Correlations between users' characteristics and preferred features of Web-based OPAC evaluation

This paper examines the correlations between user characteristics and their preferences for two selected features of Web-based OPAC systems. User char acteristics identified in this study were age, gender, educational status, computer skills and OPAC experience. Usability features included interactio n styles, character and image on screen, browsing and navigating style, scr een layout, and ease of learning, whereas availability features attended to availability of information, quality of information and up-to-date informa tion, Individual variables and features are described, and the correlation between the variables and the features are explored using Pearson's correla tion coefficient (r), Although based on a small-scale sample survey, a cons iderably large number of statistically significant correlations were found between the users' characteristics and the selected evaluation features of interactive Web-based OPACs, From these observations, it seems to be suitab le to recommend that system designers should make a more considered apprais al of the users' demographic characteristics in the design of the new gener ation of OPAC such as in user-tailored interactive Web-based OPAC systems.