![](media/image1.png){width="1.551388888888889in" height="2.5in"}

**Updated 2006 book provides latest research-based guidance for
building**

**best-in-class Web sites**

Although recent findings show the public increasingly interacting with
government

Web sites, a common problem is that people can't find what they're
looking for. In

other words, the sites lack usability. The *Research-Based Web Design
and Usability*

*Guidelines* aid in correcting this problem by providing the latest Web
design guidance

from the research and other forms of evidence.

This unique publication, developed jointly between the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services and the U.S. General Services
Administration, has been updated from its earlier version to include
over 40 new or updated research guidelines, bringing the total to 209.
Primary audiences for the book are: Web managers, designers, and all
staff involved in the creation of Web sites. Topics in the book include:
home page design, page and site navigation, graphics and images,
effective Web content writing, and search. A new section on usability
testing guidance has been added.

Experts from across government, industry, and academia have reviewed and
contributed to the development of the *Guidelines*. And, since their
introduction in 2003, the *Guidelines* have been widely used by
government, private, and academic institutions to improve Web design.

+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Each guideline offers:               | ![](media/image3.jpeg)        |
|                                      | {width="3.0479166666666666in" |
| -   A brief statement of the         | height="4.126388888888889in"} |
|     guideline.                       |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| -   Comments that further explain    |                               |
|     the research/supporting          |                               |
|     information.                     |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| -   Citations to relevant Web sites, |                               |
|     technical and/or research        |                               |
|     reports supporting the           |                               |
|     guideline.                       |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| -   A score indicating the 'Strength |                               |
|     of Evidence' that supports the   |                               |
|     guideline. These scores range    |                               |
|     from 'Strong Research Support,'  |                               |
|     indicating that there is at      |                               |
|     least one formal, rigorous study |                               |
|     with contextual validity and     |                               |
|     agreement among experts to 'Weak |                               |
|     Research,' indicating limited    |                               |
|     evidence and disagreement among  |                               |
|     experts.                         |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| -   A score indicating the 'Relative |                               |
|     Importance' of the guideline to  |                               |
|     the overall success of a Web     |                               |
|     site. These scores range from    |                               |
|     1-5 and are intended to help     |                               |
|     guide you in prioritizing the    |                               |
|     implementation of these          |                               |
|     guidelines.                      |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| -   One or more graphic example of   |                               |
|     the guideline in practice.       |                               |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+

![](media/image4.png){width="0.625in" height="0.6458333333333334in"}**TO
ORDER:**

Copies are available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. The price
is \$25 per copy

if shipped in the U.S. The international price is \$35.

Call: 1-866-512-1800 (Toll Free)  202-512-1800 (DC Area)

Visit the GPO Web site at http://bookstore.gpo.gov

(Direct URL:
http://bookstore.gpo.gov/actions/GetPublication?stocknumber=017-022-01599-4)

Copies are also available through Web Managers University at
http://www.firstgov.gov/webcontent/resources/training/university.shtml