M Durham1 Organisational Web sites: Cool or communicative? Assoc Professor Marsha Durham University of Western Sydney

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3 Why evaluate websites? Experience –‘How-to’ manuals –Searching websites of Australian universities Growth in websites & advice Emphasis on visuals –“Cyberspace has the unique distinction of being the first medium where you can actually bore your readers by being too exciting.” Websites as complex texts

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6 Focus of search Organisational web sites Communication aspects –What helps sites communicate more effectively? Empirical research Texts and textual choices

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8 Findings 1. More interest in and chat room dialogue, not Web sites 2. Problem of unsubstantiated guidelines 3. Small number of empirical studies of sites as ‘texts’ 4. Need for theory

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10 Finding 1. Internet research Web sites are still the forgotten area of Internet research Main areas –Oral/interpersonal: cybertalk –E-publishing: cyberpublishing

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M Durham13 Finding 2: Proliferation of Web site guidelines Majority are unsubstantiated and idiosyncratic More dependable: based on experiences of users/developers Comparison studies of sites Web style guides

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M Durham15 Finding 3: Empirical studies = promising Proprietary research Work being undertaken –Taxonomies –Mapping common features Research problems –How to choose sites –Extent of study

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M Durham18 Empirical: Usability studies Navigation Writing & usability Interactivity

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M Durham20 Empirical: Miscellaneous studies Metaphors Breadth & depth of site ‘Big picture’ issues

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M Durham22 Finding 4: Theories Difficulties in theory building –Relative newness of Web –Sites change –Site complexity Site users and their impressions Site as part of an organisation Rhetoric and communication

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M Durham24 Homepages: content Research (27) Faculties/schools/depts(22) Library (20) Courses & study (14) Student services (08) Publications (06) Campus map (05) Recreation & sport (02)

M Durham25 Homepages: Readers Readers – Researchers, staff –Students: future, current, international, special needs Involving readers –Search function (29) –Welcome message (13) –Special news items (09)

M Durham26 Hompages: Design University logo/badge (30) Signed work (27) Photos (26) Graphics (09) Animation (02)

M Durham27 Homepages: Design Layout Grid/column menu (32) ‘Square’ layout (28) ‘Circle’ layout (11) Diffuse (03) Navigation –Text (33) Button (26) Icon (11) Scrolling (04)

M Durham28 Conclusion Org sites: large and complex Software: capturing whole sites More in-depth analysis, not ‘cool’ ratings Future

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M Durham30 End

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