Usability.gov is archived and no longer updated.

External links may not function and information on the site may be out of date. Visit Digital.gov for current information.

Glossary

  • Radio button
    A screen-based control used to select one item from a list of mutually-exclusive items (i.e., use radio buttons when only one item in a list of several items can be selected).
  • Rapid Prototyping
    Quickly generating mockups of what a system will look like to facilitate internal review or testing.
  • Rating Scales
    A range of numbers in a sequential order that respondents use to assign a value to a given subject.
  • Readability
    The degree to which users can easily and accurately read information on a web page
  • Reading grade level (RGL)
    The level of education a user would need to understand a piece of content
  • Representative sampling
    Choosing a group of participants that represent your target audience
  • Responsive Design
    A web design approach aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience across platforms and devices.
  • Return on investment (ROI)
    The value of the investment of time or resources relative to the expense of the effort.
  • Reveals
    Information that automatically appears on the screen during a Web-based slideshow presentation, or while viewing a multimedia Web page.
  • Rollovers
    A state change that involves one element being replaced by another upon the mouse going over it.