Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age

Citation

Pisanski, J. (2013), "Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 338-339. https://doi.org/10.1108/PROG-06-2013-0028

The first paragraph of introduction to the book contains a simple assertion that users should be at the centre of information services. This sets the tone for the rest of the text. The authors, G.G. Chowdhury and Sudatta Chowdhury, set out to write a book for information researchers with focus on usability in general and conducting usability research on (online) information products and services.

One of the many advantages of the book is its structure. Although the chapters could easily stand alone, there is a natural progression for someone wishing to learn increasingly more about usability. The starting points are the information users and their needs. From there the book swiftly moves to user studies in general, including descriptions of various methods of data collection (questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus groups, diaries and transaction logs analysis). Further, various studies and models of human information behaviour and information seeking are presented. These include the oft‐cited work by Belkin, Saracevic, Wilson, Kuhltau, Ellis and Ingwersen, as well as some newer models that take into consideration the digital environment, perhaps most notably Chowdhury's new uncertainty model. Next comes the core of the book, containing chapters focusing on usability studies (including a brief discussion of methods, such as card sorting, wireframes and paper prototyping, heuristic evaluation, user‐centred design and ethnographic research, as well as useful pointers on how to conduct tests and gather data), participants of these (giving particular regard to sampling) and the methods of data analysis (explaining very succinctly – among others – the differences between nominal and ordinal data, descriptive and inferential statistics and parametric and non‐parametric tests). Web usability and usability of digital libraries are presented in separate chapters, further illustrating the currency of usability studies. A whole chapter is dedicated to the usability aspects of the digital divide and related phenomena, such as digital natives. To close the book, other important issues are briefly considered, including some of the newer usability methods and techniques, usability of e‐books, as well as emerging technologies and business models.

Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age is clearly written and well‐rounded. The authors' knowledge, experience and care for the subject of the book are omnipresent. Perhaps the greatest asset of the text is the tight connection it establishes between the foundations of information science, the research methods and the work of the usability and design gurus such as Nielsen and Shneiderman.

The distinction between user studies, in general, and usability studies, in particular, is made clear, although the chapters dedicated to usability are in many ways about user studies in general. This can, of course, be of benefit to someone willing to learn about user studies but it may also take some of the focus away from the usability issues. Also, while there are some examples of particular information services (web sites) given in the book, the explanations of their usability issues are mostly short and do not necessarily give the practical insight that one might find in other works about usability. On the other hand, this vagueness can be viewed as presenting the reader with a challenge to start thinking – rather than just learning – about usability.

In general, the book is ideal for those looking for background as well as a thorough understanding of the complexities of usability and its research, particularly as it relates to the information science. Especially the connection to the human information behaviour is remarkably well presented and to the point. Information Users and Usability in the Digital Age is certainly a welcome addition to the fields of information science, user studies and usability research.