Evaluating electronic textbooks : a methodology

EBONI (Electronic Books ON-screen Interface) [1] builds on the premise to emerge from the Visual Book [2] and WEB Book projects [3], that appearance is important in the design of electronic textbooks, and offers an evaluation model, or general methodology, from which ebook usability experiments in a range of areas can be extracted and remain comparable at a basic level. The methodology sets out options for selecting material, participants, tasks and techniques, which vary in cost and level of sophistication. Results from each study will feed into a set of best practice guidelines for producing electronic textbooks on the Web, reflecting the requirements of students and academics throughout the UK

Atlas of Skylab ATM/S056 coronal hole observations

An atlas of coronal hole observations (Patrol Long and Single Frame Long Filter 3) recorded by the Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount/SO56 X-ray Telescope during the first two manned missions is presented. A total of 279 operations (excluding super long frames) were determined. Comparisons are made between coronal hole observations performed in the first manned mission and those in the second manned mission, and between a super long filter 3 image and a typical single frame (or Patrol) long image. Additional studies to enhance the S056 coronal hole observations and perhaps to extend coverage into the last manned mission are suggested. The data presented are in preliminary form

Results of coronal hole research: An overview

An overview of the last 10 years of coronal hole research, in particular since 1970, is presented. The findings of the early investigations and the more recent results obtained with Skylab/Apollo Telescope Mount instrumentation are discussed

The analysis of the X-ray event analyzer proportional counter data: A comment

The findings, based on a comparison of simultaneous observations of a number of flares obtained with the X-REA and SOLRAD 9 instruments, which reveal the degree of deterioration of the counters with time are presented

Observation of the X-ray source Sco X-1 from Skylab

An attempt to observe the discrete X-ray source Sco X-1 on 20 September 1973 between 0856 and 0920 UT is reported. Data obtained with the ATM/S-056 X-ray event analyzer, in particular the flux observed with the 1.71 to 4.96 KeV counter, is analyzed. No photographic image of the source was obtained because Sco X-1 was outside the field of view of the X-ray telescope

The 15 June 1973 1B/M3 flare: An overview of analysis results

The 15 June 1973 1B/M3 flare was analyzed as one of the best observed flares during the skylab mission

Terror threat perception and its consequences in contemporary Britain

The terrorist attacks of 9/11, and subsequent terrorist acts around the world, have alerted social psychologists to the need to examine the antecedents and consequences of terrorist threat perception. In these two studies we examined the predictive power of demographic factors (age, sex, location), individual values and normative influences on threat perception and the consequences of this perception for behavioural change and close relationships. In study 1 (N = 100) gender, benevolence values and normative influences were all correlates of threat perception, whilst sense of personal threat was correlated with increased contact with friends and family. In study 2 (N = 240) age, sex, location, and the values of Openness to Change and Hedonism, all predicted threat perception, which in turn predicted behavioural change and relationship contact. Such findings point to the important role social psychologists should play in understanding responses to these new terrorist threats

From the visual book to the WEB book : the importance of design

This paper presents the results of two studies into electronic book production. The Visual book study explored the importance of the visual component of the book metaphor for the production of more effective electronic books, while the WEB book study took the findings of the Visual book and applied them to the production of books for publication on the World Wide Web (WWW). Both studies started from an assessment of which kinds of paper book are more suitable for translation into electronic form. Both also identified publications which are meant to be used for reference rather than those which are read sequentially, and usually in their entirety. This group includes scientific publications and textbooks which were both used as the target group for the Visual book and the WEB book experiments. In this paper we discuss the results of the two studies and how they could influence the design and production of more effective electronic books