Usability evaluation of academic library websites: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to systematically review the published literature on the topic of academic library website usability evaluation. It determines the most significant subattributes in the usability evaluation of academic library websites. The study also looks at the metrics that have been used to evaluate the usability of academic library websites. Then, it identifies the most significant usability evaluation method (UEM) that has been discussed in the literature. Lastly, it identifies the research gaps in the literature regarding the proposed approaches to usability evaluation of academic library websites. Design/methodology/approach: In this systematic literature review (SLR), the research conducted in the area of usability evaluation of academic library websites from 1995 to 2023 was reviewed. Findings: The results of this study disclose that “effectiveness” is the most significant usability subattribute in the context of usability evaluation of academic library websites. Furthermore, “user testing” is the most significant UEM that has been applied in most of the primary studies. Some of the metrics used for the measurement of effectiveness were user preference, error rate and number of correct answers. Similarly, some of the metrics used, for efficiency, were response time, click count, time on task, logical information architecture and efficient information retrieval and so on. The common research gap in the reviewed literature is a lack of a generalized framework applicable to any academic library website for its usability evaluation. Practical implications: This study is useful for library website developers to better understand the required features of a library website. Originality/value: This is the first SLR on the topic of academic libraries’ website usability evaluation.