Design and Presentation of Computer Human Factors Journal on the BLEND System

Abstract

This paper reviews the various design decisions made during an experimental project in which a scholarly journal was presented on a CRT screen instead of paper. It was found that decisions about how information was displayed were closely related to decisions about how to help readers move around within the text. For example, the content lists itemizing those papers which were included in the journal had to include more information than is customary with printed journals. It was also found helpful to include a detailed contents list at the beginning of each article by which readers could quickly access specific sections of that text. For similar reasons the ways in which references were cited in the text had to be modified. It was found that readers and writers had problems with the multiplicity of numbering systems which arose and also with the technological limitations on the integration of words and graphics. Finally, consideration is given to some of the implications of the potential offered by the electronic medium for departing from conventional linear sequencing of journal articles.