E-Books: Are We Going Paperless?

Will electronic books (e-books) change the experience of reading? Will students soon carry a mobile device in their backpacks instead of a ton of textbooks? Some major university projects at the University of Michigan and at Columbia have already created and distributed electronic versions of textbooks (Epstein, 1999). In addition, Microsoft joined publishing firms and electronic manufacturers to set open technical standards for the electronic book format (Wired News, 1999). So what advantages do e-books offer? Some advantages include convenience and reduced storage space. Anywhere from 10 to 250 textbooks or novels can be held on the device, depending on the e-book model, so you can have a portion of your library with you. In addition, users can annotate, highlight, bookmark, and publish their own content on the e-book. By removing the need for paper, the cost of books should decrease and also decrease environmental damage. Another advantage of the e-book is accessibility. Those with visual impairments can increase the font size to improve readability.

Selvidge, Paula and C. Phillips. Usability News (2000). Articles>Usability>Publishing>eBooks

Evaluating Our New Look and Moving Online: Seeing Is Believing    

The editorial advisory board and I have been asking our readers' opinions about the journal's redesign and the directions this publication should take in the future. We've also commissioned usability studies and carefully examined the technologies available for online publication. In this editorial, I'd like to share what we've learned and the directions in which we hope to move during the coming year.

Hayhoe, George F. Technical Communication Online (1998). Articles>Publishing>Online>Usability

Making Research-Based Design Decisions: What is the Best Way to Get User-Centered Research Results to Practitioners?

There are about 1,000 usability-related articles published each year. My guess is that less than 5% ever have any practical, long-term value to most usability practitioners. In some cases, the topics being studied are of little interest to practitioners. In many cases the research results are simply too hard for practitioners to find.

Bailey, Robert. Web Usability (2002). Articles>Publishing>User Centered Design>Usability

Should You Check In Your Textbooks and Check Out an eBook?

The development of the electronic book (eBook) has offered an alternative to the traditional printed text medium. The advantages of the eBook, such as increased storage capacity (10-250 texts per eBook), decreased storage space and weight, and decreased cost of production to the consumer, make it an attractive option for consumers. In addition, previous research has indicated no significant differences exist for reading speed and reading comprehension between paper and eBook presentation (Selvidge & Phillips, 2000). It is therefore not surprising that the University of Michigan and Columbia University have already created and distributed electronic versions of textbooks for some of their major university projects (Epstein, 1999). However, if the eBook is to be considered as a viable alternative to the traditional book, then it is important to explore the usability of the device.

Selvidge, Paula, Angie Fryman and Shannon Riley. Usability News (2001). Articles>Usability>Publishing

What Happened to Usability Interface

User Interface has been on sabbatical, but I am happy to announce that we have returned. Starting with this issue, the newsletter is online and ends our traditional newsletter format.

Dick, David J. Usability Interface (2006). Articles>Publishing>Online>Usability

A Voyage to Maturing Usability  

In this article, the chief editor of the recently published book Maturing Usability: Quality in Software, Interaction and Value reports her experiences, from the very beginning when the book project was conceived to the time when the book was delivered.

Law, Effie Lai-Chong. Journal of Usability Studies (2008). Articles>Usability>Publishing

Meta-Usability: When the Method is Not the Message

There is a necessary connection between theory and practice. But there is also a difference between the two. And that difference, as van de Snepscheut said, is larger in practice than it is in theory.

Straub, Kathleen. UI Design Newsletter (2007). Articles>Usability>Research>Publishing

Connecting Usability Education and Research with Industry Needs and Practices    

Ideally, academic research should inform workplace practices and workplace practices should inform academic research and education. However, as many researchers have noted, a gap often exists between academia and industry. This article begins to bridge that gap by reporting the results of a small-scale study at Microsoft in which 12 individuals were interviewed about their views on usability education and research. This study addressed two questions: (1) What knowledge, skills, and abilities should technical communication teachers stress in teaching usability and (2) how can academic research in usability benefit practitioners? The results indicate that usability education needs to be expanded to include additional usability evaluation methods and that students need strong critical assessment and communication skills when they enter the workplace. The results also reveal that usability research in the areas of return-on-investment, online help, and cognition would be of great use to practitioners.

Cooke, L. and S. Mings. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (2005). Articles>Usability>Research>Publishing