層疊式選單於網站地圖適用性研究

Abstract

網站因其資料量增大時，在資訊呈現上的困難度也隨之增加，引發各種使用上的問題，使得各種導覽輔助的工具不斷受到研究者探討。網站地圖作為其中常用的工具，不但具有方向指引，幫助使用者搜尋目標資訊的作用，還能夠呈現網站資訊架構，提供使用者快速瞭解網站提供的資源，因此，網站地圖的設計為一重要課題。 而隨著技術發展，許多動態的選單技術被運用在網頁上，為資訊的呈現提供了一些新方法。本研究藉此概念探討層疊式選單應用於網站地圖的可行性，首先針對財星五百大（Fortune 500）企業所屬網站之網站地圖作分類整理，就最常用的類目式網站地圖，以總鍊結數目規範出大型網站地圖的標準，並整理出幾個代表性的資訊架構。然後在選單的型式上依深度及呈現方式的不同區分成「雙階」選單，「單階」選單及「雙階合併」選單三種。接著針對選單型式與架構類型分別設計了「選單與階層關係」及「選單與類目分配」兩個實驗，檢驗其使用效益。 實驗結果發現，在搜尋效能，主觀使用性與偏好上，選單型式對於不同階層關係會產生不同效益，至於選單型式和類目分配間則沒有交互關係發生。此外，本研究認為要深入評價網站地圖的效益，必須加強關於認知地圖的探討，才能突顯網站地圖的真正價值。

The increasing difficulty in data visualization incidental to the expanding information in web sites has raised many research issues in web browsing and navigation aids. Site map is one of the navigational tools, particularly in the case of disorientation. Not only it helps visitors understand what information is available, it also tells visitors how information is organized, how to quickly access these information. Nowadays, many types of dynamic menus have been applied in websites design, and these techniques provide some promising directions in the improvement of data visualization. Hence, the focus of this research is to investigate the feasibility of applying cascade menu in site map. First, we categorize the site maps that belong to the websites of Fortune 500 enterprise, and extract the most representative structures of information display in site maps: hierarchical type and grouping type, namely The hierarchical type consists of L2＞L3 and L2＜L3 structures. And the grouping type can also be divided into two types: Dispersed and Clustering structures. Furthermore, there are three menu types based on their depths and working modes, i.e., one layer-hidden menu, two layer-hidden menu and two layer-merged menu. From the finding of the primary observation, two experiments are conducted to verify the effect of different cascade menu in web navigation, one for menus in hierarchical type, and one for menus in grouping type. In terms of performance, usability and preference, the result shows that relations between menu type and hierarchical type do exist, but there is no relationship between menu type and grouping type. Based on the finding of these experiments, some guidelines and suggestions for cascade menu design in site map are proposed. Finally, we suggest future researches should explore the cognitive map in detail to reveal the nature and true benefit of site map.