An Evaluation of Computer-Supported Backtracking in a Hierarchical Database

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate whether computer-supported backtracking tools reduced navigation time over manual backtracking and to compare navigation times among a subset of four backtracking tools. Each tool was evaluated in the context of an experimental, hierarchical, direct-manipulation database. Trials consisted of an information retrieval task requiring subjects to answer multiple-choice questions about the contents of the database. The independent variables included the backtracking tool and the backtrack navigation Task Length. The dependent measures included navigation time, the frequency with which the computer tool was selected and used over manual backtracking (a Table of Contents), and questionnaire responses. Backtracking with any of the four computer-supported tools resulted in a significantly reduced navigation time over manual backtracking using the Table of Contents. When provided with a history list, subjects had significantly smaller navigation times when backtracking at the higher of two levels in the database hierarchy. There were no differences between computer tools in rated efficiency, ease of use, or objective or subjective preference measures.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Archer

J. E.

Conway

Schneider

F. B.

(1984). User recovery and reversal in interactive systems. ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems, 6 (1), 1–19

Boff

K. R.

Lincoln

(Eds.) (1988) Engineering data compendium: Human perception and performance. Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: Armstrong Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, AAMRL/NATO

Canter

(1977). The psychology of place. New York: St. Martin's Press

Canter

Powell

Wishart

Roderick

(1986). User navigation in complex database systems. Behaviour and Information Technology, 5 (3), 249–257

Department of Defence (1989). Human engineering design criteria for military systems, equipment and facilities (MIL-STD-1472D). Washington, D.C

Field

G. E.

Apperley

M. D.

(1990). Context and selective retreat in hierarchical menu structures. Behaviour and Information Technology, 9 (2), 133–146

Hutchins

E. L.

Hollan

J. D.

Norman

D. A.

(1986). Direct manipulation interfaces. In Norman

D. A.

Draper

S. W.

(Eds.), User centered system design (pp. 87–124). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Leeman

G. B.

(1986). A formal approach to undo operations in programming languages. ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems, 8 (1), 50–87

Shneiderman

(1987). Designing the user interface. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company

10.

Smith

S. L.

Mosier

J. N.

(1986). Guidelines for designing user interface software (Tech. Report ESD-TR-86–278). Bedford, MA: MITRE Corporation

11.

Thimbelby

(1990). User interface design. New York: ACM Press/Addison Wesley

12.

Toriya

Satoh

Ueda

Chiyokura

(1986). Undo and redo operations for solid modeling. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 6, 35–42

13.

Vitter

J. S.

(1984). US&R: A new framework for redoing. IEEE Software, 1 (4), 39–52

14.

Yang

(1988). Undo support models. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 28, 457–481

15.

Yang

(1989). Survey steered design: Evaluating user recovery and command reuse support by questionnaire. Behaviour and Information Technology, 8 (6), 437–459