A basis for the exploration of hypermedia systems : a guided path facility : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Massey University

This thesis examines the potential of a paths facility as an aid to navigating large hypermedia systems. The use of the navigational metaphor as applied to finding information is continued with the idea of following a path through information 'space'. This idea assumes that each node, or chunk of information, on the path can be considered a landmark that can be easily returned to when side-trips are taken off the path to explore the surrounding space. The idea of a guided path assumes the re-use of a path, and also assumes that there is extra information available about the path. This meta-information is very important for providing information to help path-followers make better sense of the path, both in terms of content and context, but also in making more effective use of the nodes on the path and in navigating the variety of interface conventions seen in the test environment - HyperCard. A small pilot study has been carried out using two groups of users performing a directed information-seeking task. One group used HyperCard's navigational facilities to find information in a group of stacks, while the other group used a guided path as a base on which to explore the same group of stacks. Both groups had a time limit, at the end of which they completed a number of questionnaires to indicate task completion, as well as providing a subjective evaluation of the facilities they used. The guided path facility appears to be most effective for inexperienced users for a number of reasons. It presents a simplified view of the complex system - the information available has already been filtered and selected, and a simple and consistent navigational interface reduces the cognitive overheads associated with learning a variety of mechanisms present in different stacks. An important feature of a path facility seems to be the provision of meta-information, especially scope information which can reduce the incidences of disorientation. Another feature is the provision of a history facility which provides a backtracking capability. It may also be used in the creation of paths using the length of visit as a criterion for node inclusion on a new path

Capturing and representing deliberation in participatory planning practices

In this paper we argue for the importance of capturing and representing deliberation in participatory planning practices. We discuss the concept of deliberation in planning theory, and argue for a paradigm that puts deliberation at the centre of public participation to planning decision. We argue that in order to enable effective participation, the normally ephemeral delib- eration process needs to be captured and represented so that the information and knowledge gathered during deliberation is visible for all, can be effectively traced, reused, and can actively influence planning decisions. To scaffold this we describe the integration of three technologies to create a collective project memory structured against five dimensions of participatory plan- ning processes: dialogical, social, spatial, temporal and causal. Based on several authentic par- ticipatory planning cases, we report that this supported deliberation across planning tasks, communication modes, time and environments. The coupled use of online and offline group- ware technologies created a more expressive and transparent participatory knowledge base than is possible with conventional media, and enhanced participatory planning by: supporting the effective capture and representation of deliberation processes and products; providing a rich picture of the social setting in which planning decision develops and supporting reflection in and on planning actions

Geoscience after IT: Part L. Adjusting the emerging information system to new technology

Coherent development depends on following widely used standards that respect our vast legacy of existing entries in the geoscience record. Middleware ensures that we see a coherent view from our desktops of diverse sources of information. Developments specific to managing the written word, map content, and structured data come together in shared metadata linking topics and information types

LBWiki: A Location-Based Wiki

Wiki systems provide a simple interface paradigm that allow non-technical users to author collaborative on-line hypertexts. In this paper we propose to use the same simple paradigm to allow users to create content for ubiquitous information systems, and present LBWiki, a prototype location-based Wiki that allows users with a mobile device to create Wiki pages based on GPS co-ordinates. We describe the hierarchical location scheme used within LBWiki and the results of a small evaluation, in which users reacted positively to the concept, but asked for greater control over geographical regions, and highlighted the importance of accurate location technology

