![Sample our Information Science journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5940/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Communication-Studies.jpg"})
Abstract
Hospital library Websites are now becoming a commonly implemented means of providing access to health information to a diverse group of patrons. Hospital libraries must design their Websites to effectively serve patrons' information needs. Usability testing is a validated method of evaluating a library's Website design. Usability testing enables the opportunity to observe and evaluate real-world Website navigation. Usability testing provides a challenge for many hospital librarians. Hierarchical Goal Decomposition (HGD) provides a means to leverage a user's knowledge base or augment a deficit of knowledge to achieve a fruitful experience at the hospital's Website. This paper documents the use of HGD to analyze Genetic Home Reference, a resource available through the National Library of Medicine. Through this work, this paper provides guidelines for individual hospital librarians to utilize HGD to inform Website design for a hospital or hospital library Website. Although labor-intensive, HGD can provide information of a high degree of granularity with a smaller sample size that delivers high quality information.