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Interaction in Hypermedia Systems: From Browsing to Conversation

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Designing User Interfaces for Hypermedia

Part of the book series: Research Reports ESPRIT ((3231,volume 1))

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Abstract

In this paper, we address the problem of how a user can be supported in his/her construction of coherence during interaction with a hypermedia database interface. We discuss the approaches to assist the user taken in navigation-based hypertext systems and contrast this with the proposals for “conversational hypertexts.” Since hypertext systems accessing large databases cannot build upon pre-edited coherent paths or similar features for coherence enhancement, the potential of conversational dialogue design for hypertext systems should be explored. In an experimental interface we employed a variety of dialogue features, including dynamic planning of paths using a case-based approach, meta-information, and access to previous dialogue states. The interaction is modelled in terms of a multimodal conversation. MERIT (“Multimedia Extensions of Retrieval Interaction Tools”) provides a user-centered interface to a database covering European research programs, projects, and consortia in the field of information technology. The system supports the user by offering a selection of sample retrieval strategies, called “cases,” which are modifiable to meet situation requirements. Based on the resulting dialogue plans, MERIT generates situation-dependent query forms and visualizations of information objects. The system generates graphical presentations of retrieval results which support a survey or detail-oriented reception of the retrieved data, thus providing visual cues for the user’s relevance assessment. Additionally, the system employs interactive maps to display geographical data, and can provide scanned-in documents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GMD-IPSI, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ulrich Thiel

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  1. Ulrich Thiel
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. IPSI - Integrated Publication and Information Systems Institute, GMD - Gesellschaft für Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung mbH, Dolivostr. 15, D-64293, Darmstadt, Germany

    Wolfgang Schuler  & Norbert Streitz  & 

  2. Communications and Technology Research, empirica GmbH, Oxfordstr. 2, D-53111, Bonn, Germany

    Jörg Hannemann

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© 1995 ECSC-EC-EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg

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Thiel, U. (1995). Interaction in Hypermedia Systems: From Browsing to Conversation. In: Schuler, W., Hannemann, J., Streitz, N. (eds) Designing User Interfaces for Hypermedia. Research Reports ESPRIT, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45743-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45743-2_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-58489-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45743-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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