Li, D; Zhou, H; Zhou, S; Huang, G; Ma, X; Zhao, Y; Wang, W and Ng, S T (2025) An eye-tracking-based approach to evaluate the usability of government portal websites in pilot smart cities. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 32(4), pp. 2369-2396. ISSN 0969-9988
Abstract
Purpose: The study aims to pioneer an innovative approach for the evaluation of government portal websites (GPWs) by introducing an eye-tracking-based method. The research meticulously pinpoints and analyses the distinct usability issues and challenges that users encounter while navigating and interacting with GPWs. Design/methodology/approach: This study devises an eye-tracking-based GPW usability evaluation approach, which focuses on the major functions (i.e. government information disclosure, government services and interactive responses) of GPWs. An Entropy Weighted Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (EW-TOPSIS) method is employed to process eye-tracking indicator results for deriving GPW usability results. Findings: The proposed approach is demonstrated to assess the usability of 12 GPWs in pilot smart cities in China, and it is found that most GPWs have lower-than-average usability. GPWs with low usability require more cognitive load that exhibit increased fixation and saccade. The comparisons among the GPW usability results from (1) the eye-tracking experiment, (2) questionnaire surveys and (3) the ready-made performance evaluation report validate the effectiveness of eye-tracking-based GPW usability evaluation. Originality/value: The work contributes to shifting the GPW usability evaluation approach from a subjective judgment paradigm to an objective paradigm, as well as provides implications for enhancing GPW usability, including improving search function, reducing website complexity and prioritizing user needs.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | effectiveness; eye-tracking; government portal website usability; user experience; questionnaire survey |
| Index terms: | entropy, usability, survey, experiment, methodology, user need, questionnaire, preference, China, complexity, performance evaluation, user experience, judgment, prioritizing, topsis, smart city, paradigm, effectiveness |
| Subjects: | user-centered design, data collection methods, urban sustainability, dispute resolution, decision analysis, systems engineering, thermal systems, performance management, performance measurement, education and knowledge transfer, decision-making and optimization, decision-making and reasoning, research methods, Geography |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Risk Management, Sustainability, Legal Issues, Quality Management, Research Practice, Urban Studies, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here