Gary A. Felax

Date of Award

3-2005

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Systems Engineering and Management

First Advisor

Kevin L. Elder, PhD

Abstract

The Department of Defense Net-Centric Data Strategies number one key attribute is to ensure data is visible, available, and usable when and where needed to accelerate decision-making. The Internet provides opportunities for quick and efficient disseminating of information to the public, distributing information throughout the Air Force, and accessing information from a variety of sources. In 2002, the Air Force CIO designated the Air Force Knowledge Now (AFKN) as the center of excellence for Knowledge Management. The site is a one-stop resource, providing access to a great depth and breadth of information. This study seeks to determine how usable and accessible the web interface is to its customers. A literature review determined the usability inspection method called Heuristic Evaluation to be most favorable for this type of evaluation. The researcher conducted a case study using heuristic evaluation to determine the site usability compliance rate. A second case study using web content accessibility guidelines was then performed to determine the sites accessibility compliance rate. The study finally presented a comparative analysis of the usability and accessibility checklists to determine if any overlap occurred between the two or if one is a subset of the other. This exploratory research finds more emphasis on web usability and accessibility should be explored in the future for AFKN.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GIR-ENV-05M-04

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