Personalization in cultural heritage: the road travelled and the one ahead

Over the last 20 years, cultural heritage has been a favored domain for personalization research. For years, researchers have experimented with the cutting edge technology of the day; now, with the convergence of internet and wireless technology, and the increasing adoption of the Web as a platform for the publication of information, the visitor is able to exploit cultural heritage material before, during and after the visit, having different goals and requirements in each phase. However, cultural heritage sites have a huge amount of information to present, which must be filtered and personalized in order to enable the individual user to easily access it. Personalization of cultural heritage information requires a system that is able to model the user (e.g., interest, knowledge and other personal characteristics), as well as contextual aspects, select the most appropriate content, and deliver it in the most suitable way. It should be noted that achieving this result is extremely challenging in the case of first-time users, such as tourists who visit a cultural heritage site for the first time (and maybe the only time in their life). In addition, as tourism is a social activity, adapting to the individual is not enough because groups and communities have to be modeled and supported as well, taking into account their mutual interests, previous mutual experience, and requirements. How to model and represent the user(s) and the context of the visit and how to reason with regard to the information that is available are the challenges faced by researchers in personalization of cultural heritage. Notwithstanding the effort invested so far, a definite solution is far from being reached, mainly because new technology and new aspects of personalization are constantly being introduced. This article surveys the research in this area. Starting from the earlier systems, which presented cultural heritage information in kiosks, it summarizes the evolution of personalization techniques in museum web sites, virtual collections and mobile guides, until recent extension of cultural heritage toward the semantic and social web. The paper concludes with current challenges and points out areas where future research is needed

Bletchley Park text: using mobile and semantic web technologies to support the post-visit use of online museum resources

A number of technologies have been developed to support the museum visitor, with the aim of making their visit more educationally rewarding and/or entertaining. Examples include PDA-based personalized tour guides and virtual reality representations of cultural objects or scenes. Rather than supporting the actual visit, we decided to employ technology to support the post-visitor, that is, encourage follow-up activities among recent visitors to a museum. This allowed us to use the technology in a way that would not detract from the existing curated experience and allow the museum to provide access to additional heritage resources that cannot be presented during the physical visit. Within our application, called Bletchley Park Text, visitors express their interests by sending text (SMS) messages containing suggested keywords using their own mobile phone. The semantic description of the archive of resources is then used to retrieve and organize a collection of content into a personalized web site for use when they get home. Organization of the collection occurs both bottom-up from the semantic description of each item in the collection, and also top-down according to a formal representation of the overall museum story. In designing the interface we aimed to support exploration across the content archive rather than just the search and retrieval of specific resources. The service was developed for the Bletchley Park museum and has since been launched for use by all visitors

Kartografski informacijski sustav \u27\u27ÖROK Atlas Online\u27\u27 – AIS Austrija kao komunikacijski portal temeljnih geopodataka o Austriji

\u27\u27ÖROK Atlas Online\u27\u27 – Atlas Information System Austria (AIS-Austria) – is a research and development project of the Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning (ÖROK) for the construction of a prototype for an interactive, multi-media thematic atlas in cooperation with the Department of Geography and Regional Sciences (IFGR) – University Vienna, the Department of Geoinformation and Cartography (IGK) – University of Technology Vienna and the Austrian Institute of Regional Planning (ÖIR) – Information Services GmbH (I: D). The project started in September 2004. The project duration is 1,5 years. In the prototype of the web atlas, on the basis of the topographical basic geo-data, predefined and prepared for several scales (the basic scale for Austria is 1:1,000.000), thematic contents will be visualized and made accessible over the interactive map based graphical user interface as a communication portal. AIS-Austria is a hybrid system which should be able to ensure also the printed map in a high graphic resolution (the dual atlas principle). The user navigation and system functionalities, which provide the geo-communication, will be presented.\u27\u27ÖROK Atlas Online\u27\u27 – Atlas Information System Austria (AIS-Austria) – je znanstveno-tehnološki projekt Austrijske konferencije za prostorno planiranje (Österreichische Raumordnungskonferenz). U projektu je razrađen prototip interaktivnog, multimedijskog tematskog atlasa na čijoj realizaciji sudjeluju Institut za geografiju i regionalne znanosti Sveučilišta u Beču, Institut za geoinformacije i kartografiju Tehničkog sveučilišta u Beču i Austrijski institut za regionalno planiranje. Projekt je započeo u rujnu 2004. i trajat će 1,5 godinu. U prototipu atlasa bit će realiziran pristup temeljnim topografskim geopodacima, koji su kartografski unaprijed pripremljeni u nekoliko osnovnih mjerila. Nadalje, vizualizacija i interaktivni pristup tematskim podacima bit će dostupan preko korisničkog sučelja kao komunikacijskog portala, čiji je temelj kartografski prikaz (topografija ili već vizualizirana tematika). AIS-Austria je zamišljen kao hibridni informacijski sustav, koji prema želji korisniku daje mogućnost izdavanja sadržaja po vlastitom izboru u vidu papirnate karte visoke kvalitete (dualni princip atlasa). U članku će biti prikazane mogućnosti navigacije kao i funkcionalnost sustava, što podržava geokomunikaciju

