Browsing in hypertext: A cognitive study
IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, 22 (5):
865--884 (1992)DOI: 10.1109/21.179829
Abstract
Conducted a study to better understand browsing, the basic cognitive processes associated with it, the impact of subject-area knowledge on browsing strategy, and how this knowledge might be applied to improve the design of hypertext systems. 31 university students divided into 2 groups, subject-area experts and novices, were studied while browsing a Macintosh HyperCard application on the Vietnam War. Three browsing strategies were identified: (1) search-oriented browse (scanning and reviewing information IN relevant to a fixed task), (2) review-browse (scanning and reviewing interesting IN in the presence of transient browse goals that represent changing tasks), and (3) scan-browse (scanning for interesting IN without review). Most Ss primarily used review-browse interspersed with search-oriented browse. Experts browsed in more depth, seldom used referential links, selected different kinds of topics, and viewed IN differently than did novices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
