Effective characteristics on designing the information system of medicinal plants from users’ perspective

BACKGROUND: Designing information systems will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the system according to the information needs of the stakeholders. The present study examined the effective features of designing the information system of medicinal plants from the perspective of its users as a prerequisite for the design of this system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This applied research was carried out using survey method and a researcher-made questionnaire. The study population consisted of two groups of information users (faculty members, students, and researchers of medicinal plants) and information disseminators (librarians), and 308 individuals were selected by cluster sampling from five universities. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software version 22. RESULTS: The results showed that in view of the two groups of users, there was a significant difference in the search options in the database of medicinal plants and the displaying characteristics of the search results. On an average, the rank of the two groups in these two domains was largely different. In other cases, the users considered shared features for capabilities and facilities in an information system of medicinal plants. CONCLUSION: According to the results, for obtaining the information system of medicinal herbs with better capabilities and facilities, it is essential for designers to pay attention to all elements and objections in the interaction of the human and the system, especially in the field of search.