An ethnographic study of distributed problem solving in spreadsheet development

In contrast to the common view of spreadsheets as “single-user ” programs, we have found that spreadsheets offer surprisingly strong support for cooperative development of a wide variety of applications. Ethnographic interviews with spreadsheet users showed that nearly all of the spreadsheets used in the work environments studied were the result of collaborative work by people with different levels of programming and domain expertise. Cooperation among spreadsheet users was spontaneous and casual; users activated existing informal social networks to initiate collaboration

Applying a User-centred Approach to Interactive Visualization Design

Analysing users in their context of work and finding out how and why they use different information resources is essential to provide interactive visualisation systems that match their goals and needs. Designers should actively involve the intended users throughout the whole process. This chapter presents a user-centered approach for the design of interactive visualisation systems. We describe three phases of the iterative visualisation design process: the early envisioning phase, the global specification hase, and the detailed specification phase. The whole design cycle is repeated until some criterion of success is reached. We discuss different techniques for the analysis of users, their tasks and domain. Subsequently, the design of prototypes and evaluation methods in visualisation practice are presented. Finally, we discuss the practical challenges in design and evaluation of collaborative visualisation environments. Our own case studies and those of others are used throughout the whole chapter to illustrate various approaches

Sticks, balls or a ribbon? Results of a formative user study with bioinformaticians

User interfaces in modern bioinformatics tools are designed for experts. They are too complicated for\ud novice users such as bench biologists. This report presents the full results of a formative user study as part of a\ud domain and requirements analysis to enhance user interfaces and collaborative environments for\ud multidisciplinary teamwork. Contextual field observations, questionnaires and interviews with bioinformatics\ud researchers of different levels of expertise and various backgrounds were performed in order to gain insight into\ud their needs and working practices. The analysed results are presented as a user profile description and user\ud requirements for designing user interfaces that support the collaboration of multidisciplinary research teams in\ud scientific collaborative environments. Although the number of participants limits the generalisability of the\ud findings, the combination of recurrent observations with other user analysis techniques in real-life settings\ud makes the contribution of this user study novel

Research Strategy and Scoping Survey on Spreadsheet Practices

We propose a research strategy for creating and deploying prescriptive recommendations for spreadsheet practice. Empirical data on usage can be used to create a taxonomy of spreadsheet classes. Within each class, existing practices and ideal practices can he combined into proposed best practices for deployment. As a first step we propose a scoping survey to gather non-anecdotal data on spreadsheet usage. The scoping survey will interview people who develop spreadsheets. We will investigate the determinants of spreadsheet importance, identify current industry practices, and document existing standards for creation and use of spreadsheets. The survey will provide insight into user attributes, spreadsheet importance, and current practices. Results will be valuable in themselves, and will guide future empirical research

The Effects of a Flexible Benefits Expert System on Employee Decisions and Satisfaction

Anecdotal reports and recent reviews assert that expert systems are potentially useful decision aids in human resource management. This study examines the effects of an expert system designed to aid employees when they make their choices in a flexible bellcfit program. A four group quasi-field experimental design is used to examine the relative effects of the expert system compared to a conventional spreadsheet decision aid. Eighty employees at an NCR-AT&T facility were randomly selected and assigned to the groups. Employees using the expert system expressed greater benefits satisfaction compared to those using the spreadsheet aid. The spreadsheet did not have any effect on employees\u27 decisions. When the benefit choices recommended by the expert system differed from the employees\u27 current choices, employees are more likely to change their choices. Consequently, the expert system is likely to affect employees\u27 decisions. Implications are discussed and future research needs are suggested