The subjective check of the different quality levels of a website is based on the considerations and conclusions set out in the Methodology Working Group Report. The main evaluation criteria and methodology referred to in this report are set out below.

3.1 - Evaluation criteria

• perception: the information and commands required to perform the activity must be available and perceivable at all times;
• understandability: the information and commands required to perform activities must be easy to understand and use;
• operability: the information and commands should enable users to make immediate choices as to the best action to take to achieve the desired objective;
• consistency: the same symbols, messages and actions must have the same meaning throughout the environment;
• health and safety: indicates the features the environment must have to safeguard and promote users’ physical and psychological well-being;
• security: indicates the features the environment must have to ensure that transactions and data are reliable and handled with suitable levels of security and confidentiality;
• transparency: the environment must convey its status and the effects of the actions carried out. Users must be provided with the information needed to evaluate the dynamics of the environment correctly;
• learnability: indicates the features the environment must have to enable users to learn to use it quickly and with the least effort possible;
• help and documentation: help functions should be provided as online guidance and documentation concerning the functioning of the environment. The help information must be easy to find and focused on users’ tasks;
• error tolerance: the environment must prevent errors. If any errors do occur, appropriate messages must be provided that clearly indicate the problem and the actions needed to correct it;
• attractiveness: indicates the features the environment must have to attract and hold users’ interest;
• flexibility: the environment must take individual preferences and contexts into account.