Short answer

When designing or evaluating websites, consider adopting or developing evaluation criteria that are specifically relevant to the target industry or user group.

Field
Innovation & Markets
Source
El Profesional de la Informacion (2020)
Method
Bibliometric analysis and citation tracking
Sample
716 texts
Evidence
Strong effect

Research into website quality has expanded significantly, with a clear trend towards specialized evaluation tools for specific sectors like education, health, and commerce. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in El Profesional de la Informacion. Using Bibliometric analysis and citation tracking with 716 texts, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing or evaluating websites, consider adopting or developing evaluation criteria that are specifically relevant to the target industry or user group.

Study
Innovation & MarketsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Website Quality Evaluation: A Decade of Growing Specialization and Interdisciplinary Research

Research into website quality has expanded significantly, with a clear trend towards specialized evaluation tools for specific sectors like education, health, and commerce.

El Profesional de la Informacion · 2020

01

Key Findings

  • 01A consistent increase in research output on website quality from 2000-2018.
  • 02The field is highly interdisciplinary, with significant contributions from computer science, business, and medical informatics.
  • 03Seminal works in usability, information architecture, and user experience are highly cited.
  • 04A notable rise in evaluation tools tailored for specific sectors, particularly education (33%), health (27%), and commerce (21%), since 2007.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When designing or evaluating websites, consider adopting or developing evaluation criteria that are specifically relevant to the target industry or user group.

How to apply

When embarking on a new digital product design project, conduct a literature review focused on the quality evaluation methods relevant to your specific industry to inform your design and testing strategies.

Project actions

  • 01When researching website quality, look for studies that focus on the specific type of website you are designing.
  • 02Consider how established usability principles can be adapted to your project's unique context.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo analyze the scientific production on website quality to identify key trends, influential authors, and specialized application areas.
MethodBibliometric analysis and citation tracking
ProcedureA systematic review of 716 texts published between 2000 and 2018, identified from major academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science). Data included bibliographic information, citation counts (via Google Scholar), and author affiliations to categorize disciplinary origins. Thematic analysis was used to identify specialized sectors.
Sample716 texts
ContextAcademic research on website quality evaluation

Variables

IVPublication year, author discipline, evaluation focus (general vs. sector-specific)
DVNumber of publications, citation counts, proportion of sector-specific research
CVDatabases searched, time period of analysis
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases.
  • +Inclusion of citation analysis to identify influential works.

Limitations

The analysis is based on published research, which may not capture all industry best practices or emerging trends.

Reliability & validity

The reliability of the findings is supported by the systematic methodology and the use of multiple databases. Validity is enhanced by the citation analysis, which helps identify seminal works and influential research directions.

Think critically

How might the increasing specialization in website quality evaluation impact the development of universally applicable design principles?

05

Design Principles

"Digital product quality assessment should evolve from general principles to sector-specific, user-centered metrics."

Understanding the evolution and specialization of website quality research provides valuable context for design and development teams. It highlights the increasing importance of user-centric metrics and sector-specific considerations in creating effective digital products.

06

What This Means for Your Design

People are writing more and more about how to make websites good, and they're starting to create special ways to check quality for different kinds of websites, like for schools or hospitals.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Cite this research when discussing the importance of website quality and the evolution of evaluation methods in your design project's background or research section.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The analysis of scientific production on website quality reveals a significant and growing body of work, characterized by increasing interdisciplinary engagement and a clear trend towards sector-specific evaluation methodologies. This specialization, particularly evident in fields such as education, health, and commerce since 2007, underscores the need for designers to move beyond generic quality assessments and adopt tailored approaches that address the unique demands of different digital product contexts.

09

Source

El Profesional de la Informacion

Website quality: An analysis of scientific production

journal · 2020

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about website quality evaluation: a decade of growing specialization and interdisciplinary research?
When designing or evaluating websites, consider adopting or developing evaluation criteria that are specifically relevant to the target industry or user group. Evidence: El Profesional de la Informacion (2020).
Why does "Website Quality Evaluation: A Decade of Growing Specialization and Interdisciplinary Research" matter for design?
Understanding the evolution and specialization of website quality research provides valuable context for design and development teams. It highlights the increasing importance of user-centric metrics and sector-specific considerations in creating effective digital products.
How can designers apply this research?
When designing or evaluating websites, consider adopting or developing evaluation criteria that are specifically relevant to the target industry or user group.
What were the main findings?
A consistent increase in research output on website quality from 2000-2018.. The field is highly interdisciplinary, with significant contributions from computer science, business, and medical informatics.. Seminal works in usability, information architecture, and user experience are highly cited.. A notable rise in evaluation tools tailored for specific sectors, particularly education (33%), health (27%), and commerce (21%), since 2007.
What research method was used?
Bibliometric analysis and citation tracking with 716 texts.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from El Profesional de la Informacion.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When embarking on a new digital product design project, conduct a literature review focused on the quality evaluation methods relevant to your specific industry to inform your design and testing strategies.
What are the limitations?
The study is limited to publications indexed in specific databases and covers a period up to 2018, potentially missing more recent developments.