The research paper “A Comparison of Popular Online Fonts: Which Size and Type is Best?” from Usability News involved a research group of sixty participants (16 males and 44 females).
The study explores the following characteristics of fonts used on the Internet:
- Reading Efficiency
- Reading Time
- Perceived Legibility
- Perceived Attractiveness
- Font Preference
The paper concludes that “Generally, Times and Arial were read faster than Courier, Schoolbook, and Georgia. Fonts at the 12-point size were read faster than fonts at the 10-point size. In addition, a font type x size interaction was found for the perception of font legibility. In general, however, Arial, Courier, and Georgia were perceived as the most legible. “
This summary distorts the original article. Their conclusion was actually that Verdana was the best font overall for a website. Read the original article’s conclusion, you’ll see.