Environmental websites: an empirical investigation of functionality and accessibility
by Andreas Pinterits, Horst Treiblmaier, Irene Pollach
International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management (IJTPM), Vol. 6, No. 1, 2006

Abstract: Although the critical role of the internet for disseminating environmental information to achieve sustainability is widely recognised, academic research has not paid much attention to the functionality and accessibility of environmental websites maintained by organisations in the public or the voluntary sector. To fill this gap, the present study seeks to suggest ways in which environmental websites could make more effective use of the internet's capabilities for disseminating information. This paper investigates 226 environmental websites, taking into account features, such as orientation devices, interaction, information exchange, timeliness, accessibility and the possibility of donating online. Different types of websites (air, forest, water, directories) are compared and examined for significant differences. The results strongly suggest that environmental websites have not yet fully tapped the internet's potential, since only few environmental websites meet the overall technical, functional and design-related standards their commercial counterparts have adopted.

Online publication date: Wed, 14-Jun-2006

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