An Exploratory Examination of Social Website Quality

Abstract

With websites becoming the frontend for numerous systems, the system's benefits require customers to have a favorable evaluation of the site and an intention to re-use it. It must be considered to be of high quality. With websites increasing adding collaborative technologies (such as tools for social networking, forums, and blogging) a new instrument to evaluate the quality of these types of sites is needed. Before such an instrument is developed, an understanding of the applicable theories is needed. This study offers that background. First the potential benefits of this research and its guiding questions are presented. Next is a literature review outlining possible constructs upon which an instrument to evaluate the quality of social websites could be based. Then the focus group's background and details are provided along with the analysis strategy, content analysis. After that, each constructs is discussed with the supporting/non-supporting evidence from the groups. Finally, the discussion concludes with discussions of limitations and suggestions for follow-on research. From this investigation, nine constructs (Ease of Understanding, Intuitive Operation, Informational Fit-to-task, Relative Advantage, Trust, Response Time, Visual Appeal, Innovativeness, and Social Presence) were discovered which could provide the basis for an instrument to measure social website quality.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA483036

Entities

People

  • Joseph Werling

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Cognition
  • Cognitive Systems Engineering
  • Computer Network Security
  • Computer Programming
  • Computers
  • Information Systems
  • Internet
  • Literature Surveys
  • Mobile Phones
  • Psychology
  • Reasoning
  • Social Media
  • Social Networking Services
  • Social Networks
  • Students
  • Test And Evaluation

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).
  • Systems Analysis and Design