Abstract

We describe the implications of a study of database browsing behaviour for the development of a system to support more effective browsing. In particular we consider the importance of collaborative working, both in learning browsing skills and in cooperating on a shared information retrieval task. From our study we believe that an interface to support collaboration should promote the awareness of the activities of others, better visualisation of the information data structures being browsed and effective communication of the browsing process. Introduction The proliferation of databases has led to a growing demand for skills in navigating and manipulating them. These skills are important not just in order to undertake study and research in Higher Education, but as an important transferable skill likely to be expected by industry and commerce of all graduates. We are developing a system that can more effectively support the browsing of library databases. In particular we are interested in...

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