Evaluating tag-based information access in image collections

The availability of social tags has greatly enhanced access to information. Tag clouds have emerged as a new "social" way to find and visualize information, providing both one-click access to information and a snapshot of the "aboutness" of a tagged collection. A range of research projects explored and compared different tag artifacts for information access ranging from regular tag clouds to tag hierarchies. At the same time, there is a lack of user studies that compare the effectiveness of different types of tag-based browsing interfaces from the users point of view. This paper contributes to the research on tag-based information access by presenting a controlled user study that compared three types of tag-based interfaces on two recognized types of search tasks - lookup and exploratory search. Our results demonstrate that tag-based browsing interfaces significantly outperform traditional search interfaces in both performance and user satisfaction. At the same time, the differences between the two types of tag-based browsing interfaces explored in our study are not as clear. Copyright 2012 ACM

Improvement of the Usability of Online Mentoring Website

The purpose of this study is to improve the usability of the current online mentoring website by deriving what should be improved through assessment and reflecting it to system improvement. The related data such as search log and Think Aloud were collected from user groups (9 users in total), and usability was tested according to the predefined test procedures. The collected data were analyzed, using quantitative methods. In terms of search log, the related items including effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction and error were quantified according to usability testing standards. Then, descriptive statistics was performed. According to usability comparison before and after system improvement, it has mostly improved such as improved effectiveness (increase by 15 points), better efficiency (reduction by 41 seconds), increase in satisfaction (by 8 points) and decrease in error frequency (decrease by 1.2 times). Usability testing should be viewed as a process, not outcome itself. Therefore, it could be used during system prototype in addition to the current system and useful in system improvement

A Study of Fidelity Level and Task/Non-Task Based Testing Scenarios on the Effectiveness of Usability Testing

Advances in usability are directing developers towards creating a better and all around friendlier environment for users. Unlike when buying a physical product where you purchase it first and then experience its usability, web site usability is immediately present. So, if a site doesn\u27t meet our needs, we as users, are quick to look elsewhere. Some research has suggested that fidelity makes no significant impact on users\u27 ability to locate errors or problems in a web site. This paper is intends to investigate the interaction between fidelity and task vs. non-task user testing with regards to the types of problems experienced by users. The goal is to identify the most efficient types of user testing. User testing is conventionally designed to emulate typical user situations and tasks. However the goal of testing is to find all possible problems with the interface\u27s design and correct or improve them. Asking users to perform typical tasks may not uncover all of these problems. Asking users to perform a non-task or browse the interface may provide additional information. And the interaction between fidelity and task should suggest that both types of tasks are needed at varying degrees of fidelity to ensure a quality user interface

Tailoring a Points Scoring Mechanism for Crowd-Based Knowledge Pooling

We address the design of point scoring mechanisms in games for crowds, to promote user motivations to contribute knowledge. We measure the effectiveness of the scoring mechanism on users’ performance across three types of crowd: general public, students in their field of study, general students. The conditions were: reward-free games (control group) and two reward-based systems differing in the algorithm applied (linear y=3x vs. exponential y=6ex). Results support the importance of the mathematical function of scores assignment as a motivator for knowledge contribution, and indicate that the effect of the scoring mechanism design should be tailored according to the type of crowd. These findings provide insights for designers of gamified systems on how to improve knowledge contributions in crowd-based systems

Cultural Diversity and the Digital Humanities

Digital humanities has grown and changed over the years; we have moved away from expecting technology to be a tool to make humanities research easier and faster into one where we are now equal partners. Our collaborative projects drive forward the research agendas of both humanists and technologists. There have been other changes too. The focus of our scholarly interest has moved away from its historical origins in text-based scholarship, although that now has many more possibilities, and we are seeing an interest in exploring culture and heritage more widely. Where the progress is slower is in our moves towards openness and inclusivity, and this is to some extent hampered by a lack of linguistic diversity. This is being addressed with specialist groups within the major DH organizations on a national and a global level. DH has grown rapidly in China, and the anglophone world could do more to engage with practitioners and potential colleagues in this new vibrant and emerging area. There are certainly Western centres that specialize, particularly in Chinese texts and historical documents, but this needs to be extended further if we are not to impose limits on the conversations, synergies and collaborations that can result