Information Retrieval

Presented to:
Mam Nadia Kanwal

Presented by:
Iqra shafiq(1843)
Rubab Liaquat Ali (1844)
Fatima Tauqeer (1845)
Maria Saleem (1858)
Amna Naveed (1861)
Imrana Feyyaz(562)

Human Computer Interaction

Observing User
What and when to observe
Observation is usable at all stages during product
development.
Goals and questions determine the techniques used.
Observers can be:
viewers
Participants
Ethnographers

Types of Observation
Two kinds of Observation:

Controlled Environment (e.g. Lab)
Field Environment (e.g. Natural)

How to observe
In controlled environment
Decide where users are located so that equipment can
be setup
How to capture data e.g. video, interaction logs
It is important to make users feel comfortable
Problem with this approach: Observers do not know
what users are thinking.
How to observe In the field
Things to be considered:
The person. Who?
The place. Where?
The thing. What
Ethnography
Its is also called participant observation:
Checklist for doing ethnography
Identify the problem or goal and ask good questions
The most important part of fieldwork is being there to
observe, ask questions and record what is seen and
heard
Collect variety of data. E.g. Notes, still pictures, audio
and video
Data Collection Techniques
Activity
Working on a project
Reading a books
Shopping
Using a Social media site
Finding some restaurants and food places
If you are doing these tasks on your Computer then
Which are Sit down uses?
And which are Stand up uses??

What we will learn
Users
Interviews
Questionnaires
Experts
Inspections
Walkthroughs

Asking Users and Experts
Types of interviews
Unstructured interviews or open
ended
Structured interviews
Semi-structured interviews
Group interviews

The interview process
Dress in a similar way to interviewees if
possible, if in doubt dress neatly and
avoid standing out.
Prepare a permission form and ask the
interview to sign it
Check recording equipment in advance
Be pleasant
Record answers exactly and do not
made any cosmetic adjustment , correct
or change answers any way

Things to avoid when preparing interview
questions
Long questions
Avoid compound sentences by
splitting them in two
Jargon & language that the
interviewee may not understand
Leading questions that make
assumptions e.g. why do you like ?
Unconscious biases e.g. gender
stereotypes
Probing
Devices for getting more information
Start with some preplanned question and then
probes the interviewee to say more
Example
Which web sites did you visit more frequently?
Why do you like this web site?
Tell me more about web site x?
Any thing else?
You can make use of probes during interview
After Interview:
Analyzing interview data which Depends on the
type of interview



Why is it helpful to prepare an interview guide before
conducting semi-structured interviews?
a) So That the data from different interviewees will be
comparable and relevant to your research questions
b) So that you can calculate the statistical significance of the
results
c) In order to allow participants complete control over the
topics they discuss
d) To make the sample more representative

Which of the following is not advised when planning
the question order of a structured interview?
a) Be wary of asking an earlier question that alters the of
later questions
b) Expect Some variation in the order in which questions are
asked
c) Leave questions about sensitive or embarrassing issues
until later in the interview
d) Group the questions into logically organized sections


Which of the following is an example of an
unstructured interview question?
a) Are you currently suicidal?
b) Would You tell me more about your childhood?
c) Have you ever been physically abused?
d) Was your relationship with your father good or
bad?

When the researcher wishes to gain in-depth
knowledge by asking an initial question, then
subsequent questions based on the
participant's responses, this is known as:
a) Semi-structured interviewing
b) Dialogical engagement
c) Informal interviewing
d) Unstructured Interviewing

Questionnaire style
Questionnaires can have various styles
and can have various formats
Questionnaire format can include:
- checkboxes
- ranges
- Like rating scales


Questionnaire
Make the questions clear and specific
When possible ask closed questions and offer a range of
answers.
Think about the ordering of questions
Avoid complex multiple questions and jargon
Provide clear instructions on how to complete the
questionnaire
Advantage of electronic questionnaires
Data goes into a data base
Easy to analyze Responses are usually received quickly
Copying and postage costs are lower than paper
surveys
Time required for data analysis is reduced
Errors in questionnaire design can be corrected easily



Asking Experts
Experts use their knowledge of users &
technology to review software usability
Expert critiques can be formal or informal
reports
Heuristic evaluation is usability inspection
method for computer software that helps
to identify usability problems in user-
interface design, it resembles high-level
design principles
Walkthroughs involve stepping through a
pre-planned scenario noting potential
problems

Nielsens heuristics
Visibility of system status
Match between system and real world
User control and freedom
Consistency and standards
Help users recognize, diagnose, recover
from errors
Error prevention
Recognition rather than recall
Flexibility and efficiency of use
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Help and documentation
Cognitive walkthroughs
Focus on ease of learning
Designer presents an aspect of the design &
usage scenarios
One of more experts walk through the
design prototype with the scenario
Expert is told the assumptions about user
population, context of use, task details
Involve simulating a users problem solving
process and each step in the human
computer dialog checking to see if the users
goals and memory for action can be
assumed to the next correct action

