Bridging the Other Divide: An Assessment of the Usability of Trinidad and Tobago Government Ministry Websites

Abstract

This study examines the e-government Website usability dimensions of Trinidad and Tobago (TT) government ministry Websites. It assesses the extent to which TT, as a developing country, succeeds in its efforts to bridge the "other divide" by examining ministry Website usability variables based on Stowers' usability dimensions. Website usability focuses on the ease with which users can find what they want on a Website and accomplish the tasks they desire. Stowers (2002) identifies six usability dimensions: online services, user-help tools, navigation features, legitimacy, information architecture, and accessibility accommodations. The study found that the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are the highest performing ministries overall. The findings suggest that there may be implications for understanding Website usability for the Caribbean region and for government ministries in general. Finally, the study aims at stimulating further research about Caribbean government Websites that can help to reduce or eliminate the digital divides.