Cognitive Dimensions Analysis of Interfaces for Information Seeking

Cognitive Dimensions is a framework for analyzing human-computer interaction. It is used for meta-analysis, that is, for talking about characteristics of systems without getting bogged down in details of a particular implementation. In this paper, I discuss some of the dimensions of this theory and how they can be applied to analyze information seeking interfaces. The goal of this analysis is to introduce a useful vocabulary that practitioners and researchers can use to describe systems, and to guide interface design toward more usable and useful systems