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| Format: | Recurso educativo Open Access |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
1993
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED360984 |
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Table of Contents:
- The User Interface of ERIC on the Macintosh: A Qualitative Study of Novice Users. Thomas, Patricia Bibliographic Databases Educational Experience Educational Research Graduate Students Higher Education Interviews Library Education Microcomputers Online Searching Optical Data Disks Protocol Analysis Questionnaires Research Needs Search Strategies Use Studies User Satisfaction (Information) Users (Information) The experience of novice users searching SilverPlatter's ERIC CD-ROM on the Macintosh was studied. Ten students from an introductory master's level course in library and information science were recruited as volunteer subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a search on the ERIC CD-ROM; and data were collected via observations, a think-aloud protocol, and a questionnaire. Data were analyzed to describe and categorize the subjects' experience with the user interface. The standard Macintosh interface as implemented did not win over any users who began with a preference for IBM personal computers or compatibles. Experienced Macintosh users gave the product high marks, but users at all experience levels had problems with the interaction provided. Novice users expressed a need for more direction and clarity, and experienced users looked for a more direct way to conduct searches. The most apparent negative attitudes concerned the error messages provided. Four appendixes are included. Appendix A contains the coded tape transcripts. Appendix B is the interview script. The site software license agreement for the computerized Questionnaire for User Interface Satisfaction is presented in Appendix C, and a breakdown of coded events by searcher is presented in Appendix D. (Contains 23 references.) (SLD)