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The effects of user expectations on website information comprehension and satisfaction

Date

2014

Authors

Harvilla, Anna, author
Switzer, Jamie, advisor
Seel, Pete, committee member
Troup, Lucy, committee member

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the role of users' expectations of a website information search in determining their comprehension of the information on a website and their satisfaction with the website. Interviews to determine their satisfaction with the website and think-aloud sessions were employed to gather data from participants, and open coding was used to analyze responses. The findings of this study support the previous literature on scripts with respect to the usability of the Veterans Affairs website. The study found that scripts are present before users search for information on a website. Those scripts provide users with a strategy to find needed information efficiently, but when a website fails to conform to a user's script, users experience a more difficult search and lower satisfaction with the website. More research into the particular scripts that inform users website searching strategies will help to encourage better communication on websites. Adhering to the Plain Writing Act (2010) will improve communication on the Veterans Affairs website.

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Subject

communication
comprehension
expectations
readability
satisfaction
website

Citation

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