Introduction

For this stage of my research, I will delve further into the databases I previously outlined in week 9. I will review the readings I dissected previously and look for at least two more studies I can use where usability testing was implemented. I will also be paying special attention to how terms were operationally defined so I can replicate it in my future writings.  When searching for the keywords, I will also include the Boolean operators I use to obtain the results I discuss.

Usability Testing

I start my search with GaleOnefiles computer science database. In order to start things of with a large amount of possibilities. I simply start with the term ‘Usability Testing’ and click on full text documents. I do this generally to avoid having to go down multi-linked rabbit holes that often end up with inaccessible content. I find an article labeled  ‘The Pros and Cons of Remote Usability Testing In a Crunch’ (Resau, 2020). This article is not an experiment but will help me identify weaknesses associated with usability testing. I will use it to address the weaker aspects of the experiment or at least acknowledge them.  This search returned 34 magazine articles and 78 Academic journal pieces of various use to my research.  Time to input some Boolean operators to gather more specific examples of real-time, experimental test.

Usability Testing & Mobile Websites

Opening up Gale OneFile’s advanced search option allows me to input Boolean operators.  For this search, I used the keywords ‘Usability Testing’ and ‘Mobile Websites’. I received 8 academic journal pieces and 3 magazine articles.  This gave me the chance to review my findings from a study I previously read and outlined in week 9 where a group of researchers test a universities library website (Pendell & Bowman, 2012).  This study is a strong example of usability research and does a good job outlining the steps the researchers took in chronological order. When looking to recreate and define exactly what I will be doing, this article will probably be the one I utilize the most. I also found an article with a personal touch regarding human-computer interaction labeled ‘Heuristic Evaluation: Comparing Generic and Specific Usability Heuristics for Identification of Usability Problems in a Living Museum Mobile Guide App’ (Othman et al., 2018).  This is another report on a study. The researchers explain in their opening statements that user experience studies are a driving force for improving technology and discuss the history of technology being intertwined with experiences within a facility like a museum. This enlightening aspect illustrates another part of the study where the digital interface might correlate to the real world. ‘Heuristic Evaluation’ is synonymous with  usability testing when discussing digital interfaces which brings me to my next keyword.

Heuristic Evaluation

For this keyword I jump over to EBSCOhost database and select their Applied Science & Technology, Computer Source, and Communication & Mass Media sub-sections.  Typing in ‘Heuristic Evaluation’ and setting the earliest publication date to 2010 gives me 129 results.  By this time, I have looked at a good amount of reports outlining usability studies and focus on ways to improve the search parameters and measurement metrics I will be using. I found an article labeled ‘A comparison of usability evaluation methods for evaluating e-commerce websites’  (Hasan et al., 2012).  Usability test are empirical in nature so it is sometimes difficult to decide which measures are best for what you are trying to achieve. This article  outlines and defines some methods that can be used to evaluate the user interface.  The terms may be outside of the scope of my research and this course but I now have a better understanding of when to use what measure.
 

References

Hasan, L., Morris, A., & Probets, S. (2012). A comparison of usability evaluation methods for evaluating e-commerce websites. Behaviour & Information Technology, 31(7), 707–737. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2011.596996
Krug, S. (2010). Rocket surgery made easy the do-it-yourself guide to finding and fixing usability problems. New Riders.