RESEARCH PAPERS

Scale Development and Empirical Testing of User Engagement in Public Digital Cultural Services

  • Liu Jiajing ,
  • Zhu Shenping ,
  • Yao Shanji ,
  • Zheng Jianming
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  • 1 School of Economics and Management, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816;
    2 School of Information Management, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023
Liu Jiajing, Lecturer, PhD, E-mail: liujiajing@njtech.edu.cn; Zhu Shenping, Master’s Candidate; Yao Shanji, Professor, PhD; Zheng Jianming, Professor, PhD, Doctoral Supervisor.

Received date: 2025-06-06

  Revised date: 2025-07-21

  Online published: 2026-08-20

Supported by

This work is supported by the NSSFC key project titled “Research on the Construction of Public Digital Culture Governance System in Digital and Intelligent Scenarios” (Grant No. 24&ZD182); and the General Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences Research for Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province titled “Research on the Ontological Cognition and Formation Mechanism of User Engagement in Public Digital Cultural Services” (Grant No. 2025SJYB0154).

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] This study follows a scientific procedure to develop a measurement scale for user engagement in public digital cultural services(PDCS), providing an operational user engagement measurement tool for this field. [Method/Process] Firstly, it extracts candidate measurement items from user interview data based on nine attributes of PDCS user engagement, and constructs an initial scale. Secondly, it analyzes the data from the first round of 380 questionnaires, purifies the measurement items, and uses exploratory factor analysis to test the scale structure. Finally, it analyzes the data from the second round of 700 questionnaires and uses confirmatory factor analysis and a nomological network model to test the reliability and validity of the scale. [Result/Conclusion] This study finds that PDCS user engagement can be measured from nine dimensions, including aesthetic appeal, perceived usability, perceived value, attention, enthusiasm, pleasure, interaction, recommendation, and continuance usage. The 27-item scale developed based on these dimensions exhibits satisfactory reliability and validity. This scale is precisely tailored to the PDCS contextual characteristics and provides a dedicated measurement tool for PDCS user engagement research and practical evaluation. [Innovation/Value] This study offers a new theoretical framework for understanding user behavior in PDCS and responds to scholarly calls for engagement scale development. [Insufficient/Improvement] While this study yields meaningful findings, some limitations remain. Future studies should adopt stratified sampling and longitudinal, multi-source data for broader validation.

Cite this article

Liu Jiajing , Zhu Shenping , Yao Shanji , Zheng Jianming . Scale Development and Empirical Testing of User Engagement in Public Digital Cultural Services[J]. Library and Information Service, 2026 , 70(16) : 148 -160 . DOI: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2026.16.028

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