6533b821fe1ef96bd127af34
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Querytogether : Enabling entity-centric exploration in multi-device collaborative search
Salvatore AndolinaTuukka RuotsaloKhalil KlouchePatrik FloréenGiulio Jacuccisubject
Co-located searchUbiquitous computingComputer scienceExploratory searchmedia_common.quotation_subjectInformation access02 engineering and technologyLibrary and Information SciencesManagement Science and Operations ResearchMulti-deviceHuman–computer interaction020204 information systemsMulti device0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineeringMedia TechnologyConversationBaseline (configuration management)media_commonSettore ING-INF/05 - Sistemi Di Elaborazione Delle Informazionita113Settore INF/01 - InformaticaCommon groundFlexibility (personality)020207 software engineering113 Computer and information sciencesComputer Science ApplicationsUser interfaceCollaborative searchInformation Systemsdescription
Collaborative and co-located information access is becoming increasingly common. However, fairly little attention has been devoted to the design of ubiquitous computing approaches for spontaneous exploration of large information spaces enabling co-located collaboration. We investigate whether an entity-based user interface provides a solution to support co-located search on heterogeneous devices. We present the design and implementation of QueryTogether, a multi-device collaborative search tool through which entities such as people, documents, and keywords can be used to compose queries that can be shared to a public screen or specific users with easy touch enabled interaction. We conducted mixed-methods user experiments with twenty seven participants (nine groups of three people), to compare the collaborative search with QueryTogether to a baseline adopting established search and collaboration interfaces. Results show that QueryTogether led to more balanced contribution and search engagement. While the overall s-recall in search was similar, in the QueryTogether condition participants found most of the relevant results earlier in the tasks, and for more than half of the queries avoided text entry by manipulating recommended entities. The video analysis demonstrated a more consistent common ground through increased attention to the common screen, and more transitions between collaboration styles. Therefore, this provided a better fit for the spontaneity of ubiquitous scenarios. QueryTogether and the corresponding study demonstrate the importance of entity based interfaces to improve collaboration by facilitating balanced participation, flexibility of collaboration styles and social processing of search entities across conversation and devices. The findings promote a vision of collaborative search support in spontaneous and ubiquitous multi-device settings, and better linking of conversation objects to searchable entities. Peer reviewed
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-01 |