Authors:
Naureen Nizam
;
Carolyn Watters
and
Anatoliy Gruzd
Affiliation:
Dalhousie University, Canada
Keyword(s):
Website Navigation, Search, Menu, Tag Cloud, User Experience, User Study, Mixed Methodologies.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Searching and Browsing
;
Web Information Systems and Technologies
;
Web Interfaces and Applications
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to compare how users perceive and use three navigation tools (search, menus and tag clouds) on websites to find information. Furthermore, the study compares two variations of tag clouds, one where the tags are created by a single author and the other where the tags are created by a community of authors. Using mixed methodologies, data was captured and analyzed for effectiveness, efficiency and enjoyment. The results show that overall search and tag clouds are more effective and preferred among users. Tag clouds, where the tags are created by a single author are more efficient than those created by a community of authors. The findings from this study provide recommendations for future research in improving navigation on websites.