Model-based information navigation for engineering documents

Engineering and the manner in which engineers think is largely visual and functional, and yet engineers are typically provided with search engines that are text-based. While software based on a visual and functional ethos exist (CAD for example), when searching for information engineers are still required to enter a text query into a search box. This process holds potential incompatibilities both with the nature of the data (i.e. 3D models) and with the way in which engineers think and work. Consequentially, the proposition tested in this paper is that a model-based approach to information access, i.e. a representation of an organisations information around a model of an artefact i.e. CAD model, can improve engineering information retrieval. In an A-B test with a traditional text-based search engine, and using study questions derived from real-world information seeking scenarios based on the activities of a world-leading aircraft manufacturer, the results presented in this paper suggest that there is merit to such an approach.Specifically, this paper shows that there is no significant difference in time to complete a search between a model-based and text-based interfaces in spite of the addition of a new stage in the search process (navigating a 3D model); that the system structure of the model-based interface allows for non-text based documents to be indexed, making up for the inherent limitations in traditional text-based search; and that participants enjoy using the model-based interface and find it intuitive, easy and simple to use. Further, this paper also finds that those with more experience/familiar with the product structure and those in managerial positions are more likely to find information using a model-based interface that those who are not, who perform better using a text-based interface

Comparison between audio and tactile systems for delivering simple navigational information to visually impaired pedestrians

Many of the current GPS (Global Positioning Systems) navigation aids use an audio method to deliver navigation information to the user. For the visually impaired person this method can be problematic. The visually impaired pedestrian relies heavily on information contained within the ambient sound environment; for location and orientation information, navigation information, and importantly, safety information. In this paper we present the design of an innovative tactile interface and verification of results obtained through experimental trials. This pilot study compared the efficiency of the tactile interface, to an audio method of delivering simple navigational information. The findings indicate that the tactile interface could be used successfully by blind and sighted pedestrians and may offer advantages over auditory interfaces

Cognitive Styles and Accounting Information Navigation: A Preliminary Investigation

Interactive information visualization is a new research direction in the area of accounting information systems dealing with the use of technology to interactively visually represent data to enhance an individual’s ability to acquire and use knowledge. One of important topics in this line of research is the information selection and navigation. The present study follows this research direction by attempting to explore the extent to which accounting information is searched and navigated in different patterns of tasks and decision-makers. Following a quasi experiment design, a web application was developed to collect data. Participants were required to perform a task in analyzing ROA data using given financial information of an anonymous fictious firm. The treatment of this study is the navigation strategy. The results of the data analysis have shown that the decision-making performance between two cognitive styles (field-independent and field-dependent) and two navigation strategies (breadth-first and depth-first) was not statistically significantly different. Nevertheless, the time spent in identifying the correct information was found to be significantly different between the two cognitive styles; field-independent and field-dependent. This research is an initial step in investigating the influence of decision-maker characteristics and navigation strategies on the decision-making process. There is still an ample area to further investigate how information technology in information navigation could be benefit in the decision-making process

Logic and the Organization of Information: An Introduction

The paper considers how logic might be used in the organization of information, in particular with: indexing, concepts, synonyms and homographs, directed acyclic graphs of topics, faceting, and information navigation

Design Principals of Social Navigation

8th Delos Workshop on "User Interfaces for Digital Libraries" (on 21 October it will be held in conjuction with the 4th ERCIM Workshop on "User Interfaces for All"), SICS, Kista, Sweden, 21-23 October 1998PERSON

The youth Digital Skills Performance Tests

Report on the development of real-life tasks encompassing information navigation and processing, communication and interaction, and content creation and production skills. This report discusses the development of a high-quality measurement instrument – real-life performance testing – for a range of digital skills amongst young people with the overall aim of providing a comprehensive overview of the methodological issues that had to be addressed. Carefully designed and implemented performance tests measure actual actions and what is regarded as real-life ways of engaging with technology. Areas considered are the constraints of various types of performance tests and the coding and analytical procedures involved. The tests cover three different dimensions of skills: (1) information navigation and processing skills; (2) communication and interaction skills; and (3) content creation and production skills. The design of the performance tests is discussed in light of the findings of developing and testing cross-nationally compatible tasks. The developed performance tests provide valuable insights into information navigation and processing, communication and interaction, and content creation and production skills. In addition, the development process itself provided valuable lessons for future applications. Based on crossnational experiences with the developed tests, this report demonstrates features of test development and application procedures to improve the quality of such assessments. Our experiences target specific issues of performance test development beyond the well-known disadvantages of being time and labour intensive. The aim is to expand knowledge on how to design a performance test and encourage other researchers to use this direct assessment method of digital skills

Implementing RSVP as an Image Browser

Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) is an effective tool for information navigation. We applied RSVP to the increasingly important task of image browsing. In total nine RSVP interfaces were developed, implementing three RSVP modes and three control sets. An evaluation was carried out to investigate the effect of RSVP mode and control set on image retrieval time. S