Context

: A plethora of models are available for open-source software (OSS) usability evaluation. However, these models lack consensus between scholars as well as standard bodies on a specific set of usability evaluation criteria. Retaining irrelevant criteria and omitting essential ones will mislead the direction of the usability evaluation.

Objective

: This study introduces a three-step method to develop a usability evaluation model in the context of OSS.

Method

: The fuzzy Delphi method has been employed to unify the usability evaluation criteria in the context of OSS. The first step in the method is the usability criteria analysis, which involves redefining and restructuring all collected usability criteria reported in the literature. The second step is fuzzy Delphi analysis, which includes the design and validates the fuzzy Delphi instrument and the utilisation of the fuzzy Delphi method to analyse the fuzziness consensus of experts' opinions on the usability evaluation criteria. The third step is the proposal of the OSS usability evaluation model.

Results

: A total of 124 usability criteria were identified, redefined, and restructured by creating groups of related meaning criteria. The result of the groupings generated 11 main criteria; the findings of the fuzzy Delphi narrowed down the criteria to only seven. The final set of criteria was sent back to the panellists for reconsideration of their responses. The panellists verified that these criteria are suitable in the evaluation of the usability of OSS.

Discussion

: The empirical analysis confirmed that the proposed evaluation model is acceptable in assessing the usability of OSS. Therefore, this model can be used as a reference metric for OSS usability evaluation which will have a practical benefit for the community in public and private organisations in helping the decision-maker to select the best OSS software package amongst the alternatives.

中文翻译：

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基于模糊德尔菲法的开源软件环境下可用性评估的统一标准模型

语境

：大量模型可用于开源软件（OSS）可用性评估。但是，这些模型在学者和标准机构之间缺乏关于一组特定可用性评估标准的共识。保留不相关的标准并省略必要的标准会误导可用性评估的方向。

目的

：本研究介绍了一种在OSS上下文中开发可用性评估模型的三步法。

方法

：在OSS上下文中，已经采用模糊Delphi方法来统一可用性评估标准。该方法的第一步是可用性标准分析，该过程涉及重新定义和重组文献中报告的所有收集的可用性标准。第二步是模糊德尔菲分析，包括设计和验证模糊德尔菲仪器，以及利用模糊德尔菲方法来分析专家意见对可用性评估标准的模糊性共识。第三步是OSS可用性评估模型的建议。

结果

：通过创建相关含义标准组来识别，重新定义和重构总共124个可用性标准。分组的结果产生了11个主要标准。模糊德尔菲的发现将标准缩小到仅七个。最后一组标准被发回给小组成员，以重新考虑他们的回答。小组成员确认这些标准适合评估OSS的可用性。

讨论区

：实证分析证实，所提出的评估模型在评估OSS可用性方面是可以接受的。因此，该模型可以用作OSS可用性评估的参考指标，这将对公共和私人组织中的社区产生实际的帮助，帮助决策者从备选方案中选择最佳的OSS软件包。