Showing papers on "User modeling published in 1981"

On user studies and information needs

Abstract: Apart from information retrieval there is virtually no other area of information science that has occasioned as much research effort and writing as ‘user studies’. Within user studies the investigation of ‘information needs’ has been the subject of much debate and no little confusion. The aim of this paper is to attempt to reduce this confusion by devoting attention to the definition of some concepts and by proposing the basis for a theory of the motivations for information‐seeking behaviour.

Interactive user productivity

Abstract: Interactive user productivity is a measure of effective communication between man and the computer. Explored in this paper is the relationship between computer response time and user performance, and the separation of user cost from system cost. Strategies for effectively managing installations are presented and discussed.

Chargeback systems and user involvement in information systems

Abstract: Computer chargeback systems are installed to meet various dataprocessing objectives. One objective is to increase user involvementin decisions regarding information systems development and use.Presumably, increasing user involvement will result in more effectiveinformation systems.In a field study we examine the relationship between variouscharacteristics of a computer chargeback system, the quality of thechargeback system's user interface, user involvement and userattitudes about information systems services. Suggestions are givenboth for the practicing information systems manager and for futureinformation systems researchers.

User Software Engineering and the design of interactive systems

Abstract: The successful construction of interactive systems requires the utilization of principles of user-centered design, combined with techniques for software engineering, in order to produce systems that are reliable, easy to use, and well adapted to user needs. This paper presents some of these principles and shows how they are achieved in the User Software Engineering (USE) project, which is intended to provide the applications developer with a development environment that supports the systematic specification and implementation of interactive systems.

Expert/consultation system for a retrieval data-base with semantic network of concepts

Abstract: This paper describes a development and implementation of an expert/consultation system for a retrieval data-base, that interfaces between the user and a retrieval system. The system's objective is to perform the information consultant's job in assisting a user to select the right vocabulary terms for his query. It is particularly useful for a novice user of a controlled-vocabulary, index-based retrieval system, who is not familiar with the vocabulary and the system Thesaurus. The user will enter his terms/keywords, that represent his information need, and the system will apply search procedures on its knowledge-base, and will find relevant concepts to be used as query-terms. The system is interactive; it can explain to the user why/how a concept was discovered/suggested, and it can back-track and try to find alternatives in case the user rejects a suggested concept. Two versions of the system were developed, utilizing two search and interaction strategies. Experiments will be conducted with the two alternatives in order to find out user preference and to compare performance. Performance will also be compard with an alternative "conventional" approach, which is an On-Line-Thesarus - developed as part of this study.

Natural Language Access to Databases: Interpreting Update Requests

Abstract: : For natural language database systems to operate effectively in practical domains, they must have the capabilities required by real applications. One such capability is understanding and performing update requests. The processing of natural language updates raises problems not encountered in the processing of queries. These difficulties stem from the fact that the user will naturally phrase requests with respect to his conception of the domain, which may be a considerable simplification of the actual underlying database structure. Updates which are meaningful and unambiguous from the user's standpoint may not translate into reasonable changes to the underlying database. Update requests may be impossible (cannot be performed in any way), ambiguous (can be performed in several ways), or pathological (can be performed only in ways which cause undesirable side effects). Drawing on work in Linguistics and Philosophy of Language, we have developed a domain-transparent approach to identifying and performing 'reasonable' changes in response to a user's update request, using only knowledge sources typically present in existing database systems. A simple notion of 'user model' and explanation with respect to the user's state of knowledge are central to the design. This paper describes a system PIQUE (Program for Interpreatation of Query/Update in English), which implements this approach. (Author)

Technical Communication--Taking the User into Account.

