Neuroscience
Finally! I'm recovered enough from teaching to start reading the journals that have piled up patiently awaiting my attention.
The Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology recently had a special section entitled "Perspectives on Search User Interfaces: Best Practices and Future Visions". There are some fascinating and short (i.e., easily readable) articles on various aspects of screen design and the user interface.
I'm working on a project to redesign the public interface of a (confusing) database, and I found several nuggets very useful:
Regarding the ability to match a user's search term to "what the database calls it" (as I explain it to my students), Resnick and Vaughan say, "Jefferson and Nagy ([2002]) report that the probability that both a searcher and search system will apply the same term for a given concept is only 10-20%." WOW!!! Only a 10-20% chance that the user and the database will be using the same term?!
Resnick & Vaughan continue with these best practice suggestions for the search user interface:
Peter Gremett, who does UI Design at AOL, reported on a usability evaluation of Amazon, and said: "The majority of the time users browsed first and then searched when necessary. Search was typically used when browsing areas became too busy, ambiguous, or lacked visibly relevant content."
And finally, in a nice summary of the user search experience, Barbara Wildemuth summarized Shneiderman, et al's research suggesting that "the search process consists of four phases:
It's a great, easy-to-read series of articles and if you're doing any kind of search design, I highly recommend them. You can read the abstracts for free at the Wiley / JASIST site, and you can get the articles you want via your library or Interlibrary Loan.
- Primatelit -- Free Database!
One of my colleagues at the University of Wisconsin has worked on an impressive database called PrimateLit. This databaseprovides bibliographic access to the scientific literature on nonhuman primates for the research and educational communities....
- Yay Wilsonweb!
If you use any WilsonWeb databases -- what I have referred to as great content, yucky interface -- you might be pleased to know that Wilson has changed its interface for the better. A few of you saw the interface last month when the Wilson reps came to...
- Searchchat
Just read about a new search engine called ChaCha on Stephen's Lighthouse. It does search (they say it's real-time) and there are ratings / collections from various human guides on the results page. What I really like about it is the live guide...
- 2 Clicks 2 Stuff
I'm listening to Roy Tennant's keynote at the Access 2006 Library Conference. He's terrific, as usual, and what I'm really struck with is his suggestion (challenge?) that we get our users to "stuff" within 2 clicks. A good example he...
- New Features In Ebsco
Hopefully you have access to EBSCO, as they're doing some cool new stuff. If not, head over to the nearest library that does! ** Clustering ** Clustering displays the most common subjects, authors, and journals available for a specific query, eliminating...
Neuroscience
User Interface & Search Screen Design, from JASIST
Finally! I'm recovered enough from teaching to start reading the journals that have piled up patiently awaiting my attention.
The Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology recently had a special section entitled "Perspectives on Search User Interfaces: Best Practices and Future Visions". There are some fascinating and short (i.e., easily readable) articles on various aspects of screen design and the user interface.
I'm working on a project to redesign the public interface of a (confusing) database, and I found several nuggets very useful:
Regarding the ability to match a user's search term to "what the database calls it" (as I explain it to my students), Resnick and Vaughan say, "Jefferson and Nagy ([2002]) report that the probability that both a searcher and search system will apply the same term for a given concept is only 10-20%." WOW!!! Only a 10-20% chance that the user and the database will be using the same term?!
Resnick & Vaughan continue with these best practice suggestions for the search user interface:
- "Simple ideas such as increasing the size of the text input box to encourage users to input longer queries have shown some promise." and
- A recent study by Bandos and Resnick ([2004]) found that users generate more effective queries and are more satisfied with interfaces that contain brief guidance on search syntax and semantics. These were provided in the form of search hints, located adjacent to the search query input box.
Peter Gremett, who does UI Design at AOL, reported on a usability evaluation of Amazon, and said: "The majority of the time users browsed first and then searched when necessary. Search was typically used when browsing areas became too busy, ambiguous, or lacked visibly relevant content."
And finally, in a nice summary of the user search experience, Barbara Wildemuth summarized Shneiderman, et al's research suggesting that "the search process consists of four phases:
- formulation of the search strategy,
- the action of submitting the search,
- the review of the search results, and
- the refinement of the search strategy (indicating that the entire process is iterative)."
It's a great, easy-to-read series of articles and if you're doing any kind of search design, I highly recommend them. You can read the abstracts for free at the Wiley / JASIST site, and you can get the articles you want via your library or Interlibrary Loan.
- Primatelit -- Free Database!
One of my colleagues at the University of Wisconsin has worked on an impressive database called PrimateLit. This databaseprovides bibliographic access to the scientific literature on nonhuman primates for the research and educational communities....
- Yay Wilsonweb!
If you use any WilsonWeb databases -- what I have referred to as great content, yucky interface -- you might be pleased to know that Wilson has changed its interface for the better. A few of you saw the interface last month when the Wilson reps came to...
- Searchchat
Just read about a new search engine called ChaCha on Stephen's Lighthouse. It does search (they say it's real-time) and there are ratings / collections from various human guides on the results page. What I really like about it is the live guide...
- 2 Clicks 2 Stuff
I'm listening to Roy Tennant's keynote at the Access 2006 Library Conference. He's terrific, as usual, and what I'm really struck with is his suggestion (challenge?) that we get our users to "stuff" within 2 clicks. A good example he...
- New Features In Ebsco
Hopefully you have access to EBSCO, as they're doing some cool new stuff. If not, head over to the nearest library that does! ** Clustering ** Clustering displays the most common subjects, authors, and journals available for a specific query, eliminating...