1991:2 - Universitetet i Bergen

At Oxford we are planning to conduct a detliiled evaluation of the
use of hypenext and multimedia for research and teaching in the
humanities, concentrating on the users' perspeclive. We wi11 100k at
issues such as:
1. Whar happens when the user (researcher or student) reachec the
end of the links, that is he or she navigates ai1 the material which
is provided, ahen wants to find out more? How readily do they
then movc to more traditional meihods of enquiry, ide. ptinted
books and journaIs7
2. A hypertext system often contains one person's interpretation of a
Iiterary text. or other data. Other interprehtions may be different.
Can a hypertext intetpretation be easily compared with one or more
published in more mditional foms? Or does the medium influence
the users' PccepDnce of the inierpreurion?
3. Hypertext really onIy provides a one-way flow of information. It
can be argued hat books do this too, but because of the availability
of so much interacrive software - even simple drill and practice
programs - Lhere is sorne expectation that the computer should
aIways provide interaction. In a hypertext system, how easiIy can
the user interact and add his or her own interpretation to the data?
As a one-way fiow of information it is mote dynamic than a book,
but does it really provide what people have come lo expect from
a computer?
4. Screen design is really crucial for hypertext systems which mix
text and graphics. The standard Macintosh has a small screen; It
provides o lot of easy to use fecilities for changing fonts etc.
which can tempt the beginner inta what has bccome known as
'fonritisy, using toe many fonts to design somethimg which is too
difficult to read or fellow rhrough. Largcr syncms like Intermedia
allow many windows supcrirnposed on each other and agun fie
screen can very rapidly bacome cluttered and diificult to interpret
without careful design. What are the ideal characteriskics of screcn
design, bearing in mind the type af rnatcrial which is bcing
presented?
5. Most importantly, what arc zhc capabilisies of hypertext sysrems
for modeIling the complexities of humanitles data? On ihe face of
i4 hypertext docs secm to provide a way forward for modelling
humanities data, since it does not impose such rigid structurc on
the dala. It makes the software fit the data and cmtcs an interactivc
environment for exploration of Lhe dala. But can it really provide
all the navigation path which scholars need withaut confusing
them at Lhc same time?
HUMANISIISKE DATA 291