Users and navigation patterns of a science World Wide Web site for the public

Abstract

We report here initial findings of a multi-year study of public use of a World Wide Web site for science information. “The Why Files” strives to provide “the science behind the news” in story narratives that contain opportunities for both linear and non-linear navigation. We report results of two studies, one using survey data and another using computer-collected audit trails. The survey revealed that the typical user was male and well-educated, a pattern that reflects both Web users generally and the science-attentive segment of the public particularly. Audit trail data indicated that the site reached as many as 25,000 different individuals during a two-week measurement cycle. The typical pattern of site use was linear, with individuals making heavier use of in-text navigation features than of graphic ones such as page-turning buttons and page numbers. Additional information in glossaries, bibliographies, or via links to other Web sites went largely unused.