Information retrieval using a hypertext-based help system

Abstract

Hypertext offers users a simple, flexible way to navigate through electronic information systems but at the potential risk of becoming lost in the network of interconnected pieces of information. A study was conducted on information retrieval using a commercial hypertextbased help system. It was found that the predominant search strategy was "browsing" (characterized by scanning tables of contents and paging through topics), rather than employing the indexes ("analytical search"). Although subjects did not become lost, individuals with better spatial visualization ability, as measured by a standardized test, were faster at retrieving information and returned to the top of the information hierarchy less often than those with poorer spatial visualization ability. These results support previous studies that have found a strong preference by users to browse in hypertext systems and extend those findings to a new domain (help), a different type of user interface, and a different information architecture. In addition, the results demonstrate the importance of spatial visualization ability for efficient navigation and information retrieval in a hierarchical hypertext system.

Age and cognitive ability as predictors of computerized information retrieval

“…For example, spatial ability has been shown to be associated with word processing (e.g., Egan and Gomez 1985) and information retrieval performance (Billingsley 1982, Vicente et ul. 1987, Vicente and Williges 1988, Campagnoni and Erlich 1989, Seagull and Walker 1992; reasoning ability has been found to be associated with word processing performance (e.g., Egan and Gomez 1985), although the association with information retrieval performance is less 0144-929x195 S12.00 0 1995 Taylor 61 Francis Ltd. Downloaded by [McGill University Library] at 10:27 05 February 2015 clcnr; and vcrbal ability (vocabulary) has been found to be prcdictivc of word processing (e.g., Egan and Gomez 1985) and information retrieval (Vicente and Williges 1988, although sec also Seagull and Walker 1992 for contrary findings).…”

Designing Navigation Support in Hypertext Systems Based on Navigation Patterns

“…Users with high spatial ability have been found to interact more efficiently with hypertext environments than users with low spatial ability. A study conducted by Campagnoni and Ehrlich (1989) revealed that users with good visualization ability are able to learn the structure of a subject domain more quickly than users with poor visualization ability. Future researchers may want to examine the effects of differences in spatial ability on navigation behavior and on the ability to learn with hypertext.…”

Virtual information space navigation: Evaluating the use of head tracking

“…Within this context, high spatial ability has often been found to be associated with higher levels of performance on many computer-based tasks, including information retrieval (e.g. Vicente and Williges 1988, Campagnoni and Erlich 1989, Chen and Czerwinski 1997, Westerman and Cribbin 2000a. Given the spatial nature of the interface used in the study reported here, it can be predicted that spatial ability will be associated with measures of task performance.…”