Method

The purpose of a scoping review is to map the literature on a particular topic or research area and provide an opportunity to identify key concepts, gaps in the research, and types and sources of evidence to inform practice, policymaking and research (Daudt, van Mossel, & Scott, 2013). The strategy for the scoping review in this thesis was based on the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley (2005) comprising six stages (Table 3.1).

Table 3.1 Scoping review process

Stage Description

Stage 1 Identifying the research question Stage 2 Identifying relevant studies

Stage 3 Selection of terminology and inclusion criteria Stage 4 Charting the data

Stage 5 Collating, summarising and reporting the results Stage 6 (Optional) Consultation exercise

Note. Adapted from Arksey, H. and L. O'Malley, Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework.

International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2005. 8(1): p. 19-32. Copyright 2005 by Taylor and Francis Group Ltd.

3.1.1.1

Stage 1: Identifying the research question

The research question was: What is currently known about web interface design standards and guidelines specific for autistic users?

Responding to this question required an analysis of: how many studies have published web interface guidelines for autistic users? How the guidelines were grouped or informed? How the target users were referred to? What was the source of information?

The research question had different aspects or facets to consider given the synonyms and different terminology used in defining software elements. For example, “web interface design” can be referred to as user interface design, human–computer interaction, or software design. “Guidelines” can be found as recommendations or best practices.

“Autistic” users can be described as users with autism or cognitive impairment, or special need users. The inclusion and awareness of these parameters were relevant in order to include as many studies and references as possible, reducing the likelihood of missing relevant studies during the search process.

3.1.1.2

Stage 2: Identifying relevant studies

The searching strategy of identifying relevant studies included the review of electronic databases and reference-lists. The literature was searched using electronic databases such as Scopus (https://www.scopus.com/), Web of Science (All databases) (http://login.webofknowledge.com/), ProQuest (https://www.proquest.com/), PsycINFO (Ovid) (https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/). These databases were selected as they are comprehensive and cover a broad range of disciplines.

The search query was tailored to titles, abstracts and study-keywords of peer- reviewed English publications from the earliest database records to their most recent publication in December 2018. Search terms used were grouped in relation to: (1) software category, (2) recommendation and (3) diagnosis (Table 3.2). Combinations of search terms were identified, truncated, exploded and adjusted for optimal results. For example: web guidelines are also called “accessibility guidelines”, “accessibility recommendations”, or “user interface design principles”. Numerous authors have broadened their studies for autistic users as web guidelines or recommendations for users with neurodevelopmental conditions, special needs or cognitively impaired users. As autism is considered as part of these groups, related terminologies were also included in the search criteria.

Table 3.2 Search terminology used in the scoping review

Software category Recommendation Diagnosis

Web*, web design, user interface, interface*, software, application, web accessib*, interface design

Web standard*, guideline*, recommendation*, best practise*, usability

autis*, asperger*, neurodevelopmental condition*, cognit* impair*, special need*

* Search terms truncated and exploded.

The reference-list check process was another valuable source of relevant publications. The strategy was to check the reference list of the most relevant studies found through the databases search. The most relevant studies were identified when the title or abstract included more than three keywords contained in the search terminology.

Citations were exported to Microsoft Excel software matching the headings from the different sources of information to the following dataset: Database name, Author(s) name, Publication title, Year of publication and abstract.

3.1.1.3

Stage 3: Studies selection

The initial electronic databases search and reference-list check identified a large number of studies, hence the search needed to be refined applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. A study was considered to be included in the current scoping review if it complied with any of the following criteria:

• The publication corresponded to a web standard, i.e., ISO (International Organization for Standardization ISO, 2012) and WCAG (W3C, 2019d).

• It was a peer-reviewed publication from conference proceedings, scientific journals, or books.

The exclusion criteria were:

• Works that were cited in studies that had synthesised their web design recommendations or guidelines and the master-document was already included. • When the same data were reported in more than one publication, i.e., in conference

proceedings and as a journal article, only the article reporting the most complete data set was included.

• Works where the web design recommendations or guidelines were provided for the general population and were not mentioned being developed for autistic users, neurodevelopmental conditions, or cognitive impaired user.

• Works related to web design or accessibility for non-desktop interfaces such as 3D interfaces, robotics and Internet of Things. Mobile and tablet related guidelines were analysed and included if the described web design guideline or recommendation applied to desktop websites.

Duplicate citations were removed manually and further duplicates were removed when they were found later in the process. Subsequent title and abstract relevance screening were conducted and non-relevant records were excluded.

3.1.1.4

Stage 4: Charting the data

Data characterisation of full articles was conducted to facilitate the comparisons between different studies. Later, data synthesising and interpreting were performed to sort the material according to key issues and themes.

Complementing the information already exported by each publication (Database name, Author(s) name, Publication title, Year of publication and abstract), the following numerical and descriptive data were charted when the information was available:

• Number and name of the groups in which the guidelines/recommendations were grouped

• Title and description of each guideline

• Source of information of guidelines: if the presented guidelines were obtained as a result of their own research or if they were the result or the compendium of previous publications

• Guidelines target population (autistic users, cognitive impaired users, or other)

3.1.1.5

Stage 5: Collating, summarising and reporting the results

In a scoping review the aim is to present an overview of all reviewed material without attempting to assess the quality of evidence and consequently it cannot determine whether particular studies provide robust findings (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). So, attention was given to numerical analysis of guidelines, nature of grouping and source of information.

With the aim of collating and summarising results, the strategy adopted for grouping the guidelines was to frame them into the user experience elements when developing a website as prescribed by Garrett (2002), which divide a website development project into five user experience elements: strategy, scope, structure, skeleton and surface, as shown in Figure 3.3. From bottom to top, the elements are presented as dependent layers to the most abstract to the most concrete elements. On the highest level, the most concrete elements are listed and involve finer levels of details. Each layer is dependent on the definitions and decisions made in the layers below it.

In a practical way, the layers should be viewed as steps as when building a house, one must have the foundations and walls established before starting the painting and decorating process. The same applies when constructing a website: starting with the “strategy” and definition of the “scope”, then building the “structure” and navigation, thinking about the

location and distribution of all elements named as the “skeleton”, and finally, considering the “surface” design to see how the visual interfaces are presented to the users.

Figure 3.3 The Elements of User experience

by Jesse James Garret (Garrett, 2002)

Each extracted guideline from each study was initially allocated to one of the five website development elements taking into account the element definition given by Garret (Garrett, 2002). This grouping method helped to identify the areas where most recommendations were focused and which other aspects of the web design process had fewer guidelines, and as a consequence, less documentation. As a result of the above, several issues and gaps in the literature about web accessibility for autistic users were identified.

3.1.1.6

Stage 6: Consultation exercise

The consultation exercise is optional in the adopted framework of the scoping review (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). However, it has shown to confer multiple benefits (Jivraj, Sacrey, Newton, Nicholas, & Zwaigenbaum, 2014; Lilja & Bellon, 2008). Therefore, a focus group session was conducted with several autistic participants and members of the community that work with autistic individuals or have a family member on the autism spectrum. The aim of the focus group was to gather their feedback about the use, interpretation and preferences of different user interface elements, such as web-forms, menus, fonts, size and spacing, and general navigation and representation of element into a webpage. Some of the web design guidelines found during the scoping review were also analysed during the focus group and the participants complemented them with their own

experiences. The complete details of the method, results and discussion of this focus group are presented in Section 3.2 of this thesis.