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Web site accessibility evaluation methods in action: A comparative approach for ministerial web sites in Iran

Mohammad Hassanzadeh (Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran)
Fatemeh Navidi (Iranian Space Agency, Tehran, Iran)

The Electronic Library

ISSN: 0264-0473

Article publication date: 16 November 2010

1072

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide knowledge about methods used to evaluate the accessibility of Iranian web sites through a real research environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The main theoretical base of this article is that almost all research conducted to evaluate the accessibility of web sites has used only one of three methods (namely manual, automatic and users' experiences). However, it seems that using a combination of these three methods is actually necessary. Consequently, taking a critical approach this article examines 18 Iranian ministerial web sites using the three methods.

Findings

Findings in both documents and evaluative studies show that each of the methods has deficits and it is necessary to employ a combination of the methods in order to conduct a reliable accessibility assessment. The different rankings of ministerial web sites in various evaluations have confirmed this view.

Originality/value

Identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the three methods and employing them in real research environments to assess the accessibility of ministerial web sites has been a useful exercise. The work can not only be a starting point for further discussions on the reliability of accessibility evaluation methods, but can also be applied to other types of web site.

Keywords

Citation

Hassanzadeh, M. and Navidi, F. (2010), "Web site accessibility evaluation methods in action: A comparative approach for ministerial web sites in Iran", The Electronic Library, Vol. 28 No. 6, pp. 789-803. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471011093499

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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