Research Paper: The Effect of Structural Cues on User Comprehension, Navigational Behavior, and Perceptions
7 pages; PDF.

From the abstract:
Web authors need writing strategies based on empirical studies of real Web users, strategies that will produce comprehensible Web documents that facilitate readers on the Web. The study reported here investigated the effect of structural cues (text previews and navigational tab menus) on user comprehension, navigational behavior, and perceptions. We found that text previews with embedded links to related pages (children nodes) enhance comprehension and discourage site exploration. We also found that lists of links (in lieu of previews) encourage site exploration and are well liked. And, we found that navigational tab menus encourage site exploration and enhance user perceptions. Our findings underscore that good Web design must be context specific—structural cues that promote understanding are not necessarily those that promote exploration or enjoyment.

Source: Proceedings of IEEE International Professional Communication Conference (Seattle, October), 2007.

Note: This paper was also published in Information Design Journal, 15, 3, 242-259, 2007 with the title, “Using Structural Cues to Guide Readers on the Internet. Information.”

It was discovered on the Google Research compilation of academic papers.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 6th, 2008 and is filed under Information Seeking, Source File, Technology and Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.