A user evaluation of subject based information gateways: case study ADAM

Abstract

Nowadays, end-users have quick and direct access to a massive amount of information available on the Net. However, this information is unorganised expectin g users to be able to identify and evaluate it in accordance with their information needs. Subject Based Information Gateways (SBIG), organised collections o f networked information, provide users with a catalogue o f authoritative Internet resources, which can be searched and/ or browsed. This paper provides an evaluation of one such gatew ay - the Art, Design, Architecture & M edia Gateway (AD AM ). It provides information on w ho these digital users are, how often they use the service, what their reasons for use are, which search methods and services provided they prefer and what are the advantages or disadvantages o f an online information service.