Comparison of open science portals of India: web accessibility study

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare ten Open Science Portals in India. The comparison is made using the three primary parameters of accessibility, search engine optimization (SEO) and performance. This study aims to investigate whether the ten selected web portals efficiently meet the web accessibility requirements of the large population at an acceptable rate.Design/methodology/approachThis study was performed by using the Siteimprove web tool to collect information about Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. The online accessibility tools provided by Siteimprove make it simple to comply with and follow the global WCAG at all compliance levels. This study selected ten web portals taking into account the open accessibility and the web portals offered by the Indian Government to promote research and innovation.FindingsThe findings of this research will be beneficial for the government website designers, managers and administrators to assess their website’s level of compliance with accepted accessibility standards so they can make tactical choices to increase accessibility.Originality/valueThis study highlights the portals’ robust characteristic features and downsides, where improvement may be required. It also focused on how these portals help in promoting citizen science and public understanding of science nationwide.