An End User Context Framework for Handset-based Studies

Abstract

Julkaisun kokoteksti on luettavissa vain Aalto-tunnuksilla.Please note that access to the fulltext is limited to Aalto staff and students.End user context information is seen as one of the most important components in developing more personalized mobile services and applications. The practical impact of context/context-awareness research and new opportunities in the field provided by emerging data collection methods such as handset-based measurements (i.e, collecting smartphone usage data directly from the users’ devices) have induced new highly interesting large scale empirical context studies, but also quite diverse usage of the term context itself. When talking about context it is necessary to unambiguously state how it is understood in the particular work. On one hand the term should be positioned with the existing and commonly understood general definitions, but on the other hand it should also be acknowledged that especially an empirical research paper can grasp only some specific aspects or elements of context. This paper proposes an end user context framework that attempts to clarify the use of the term context in handset-based measurement related studies. The framework is partly based on the experimental experience accumulated in our own handset panel studies. While helping researchers to communicate and position the end user context elements used, the framework helps other stakeholders, such as service providers and application developers, to identify research most relevant for their particular needs. In the paper we provide also a case study demonstrating the usage of the framework and consider some of the privacy issues related to handset-based measurements and user provided contextual data.Peer reviewe