Evaluating the Usability of the Glasgow Online Hypertext

Although there are many hypertext systems currently on the market there is little advice available on how authors can create easy-to-use hypertexts. This paper addresses the usability of Glasgow Online - a hypertext which contains tourist information on the city of Glasgow. The issues raised in the paper are based on an observational study in which a number of readers performed tasks representative of those undertaken by tourists visiting Glasgow. The usability issues raised by Glasgow Online are discussed in a wider context and their applicability to other styles of hypertext is considered.