Usability Assessment for Hyperlink Methods

This research investigates the hyperlink information presentation methods often found in Web sites today. Generally, the information presentation has two formats: a new Webpage appears in a new window, and a new Webpage replace information in an old window. In order to assess the usability of such formats, the efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction of each method is measured. Thirty participants were recruited in our experiment. The participants were divided equally into two groups and each group was assigned to a test condition. The experimental hypothesis was "using a new window yields a higher usability than replacing information in an old window". We investigated two issues: the memory load (when information is being replaced continuously) and the navigation difficulty (when numerous windows are presented simultaneously). The usability assessment results show no significant difference between the two information presentation methods. However, from the experimental data, a recommendation can be drafted for the Web navigation design