Metrics for the Adaptation of Site Structure

This paper presents an overview of metrics for web site structure and user navigation paths. Particular attention will be paid to the question what these metrics really say about a site and its usage, and how they can be applied for adapting navigation support to the mobile context

Forward, back and home again : analyzing user behavior on the web

In a period of less than two decades, the World Wide Web has evolved into one of the most important sources of information and services. Due to the infancy of the Web and its rapid growth, our knowledge on how users interact with the Web is limited - knowledge which is likely to provide pointers for improvements in the design of Web sites and Web browsers. In this thesis, we aim to provide an integrative overview of theoretical insights and empirical findings, and to extend this body of knowledge with results from a number of user studies

Utility-Based Evaluation of Adaptive Systems

The variety of user-adaptive hypermedia systems available calls for methods of comparison. Layered evaluation techniques appear to be useful for this purpose. In this paper we present a utility-based evaluation approach that is based on these techniques. Issues that arise when putting utility-based evaluation into practice are dealt with. We also explain the need for interpretative user models and common sets of evaluation criteria for different domains

Revisitation Patterns and Disorientation

The non-linear structure of web sites may cause users to become disorientated. In this paper we describe the results of a pilot study to find measures of user revisitation patterns that help in predicting disorientation

Characterizations of User Web Revisit Behavior

In this article we update and extend on earlier long-term studies on user's page revisit behavior. Revisits ar

Opportunities for agroforestry in Finland

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Data Cleaning Methods for Client and Proxy Logs

In this paper we present our experiences with the cleaning of Web client and proxy usage logs, based on a long-term browsing study with 25 participants. A detailed clickstream log, recorded using a Web intermediary, was combined with a second log of user interface actions, which was captured by a modified Firefox browser for a subset of the participants. The consolidated data from both records revealed many page requests that were not directly related to user actions. For participants who had no ad-filtering system installed, these artifacts made up one third of all transferred Web pages. Three major reasons could be identified: HTML Frames and iFrames, advertisements, and automatic page reloads. The experiences made during the data cleaning process might help other researchers to choose adequate filtering methods for their data

In (or Out of) the Marketplace of Ideas: WARF v. Geron and Lessons for Canada

Four days after President George W. Bush addressed America regarding human embryonic stem cell ( hESC ) research in August 2001, a lawsuit was filed by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (“WARF”) against Geron Corporation ( Geron ). WARF holds patents in respect of hESC technologies pioneered by James Thomson. The parties were unable to negotiate licences for additional hESC types. In January 2002, WARF and Geron announced that a new agreement had been reached. This paper examines the antecedent question: should the hESC technologies have been patentable in the first place? The reason for pursuing hESC research appears to be the possibility to improve human health. But hESC research also carries great economic potential. Express prioritization of these dual benefits is lacking. The practice of patenting hESC technologies provides a clue. The empirical support for the proposition that patent rights increase scientific innovation is minimal. Two arguments favour the status quo: 1.the researchers who \u27invent\u27 the technologies are entitled to a property right (Lockean argument); and, 2. circumscribing access to secure investment is acceptable because an overall benefit is produced (utilitarian argument). However, both arguments rest on dubious premises. Most notably, the tragedy of the anticommons , added transaction costs, and depreciated scientific creativity undermine the claim that a net benefit will accrue. Preserving the current regime therefore attaches higher priority to commercial interests. Two responses are left: modifying the patent system or placing hESC technologies in the public domain. Only the latter will ensure that the potential health benefits of hESC research are the top priority