IDENTIFYING USER-BASED CRITERIA FOR WEB PAGES

Reports on Phase I of a two-part project to identify and implement use r-based design criteria in World Wide Web pages. The purpose of the id entification phase (Phase I) is to identify the criteria that influenc e a particular user community's use of the Web and to analyze these wi thin the context of the users' overall information-gathering behavior. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and electronic focus group session with nine faculty from four business schools. Participants id entified 49 Web page features which clustered into eight broad categor ies of criteria having a significant positive or negative impact on th eir use of WWW pages. They also identified types of information normal ly used in work activities; methods of finding this information within the current information service environment; likely changes in behavi or if the information became available via the Web, including willingn ess to pay.