An experiment with content distribution methods in touchscreen mobile devices
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Updated: Apr 12, 2026

An Assessment Method and Toolkit to Evaluate Keyboard Design on Smartphones
Published on: October 5, 2020
Eva Garcia-Lopez1, Antonio Garcia-Cabot1, Luis de-Marcos1
1Computer Science Department, University of Alcalá, Spain.
Abstract:
This paper compares the usability of three different content distribution methods (scrolling, paging and internal links) in touchscreen mobile devices as means to display web documents. Usability is operationalized in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction. These dimensions are then measured in an experiment (N = 23) in which users are required to find words in regular-length web documents. Results suggest that scrolling is statistically better in terms of efficiency and user satisfaction. It is also found to be more effective but results were not significant. Our findings are also compared with existing literature to propose the following guideline: "try to use vertical scrolling in web pages for mobile devices instead of paging or internal links, except when the content is too large, then paging is recommended". With an ever increasing number of touchscreen web-enabled mobile devices, this new guideline can be relevant for content developers targeting the mobile web as well as institutions trying to improve the usability of their content for mobile platforms.
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