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    The usability evaluation study of the university library websites
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    An organization's website is a gateway to its information, products, and services. As such, it should be a reflection of the needs of the clients that it serves. Unfortunately, website design and development is often driven by technology or organizational structure or business objectives, rather than user needs. Since higher educational institutions have started to use their websites as a means of recruiting students, an effective website design emerged as a critical factor in attracting students. The usability factor is an extremely important aspect in an individual website as it ensures the survival of each institution in digital environment. In addition to the importance of website usability, the COVID-19 virus significantly increased the importance of websites, especially university websites. Website users and designers accept usability as major criteria in developing websites. If any institution website has poor usability, it is difficult to use, and visitors may turn to other institutions' websites.
    The aim of the study is to delineate quantitative usability evaluation of 50-academic websites using System Usability Scale. 600-participants are enquired about usability of these academic websites using SUS a 10-question based survey created through Google form. The study utilizes one of different applications of SUS on academic websites in which, the users are not implored to execute particular tasks on these websites before giving the adjective rating for usability to specific website but are rather queried to gauge usability hinged on their experience with a given website. Results manifest that the end-users gave lower SUS scores for 38-websites, whereas experts gave lower SUS scores for only 10-websites. It is observed that female participants gave lower SUS scores for only 7-websites. Further, results show that the mobile and desktop users gave lower SUS scores for 35 and 9-websites respectively. The participants of age group 20-25 have rated 36-websites with lower SUS as compared to greater age groups. 8-websites fall into the low marginal section of acceptability range whereas 42-websites are rated at the lower level and fall into non-acceptability range. Results conclude that end-users and participants of age group 20-25 face more usability problems on websites which needs to be resolved. Female participants show more satisfaction with websites against male counterparts. Further, when websites have been evaluated on mobile phones then participants also face more usability problems. The study manifests explicit distinctions among websites and provides wholistic approach for presenting usability scores for academic websites while considering different user variables.
    System usability scale
    In this article the authors review the definitions of website usability from the 1990s to the present day and several approaches that have been used for the evaluation of university websites. Building on this experience they have developed a survey instrument to explore student views at their own institution, the University of Dhaka. The responses from the student population are analyzed by demographics, use, and the usefulness of the website. Only a small proportion of the survey population reported always finding what they needed. From the result, five factors are considered important for achieving usability: Interactivity and functionality; Navigation, searching and interface attractiveness; Accuracy, currency and authority of information; Accessibility, understandability, learnability and operability; Efficiency and reliability. Most students are not satisfied with the Dhaka University website and essential development is needed to improve content quality and accuracy.
    Learnability
    Interactivity
    Demographics
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