Pluralistic walkthrough
Can be conducted by following sequence of steps
Scenarios are developed in the form of series part of the
screen
Scenarios are presented to the panel of evaluators and panel
is asked to write down sequence of actions they would take to
move from one screen to another
Panelist discuss the actions they have suggested for that
ground of the review
Usually the representative user go first so that they are not
influenced by other panel members
Usability experts present their findings and finally designers
offer their comments
Panel moves on the next ground of the screen. This process
continues until all the scenarios have been evaluated
Match the appropriate option
Closed questions Heuristic &
walkthroughs
Open questions Easy to learn
Expert evaluation Problem solving
process
Heuristic evaluation Richer
Cognitive walkthroughs Easiest to analyze


Lecture 42:
Communicating users
How we can eliminating errors?
Errors are abused
Users never want error messages

Users want to avoid consequences of making errors

Users will often not complain about error messages but it dosent mean
that they are happy getting errors.
Error message
Information displayed when an unexpected condition occurs
Often displayed using dialog boxes


Why we have so many error messages
Early days of computers, computers were operated by very technical
minded people

Early operators of computers were sympathetic to needs of CPU
and Didnt mind error messages


Example:
wherever software demands that the user do things its way instead
of the software adapting to the needs of the human.
Whats wrong with error messages
Error message boxes are alerting the user to serious problems
(misconception)
What programmers think of error messages:
informing the user of the inability of the program to work flexibly
What users think of error messages:
error message boxes are seen not just as the program stopping the
proceedings but, in clear violation of the axiom
People hate error messages
Humans have emotions

Programmers have wrong assumption
Eliminating Error Messages
Can't eliminate error messages by simply discarding the code that shows
the actual error message dialog box
Must eliminate the possibility of the user making the error

Making Errors Impossible

Improving error messages:
Requirements :
Be polite
Be illuminating
Be helpful


Alerts and confirmations
Alert (Announcing the obvious)
Notifies the user of the programs action
They causes interruptions in the flow of users tasks
Easy to create

Confirmation
Gives user authority to override that action
If program is not confident, it asks for approval with dialog box
Confirmations come from program, not user




Do we need to be told about this alert?


The confirmation process
Confirmations pass the buck
User issues command to the computer
Program detects command of the user
Program doesnt want to take responsibility for the actions and the
command issued by the user
Issues a confirmation
Do we need to be told about these Confirmation?



The dialog that cried, wolf!
Users start dismissing confirmations as a matter of routine

ELIMINATING CONFIRMATIONS
Replacing dialogs: Rich visual mode-less feedback

Rich :
Gives in-depth information about the status or attributes of a process or
object in the current application







Visual :
Because we can see it

Mode-less :
It requires no special action or it doesnt interrupt


Chapter 13: Information Retrieval
Negative audible feedback

Negative audible feedback
noise is emitted when something bad
happens
Announcing user failure


Positive audible feedback

Examples
Closing a door
Pressing light switch
Turning key in car ignition

What do you prefer?

No noise vs. noise for negative feedback
No noise vs. unpleasant noise for
negative feedback
No noise vs. soft and pleasant noises for
positive feedback

Communication with Others
Your identity on the desktop

ways of asserting identity
Programs icon
Programs name


Program Name Program Icon (16*16)
Icon (32*32)
Ancillary application windows

These are windows that are not really
part of the applications functionality
Available on request
About boxes
A simple dialog box that identifies the program to user

Splash screens
Screens that appear in first instance
Used for branding and marketing


Online Help

Online help should be provided but
should not be substitute for good design



The Wizard
Wizards are used to mange features of program
through series of dialogue boxes.


Storage and Retrieval
Systems
Storage system
A method for safekeeping goods in a
repository
A physical system composed of a
container and the tools necessary to put
objects in and take them back out again


Retrieval system
A method for finding goods in a repository
A logical system that allows goods to be
located according to some abstract value (e.g.,
like name, position, etc.)


Storage and Retrieval in the
Physical World

Storage and retrieval by location

Indexed retrieval
Storage and retrieval by
location
In physical world, remembering where
we put an item its address, or
location helps us to find it

Book
We go to where we left book, or where
others books are found
We dont find books by association.
Indexed retrieval
For large volumes, storage and
retrieval by location is not possible

Libraries Dewey Decimal system
Give every book an index number based
on its title and subject matter
The books are shelved in this numerical
order
If you know number, you can find book

Retrieval methods
3 ways to find a document on a
computer
Positional retrieval (remember location)
Identity retrieval (remember name)
Associative or attributed-based retrieval
An attribute-based retrieval
system
Todays desktops cannot adopt an
attribute-based retrieval system

Attribute-based system could allow
user find documents by
Synonyms
Related topics
Attributes

Information architecture system
for web site
Organizational systems
Labeling systems
Navigational systems
Searching systems