Abstract: : This research study investigated whether reading effectiveness of procedural texts for a performance task is influenced by media formats which differed in design according to the Educational Cognitive Style (ECS) preference of the user/reader. Significant individual differences among the cognitive style types in their ability to follow the directions was found. One cognitive style type in particular tended to be more compatible with processing and understanding the technical information. Statistically significant differences were also found to result from the effect of media format design--graphics had a strong facilitative effect on user efficiency and accuracy. These results indicated that to plan and design effective instructional materials which maximize the user's understanding of the task, designers should recognize and focus on the user's strengths and weaknesses for processing technical information. A model for designing technical instructions based on the user's needs was presented. (Author)

Improving the User/Machine Interaction.

Abstract: The increase in computer applications in education has heightened the problems and concerns regarding user/machine interaction. In an attempt to address these problems, educational learning concepts can be applied to program design in order to enhance the user's communication with the computer. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate methods and techniques which can improve the communication between the user and the machine, especially in microcomputers.

User requirements and the development of products which are suitable for the broad spectrum of user capacities.

Abstract: The identification of user characteristics and requirements is central to the task of the ergonomist since it provides a basis for testing the match between people and the processes, products and places they use. Established methods exist for measuring human physical and performance characteristics but the identification of requirements has received little attention as yet. It is anticipated that progress, which has largely been confined to the area of consumer ergonomics, will accelerate once the connection between poorly designed products and subsequent costly incapacity in the population is more widely recognized. User requirements can provide a clear, testable basis for product development and evaluation when expressed as performance specifications. Problems which may be encountered in the identification of user requirements may be avoided by establishing the patterns of activity prior to discussing the underlying requirements with the user.

Interfacing to text using HELPME

Abstract: HELPME is a Lisp based system designed to provide on-line help for novice and expert users of computer systems. HELPME permits the implementation of easy to use interfaces to existing documents by allowing a user familiar with a document (a 'document expert') to produce an index and incorporate information relating to the structure of the document into the interface. A typical user of HELPME can then interact with the document and index through a series of commands to quickly find the information desired.The primary advantage of a system like HELPME is that it permits construction of interfaces to existing on-line documents and provides three modes of interaction with the documents: simple display, indexed-based query and context overview. Simple display permits forward and reverse movement through a document while index-based query uses key-words to select relevant sections of the document hierarchy for display. Context overview permits a hierarchical view of the document. For example, the table of contents of a document can be used to construct this hierarchy. Each of these modes of interaction are independent and may be selected by the user at any point. The goal of HELPME is to allow a user to find any information in a document relating to the user's requests. Of course, many users do not have a good grasp on exactly what they are looking for but rely on inadvertent discovery. It is hoped that the flexibility of a HELPME-like system will satisfy the goals of an easy-to-use, extensible help system for computing environments. A long term goal for HELPME is to use domain knowledge and user models in user assistance and information management.

Adaptable user interfaces for portable, interactive computing software systems

Abstract: In the context of this paper a computing software system consists of a database, an associated user interface which allows users to analyse the data and the routines or programs which implement the analytic functions available through the user interface. It is assumed that the complete system - source code and data - already exists in a form which is as easily portable as possible between different computer environments. For such systems adaptability is the problem of adjusting the user interface and analytic capabilities to suit different user communities when such a system is transferred from one environment to another. This may include adaptation to specific hardware facilities as well as user requirements.In 1977/8 the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) funded a project at University College Cardiff to implement a portable computing software system originating from the Population Dynamics Group (PDG) at the University of Illinois. This system allowed users to perform population projections under different demographic conditions showing in a graphical presentation how the population of a country varies over selected time spans. The database consisted of population statistics for a number of countries. When implemented at Cardiff it was intended that this system should be used as a demographic training aid by the post graduate diploma students in the David Owen Centre for Population Growth Studies. These students are an international group who are specialists in the field of demography but have little or no computing background.This paper will discuss briefly how this portable system was implemented on a PDP 11 minicomputer at Cardiff and then give a fuller description of the adaptation of the user interface and analytic capabilities to the local community and its computer facilities. General conclusions will be drawn as to how such systems should be written so as to ease the problems of adaptability.