Paper Info
Title
Neither novice nor expert: the discretionary user of software
Abstract
Most studies that examine users' interaction with computers focus either on novices or experts. Discretionary users of computers, such as lawyers, executives, administrators and professors have been ignored. Using techniques of process analysis, this study investigated the characteristics of discretionary users by observing their interaction with commercial word-processing software. Their performance was compared to groups of novices and experts. Results indicate that discretionary users exhibit expert-like characteristics on a small set of routine editing tasks, beyond which their behavior is quite novice-like. A procedural model that indicates areas where software design could improve the editing performance of discretionary users is also discussed.
Year
DOI
Venue
1993
10.1006/imms.1993.1010
International Journal of Man-Machine Studies
Keywords
Field
DocType
discretionary user
Software design,Adaptive system,Computer science,Personal computer,Process analysis,Program Design Language,Human–computer interaction,Software,User interface,Word processing
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
38
2
0020-7373
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
10
2.18
3
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Radhika Santhanam177845.89
Susan Wiedenbeck21992154.36