Applying the technology acceptance model in a study of the factors affecting usage of the Taiwan digital archives system

Abstract

The rapid development of information and communication technology and the popularization of the Internet have given a boost to digitization technologies. Since 2001, The National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan has invested a large amount of funding in the National Digital Archives Program (NDAP) to develop digital content. Some studies have indicated that most respondents had no confidence in particular digital archive websites. Thus, with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical basis, the focus of the present study was to identify the factors influencing usage. Extension of the roles of perceived playfulness and interface design was also explored to identify the reasons that digital archives might not be accepted by some users. The present study used a random sampling method to distribute questionnaires to digital archive users via e-mail. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method was used to verify the appropriateness of the study model and whether the hypotheses were confirmed. Study results indicated that the “interface design” is an important factor that influences people to use the digital archives, and that it is separate from the “human factor” and the “human–computer interface” (HCI). Moreover, the results showed that HCI had a significant impact on the “perceived ease of use” and on “usage intentions.” However, the human factor interface showed a significant impact only on “perceived ease of use.” With respect to the hypotheses regarding “usage intentions,” the “perceived usefulness,” “perceived ease of use,” “attitude,” and “perceived playfulness” were not related to “usage intentions.” Therefore, it is necessary to consider the quality of interface design in the development of digital archives in order to promote usage.