Users and navigation patterns of a science World Wide Web site for the public

We report here initial findings of a multi-year study of public use of a Wo rld Wide Web site for science information. "The Why Files" strives to provi de "the science behind the news" in story narratives that contain opportuni ties for both linear and non-linear navigation. We report results of two st udies, one using survey data and another using computer-collected audit tra ils. The survey revealed that the typical user was male and well-educated, a pattern that reflects both Web users generally and the science-attentive segment of the public particularly. Audit trail data indicated that the sit e reached as many as 25,000 different individuals during a two-week measure ment cycle. The typical pattern of site use was linear, with individuals ma king heavier use of in-text navigation features than of graphic ones such a s page-turning buttons and page numbers. Additional information in glossari es, bibliographies, or via links to other Web sites went largely unused.