, where the timeliness and relevance of publications are crucial to the advancement of knowledge. Although considerable space is devoted to book reviews in scholarly journals, few previous studies have examined or provided detailed data on the utility or importance of book reviews to scholars. In addition, book reviews have generally not been included in models of scholarly communication. This article results from a survey of science and technology faculty, and the humanities and social science faculty at the University of North Texas. The survey sought to determine: (1) Whether faculty read book reviews in scholarly journals; (2) the sources, importance, and utility of book reviews for faculty research and teaching; and (3) faculty criteria for useful book reviews. Findings show that most faculty read book reviews, however, a dichotomy exists as to the usefulness of book reviews for faculty research and teaching. Different book review formats were also preferred by humanities and social sciences faculty, and science and technology faculty. Based on these findings, an extension of Garvey and Griffiths (1971) scholarly communication model is proposed that includes book reviews and various feedback loops as part of the scholarly communication process. Findings from this study hold implications for the content and access to electronically published book reviews, and further research.

Elicitations during information retrieval: implications for IR system design

What elicitation or requests for information do search intermediaries and users with information requests make before and during an information retrieval (IR) interaction -and for what purposes? These issues were investigated in two studies of elicitation during 40 mediated JR interactions includhtg one study of the user elicitation puqmes and another of the search intermediary elicitation purposes. A total of 2409 elicitation were identified --852 user elicitation within 10 purpose categories and 1557 search intermediary elicitation within 15 purpose categories. The elicitation purposes included requests for information on search terms and strategies, database selection, seatch procedures, system’s outputs and relevance of retrieved items, and users’ knowledge and previous informationseeking. Implications for the development of a dkdogue-based model of IR interaction and the design of IR systems are also discussed.

Network organizational development in the public sector: a case study of the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)

Research findings from the organizational theory tend to support the position that management uses Information Technology (IT) to maintain existing organizational hierachy and control. Another body of research from information technology advocates suggests that Information Technologys inherent capabilities transform organization hierarchy and control outside of managements control. In addition, advocates from governmental change toward a more responsive type of government advocate adoption of IT as a form of change mechanism. This aritcle explores these conflicting positions. The authors examines one instance of the development of a form of network organization within the federal government, and the processes of IT change that have occurred over the past 20 years. The agency selected for study is the Federal Emergency Mangagement Administration.

The Impact of Findability on Student Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Perceptions of Online Course Quality

This study investigated whether “findability,” an aspect of usability, is an important component in student perceptions of/satisfaction with online courses and, as such, should be considered more heavily in online course design. Using standard usability testing measures, such as eye-tracking, time-on-task, and think-alouds, participants were asked to find essential course components in either a course with high findability or a modified version of the course with low findability in order to determine the impact on student perceptions of course quality and experience. Participants rated those courses with high findability as a better overall experience (based on five dimensions). Additionally, this study was intended to begin the process of linking findability to student achievement of learning outcomes by using pre- and posttest measures of motivation and self-efficacy and evaluating how they are affected by findability. Students reported lower levels of self-efficacy and motivation after interacting with courses rated low in findability. Additionally, a negative, linear relationship was found between findability and both self-efficacy and motivation. The researchers believe this study to be the first in a series of studies that will eventually lead to determining if findability and/or usability have a direct impact on student learning outcomes and, if so, what the standards are in these areas that should be set forth for online courses.

Understanding Internet Searching Performance in a Heterogeneous Portal for K-12 Students: Search Success, Search Time, Strategy, and Effort

This study sought to better understand search performance using an online portal containing a collection of heterogeneous library resources for K-12 students. Search performance is examined in terms of search success, search time, strategy, and effort. This study revealed unsuccessful searches tended to take longer than successful searches; preference of search strategy (searching vs. browsing) did not affect search success outcome; students tended to perform well in tasks for which they were able to use various strategies, and unsuccessful searches tended to use more effort—more mouse clicks, more keystrokes, more queries, more sites visited, and more strategy shifts. Implications of the study are also discussed.

Visceral and cognitive levels of credibility judgment in an authorless environment: A factor analysis of the influence of visual design

In thinking about the impact of social computing and Web 2.0 trends affecting information seekers (and the professionals who help them), the age-old problem of determining credibility in an authorless environment again comes to the fore. First impressions are key for web page content. Regardless of the quality or credibility of content, a poorly designed or aesthetically unappealing web page will likely produce a negative impression of credibility. This study compared credibility judgments for websites in which the visual design had been varied. A factor analysis showed patterns of higher credibility scores for higher visual design treatments. The importance of the findings presented here is that visual design has impact beyond decoration. It is a common (if latent) assumption that all serious web sites wish to be perceived as credible, believable, and trustworthy, especially in an authorless environment.

The U.S. Library Program: Analysis of the Impact on Staff in Louisiana Public Libraries

The U.S. Library Program is in the process of donating computers to public library buildings across the country. This paper reports the results of a survey conducted shortly after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through its U.S. Library Program, awarded a statewide grant of computers and software to public libraries in the state of Louisiana. The aim of the survey was to gather data about the grants impact on, staff in these libraries, many of which had no prior implementation of computing technology.