Human and Information Interaction

Evaluation of the user interface of international publishers' websites based on the innovative business model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Yaghoub Norouzi 1
Hamidreza Radfar 2
Nayere Jafari 3

1 Corresponding Author. Professor in Knowledge and Information Science. Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Qom, Iran. E-mail: ynorouzi@gmail.com

2 Assistant Professor, Asian cultural documentation center, Institute for humanities and cultural studies, Tehran, Iran. E-mail: hamidr.radfar@gmail.com

3 3. MSc in Knowledge and Information Science; Department of Knowledge and Information Science; Qom University of Medical Sciences; Qom. Iran. E-mail: jafarinayere@gmail.com

Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the article is to evaluate the user interface of one hundred international publisher websites based on the innovative B2C business model.

Method: The study is an applied survey conducted using an evaluative method. The statistical population of the study includes 100 websites of the top international publishers of scientific publications. The research instrument is a researcher-made checklist based on B2C e-commerce model indicators and inspired by Nielsen's (1993) user interface evaluation model and components, including 52 components in three sections: website appearance, content structure reinforcement, and trust and loyalty.

Findings: The contact us component and the same site design in different browsers with 98% compliance, the component of having the necessary functionality and the ability to return to the first page on each page with 95% compliance, and the component of ease of font readability with 91% compliance were the most important for the statistical population among the indicators of trust and loyalty, content structure, and visual appeal, respectively. 83% of the statistical population did not use non-text-sound symbols, and in 75% of the statistical population, there was no possibility of surveying sales works. 69% of the statistical population did not have a sales portal or bookstore representative, and the statistical population had the weakest performance in these three indicators among the indicators of visual appeal, trust and loyalty, and strengthening the structure (content), respectively.

Conclusion: The None of the top 100 international scientific publication websites fully accommodates the needs of disabled or handicapped audiences, which is a fundamental flaw in the user interface design accessibility index. To address this weakness, it is suggested that the websites studied adhere to the WCAG standard principles.

Keywords

Website
User interface
Publisher
International Publishing
E-commerce
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Human and Information Interaction
Volume 12, Issue 2
Summer 2025
Pages 71-93