Web-Based Collection of Critical Incidents during Remote Usability Evaluation

Abstract

A web-based reporting tool was developed to support the collection of critical incidents during remote usability evaluations. The tool facilitated structured critical incident data entry by the user and the ability to transfer this data directly to the experimenter in the form of an email. The reporting tool was evaluated by assessing a voice email system comprised of a voice interface for emailing and a web interface for system configuration. The evaluation compared the frequency and severity of critical incidents obtained from remote participants with users located in a controlled laboratory setting. Changes in critical incident reporting resulting from repeated exposure to the system were evaluated. The results of the evaluation demonstrated that the web-based reporting tool was an effective critical incident data collection technique for remote usability evaluation.