LibreOffice in public service: First impression of the future users

Abstract

There are definite intentions and efforts for spreading open source office software in the Hungarian public service. However, LibreOffice offers almost the same functionality than Microsoft Office, document compatibility may be problematic, and both the appearance and the access to a part of functions are different. Even a partial changeover raises several challenges concerning technical issues, system safety, and users’ education.

This paper investigates the users’ opinions about LibreOffice Writer. The target audience is the higher education students as the future users of the software. The research method includes a (1) preliminary survey about the computer usage habits, (2) preparing a two-page document including typing, text-formatting, tables and diagrams, (3) and a final evaluation survey about the experiences. The goal of the study is collecting information about the opinions and impressions about working with LibreOffice Writer. Exploring the user profiles and the critical issues are important for establishing effective training programs.

Results show that the involved students feel using LibreOffice more difficult than Microsoft Word. However, the similar surface and functions are available, the deviation from the usual increases the time need and decreases personal satisfaction. Targeted training is necessary for supporting the implementation intentions including developing higher education programs.