Usability of University Websites as Information Sources: A Review and Synthesis Based on 2021 Publications Indexed in Scopus Database

Abstract

Universities' identities and institutional images are showcased on their websites to the rest of the world. Nowadays, many university websites (UW)s have been well-investigated for usability improvement for all users in general. This study aims to review the publications indexed in the Scopus database in 2021 using the search term 'University Websites' and to synthesize the main information being discussed in the manuscripts. Two main reasons why only papers published in 2021 were selected for this study. Firstly, in terms of the number of publications (N = 456) indexed in Scopus from 1996 to 2021, the 2021 publications are the most recent complete year. Secondly, 2021 topped the list of publications along with 2020. For the year 2021, a total of 58 publications were found in the Scopus database as of February 26, 2022. After screening all the papers, only 39 papers were used for this quantitative analysis. The present systematic review presented three major trends. Firstly, the publications on the UWs are expected to be higher in near future aligned with the speed of Industry 4.0 development worldwide. Secondly, there is a total of 24 countries and 1 region (Latin America) found in this review, with Indonesia leading the list with 8 publications. Thirdly, all the papers aimed to identify the obstacles and recommended ways and room for future improvements for all users regarding their UWs. This review paper highlighted the importance of having effective and up-to-date websites from social and economic viewpoints. It can be synthesized here that continual improvements in the knowledge of the effective usability of a UW can sustain a university's reputation and ranking ultimately.