Knowledge-based systems and geological survey

This personal and pragmatic review of the philosophy underpinning methods of geological surveying suggests that important influences of information technology have yet to make their impact. Early approaches took existing systems as metaphors, retaining the separation of maps, map explanations and information archives, organised around map sheets of fixed boundaries, scale and content. But system design should look ahead: a computer-based knowledge system for the same purpose can be built around hierarchies of spatial objects and their relationships, with maps as one means of visualisation, and information types linked as hypermedia and integrated in mark-up languages. The system framework and ontology, derived from the general geoscience model, could support consistent representation of the underlying concepts and maintain reference information on object classes and their behaviour. Models of processes and historical configurations could clarify the reasoning at any level of object detail and introduce new concepts such as complex systems. The up-to-date interpretation might centre on spatial models, constructed with explicit geological reasoning and evaluation of uncertainties. Assuming (at a future time) full computer support, the field survey results could be collected in real time as a multimedia stream, hyperlinked to and interacting with the other parts of the system as appropriate. Throughout, the knowledge is seen as human knowledge, with interactive computer support for recording and storing the information and processing it by such means as interpolating, correlating, browsing, selecting, retrieving, manipulating, calculating, analysing, generalising, filtering, visualising and delivering the results. Responsibilities may have to be reconsidered for various aspects of the system, such as: field surveying; spatial models and interpretation; geological processes, past configurations and reasoning; standard setting, system framework and ontology maintenance; training; storage, preservation, and dissemination of digital records

Kartografski informacijski sustav \u27\u27ÖROK Atlas Online\u27\u27 – AIS Austrija kao komunikacijski portal temeljnih geopodataka o Austriji

\u27\u27ÖROK Atlas Online\u27\u27 – Atlas Information System Austria (AIS-Austria) – is a research and development project of the Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning (ÖROK) for the construction of a prototype for an interactive, multi-media thematic atlas in cooperation with the Department of Geography and Regional Sciences (IFGR) – University Vienna, the Department of Geoinformation and Cartography (IGK) – University of Technology Vienna and the Austrian Institute of Regional Planning (ÖIR) – Information Services GmbH (I: D). The project started in September 2004. The project duration is 1,5 years. In the prototype of the web atlas, on the basis of the topographical basic geo-data, predefined and prepared for several scales (the basic scale for Austria is 1:1,000.000), thematic contents will be visualized and made accessible over the interactive map based graphical user interface as a communication portal. AIS-Austria is a hybrid system which should be able to ensure also the printed map in a high graphic resolution (the dual atlas principle). The user navigation and system functionalities, which provide the geo-communication, will be presented.\u27\u27ÖROK Atlas Online\u27\u27 – Atlas Information System Austria (AIS-Austria) – je znanstveno-tehnološki projekt Austrijske konferencije za prostorno planiranje (Österreichische Raumordnungskonferenz). U projektu je razrađen prototip interaktivnog, multimedijskog tematskog atlasa na čijoj realizaciji sudjeluju Institut za geografiju i regionalne znanosti Sveučilišta u Beču, Institut za geoinformacije i kartografiju Tehničkog sveučilišta u Beču i Austrijski institut za regionalno planiranje. Projekt je započeo u rujnu 2004. i trajat će 1,5 godinu. U prototipu atlasa bit će realiziran pristup temeljnim topografskim geopodacima, koji su kartografski unaprijed pripremljeni u nekoliko osnovnih mjerila. Nadalje, vizualizacija i interaktivni pristup tematskim podacima bit će dostupan preko korisničkog sučelja kao komunikacijskog portala, čiji je temelj kartografski prikaz (topografija ili već vizualizirana tematika). AIS-Austria je zamišljen kao hibridni informacijski sustav, koji prema želji korisniku daje mogućnost izdavanja sadržaja po vlastitom izboru u vidu papirnate karte visoke kvalitete (dualni princip atlasa). U članku će biti prikazane mogućnosti navigacije kao i funkcionalnost sustava, što podržava geokomunikaciju