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Integrating User and Usability Research in Web-Mapping Application Design

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Modern Trends in Cartography

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography ((LNGC))

Abstract

This paper presents the outcomes of a dissertation research project at the University of Vienna, Department of Geography and Regional Research. A framework for the user-centred design and evaluation of desktop and mobile Web-mapping applications has been developed during this research. The framework integrates elements which need to be established or examined by methods of user and usability research in different stages of application design. Methods for conducting the according steps of user and usability research which have been successfully applied within Web-mapping projects are proposed. The framework was revised and individual methods allocated to the different stages based on the meta-analysis of 17 case studies of user and usability research in the Web-mapping domain. Common usability problems were identified throughout the projects and are presented within this paper.

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Acknowledgments

The research underlying this paper was partly funded by the University of Vienna Research Grant 2011 and the Austrian Science Fund Research Network (FWF S-98) “The Cultural History of the Western Himalaya from the 8th Century”. I am very thankful to my doctorate supervisor Prof. William Cartwright for his invaluable support and assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kartograf.at, Cartography, Geoinformation and Consulting, Linz, Austria

    David Schobesberger

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  1. David Schobesberger
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Correspondence to David Schobesberger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geoinformatics, Palacky´ University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Jan Brus

  2. Department of Geoinformatics, Palacký University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Olomoucky, Czech Republic

    Alena Vondrakova

  3. Department of Geoinformatics, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Vit Vozenilek

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Schobesberger, D. (2015). Integrating User and Usability Research in Web-Mapping Application Design. In: Brus, J., Vondrakova, A., Vozenilek, V. (eds) Modern Trends in Cartography. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07926-4_12

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