The Challenge of Usability Evaluation of Online Social Networks with a Focus on Facebook

• Main Authors: Alam, Tariq, Ali, Muhammad
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Sektionen för datavetenskap och kommunikation 2010
• Subjects: Usability Issues; Usability Evaluation; Online social networks (Facebook); Usability Testing; Computer Sciences; Datavetenskap (datalogi)
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-6142

In today’s era online social networks are getting extensive popularity among internet users. People are using online social networks for different purposes like sharing information, chatting with friends, family and planning to hang out. It is then no surprise that online social network should be easy to use and easily understandable. Previously many researchers have evaluated different online social networks but there is no such study which addresses usability concerns about online social network with a focus on Facebook on an academic level (using students as subjects). The main rationale behind this study is to find out efficiency of different usability testing techniques from social network’s point of view, with a focus on Facebook, and issues related to usability. To conduct this research, we have adopted the combination of both qualitative and quantitative approach. Graduate students from BTH have participated in usability tests. Our findings are that although think aloud is more efficient then remote testing, but this difference is not very significant. We found from survey that different usability issues are in Facebook profile, media, Picture Tagging, Chatting etc. === We have identified different usability issues in Facebook such as issues in media, chatting, facebook profile, changing profile name etc. Here we can say that although think aloud protocol is more efficient then remote testing but this difference is not very significant. We have also suggested some extension in usability testing techniques. If participants of usability test do not verbalize while interacting with the system and keep their focus on performing the test. After completion of each task participants can express their thoughts and opinions what they did. Furthermore we sent our founded results to developer for validation purpose. Developers replied that the results of this research are satisfactory. === Tariq Alam Address: Folkparksvagen 18:19, 37240 Ronneby, Sweden E-mail: [e-mail], Muhammad Ali Address: Folkparksvagen 18:19, 37240 Ronneby, Sweden E-mail: [e-mail]