Assessing the quality of academic websites: A case study

In this paper, a quantitative evaluation approach to assess the quality of sites called Web-site Quality Evaluation Method (QEM) is proposed. This prescriptive and descriptive approach might be useful to evaluate and compare quality characteristics and attributes in different phases of a Web product lifecycle. Particularly, to discuss this methodology, we evaluate the level of accomplishment of required quality characteristics (like usability, functionality, reliability, efficiency, and derived subcharacteristics) in six typical academic sites. At the end of the evaluation process, a ranking for each selected site is obtained. Specifically, the evaluation process generates elemental, partial, and global indicators or quality preferences that can be easily analyzed, backward and forward traced, justified, and efficiently employed in decision-making activities. Hence, conclusions about the state-of-the-art of the quality in the operative phase of these sites can be drawn. In addition, recommendations for improvements can be given. The outcomes are indicators of the percentage of fulfillment of stated quality requirements. Finally, concluding remarks and in-progress research is presented.