How Well Do Current Geoportals Support Geodata Discovery? An Empirical Study
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung
Beitragende
Abstract
Implementing effective geospatial data discovery mechanisms in geoportals is crucial for facilitating easy access to geospatial data and services. Despite existing efforts to formulate geoportal design requirements, understanding end-user issues beyond a single geoportal in the context of geodata discovery is still lacking. To address this gap, this study reports on a usability study conducted in Germany and Namibia, with the aim of examining issues faced by users during geodata search and discovery. The study employed a mixed-method approach combining Retrospective Think-Aloud (RTA) interviews and structured questionnaires. The results reveal key usability issues, including inefficient search mechanisms, inefficient presentation of search results, lack of user guidance, inefficient map interactions, and inefficient metadata descriptions. Additionally, the study revealed a difference in user perceptions regarding user experience aspects between the two user groups. The findings are of interest to the designers of geoportals in the context of open data reuse and spatial data infrastructure.
Details
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Aufsatznummer | 82 |
| Fachzeitschrift | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information |
| Jahrgang | 15 |
| Ausgabenummer | 2 |
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - Feb. 2026 |
| Peer-Review-Status | Ja |
Externe IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0002-3085-7457/work/226149281 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0002-5181-4368/work/226149903 |
Schlagworte
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
- Geografie, Planung und Entwicklung - geodata discovery, geoportal, GI web applications, HCI, usability, user experience evaluation
- Computer in den Geowissenschaften - geodata discovery, geoportal, GI web applications, HCI, usability, user experience evaluation
- Erdkunde und Planetologie (sonstige) - geodata discovery, geoportal, GI web applications, HCI, usability, user experience evaluation
Schlagwörter
- geodata discovery, geoportal, GI web applications, HCI, usability, user experience evaluation