Database Queying with Direct Manipulition Mark Boyle Subrnitted in Pamal Fwiii.Ment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor
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Database Queying with Direct Manipulition by Mark Boyle Subrnitted in pamal fWiIi.ment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Phiiosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia September, 1997 0 Copyright by Mark Boyle National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Sivices services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Otrawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, Ioaq distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiJm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent êeimprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my wife Mary who, through strength of character, showed me the way. Table of Contents Table of Contents ..................................................................................... v List of Tables and Figures ................. ... ............................................. vu** Abstract .......................,,,....................................................................... ix Acknowledgments .................................................................................... x Chapter I O Introduction .......................................................................... 1 Introduction and Rationale ................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 - Review of Previous Research ..................... .. ............ 7 Database Query Language Research: Pte 1985.................................... 8 Database Query Language Research: 1986 - Present ......................... 21 Direct Manipulation .............................................. .. ................... 31 Experimental Hypotheses for the Study ..................... .. ............. 35 Exploratory Data Collection........................................................... -37 Chapter 3 - Method ................................................... Participants ....................................................................................... 40 . * Seledon of Partmpants............... ........... ..........................................40 Demographic Profile of Participants .................................................. 40 Apparatus ......................................................................................... 42 Experimentd Cornputer Program ..................... .... .................. 42 Dependent Measures ........................................................................ -44 Query Questions ............................................................................... 46 Experimental Setting ......................................................................... 48 Procedure .............................................. .....,, .................................... 48 Data Analysis .................................................................................... 50 Chapter 4 - ResuIts ............................................................................51 Petformance - Tirne ..........................., ................................... 52 Performance - Number Correct ......................................................... 54 Performance - Composite Index ................................................... 5 5 Post Hoc Analysis on Performance Measures ....................................56 Satisfaction................... ... ............~...............................................57 Exploratory Adysis......................................................................... 58 Chapter 5 - Discussion .......... ... ........**................................................ 59 Support for Hypotheses ........................................................... 59 Peflomance...................................................................................... 61 Post Hoc Performance ...................................................................... 64 Satisfbdon ................................. ., ................................................. 65 . Exploratory Cogntbve Load ............... .... ............................65 General Observations ........................................................................ 66 Implications for Software Design ...................................................... 68 Conclusions and Limitations of the Study ......................................... 69 Appendix A: Screen Shots f?om the Experimental Systern ...................... -71 Appendix B .Informed Consent ............................................................. 78 Appendk C O Full Text of Test Queries ................................................... 80 Appendix D - Caiculation of Cronbach's Alpha for Experimental Data .... 88 Appendix E - Summary Tables for Simple versus Complex Questions ..... 90 Appendix F .Sumrnary Analysis for Test Items ................................... 93 Appendix G - Responses to Cognitive Load Questions ............................ 95 Appendix H .Raw Data fiom the Experiment ......................................... 97 References ............... .. .......................................................................100 List of Tables and Figures Figure 1 : Example O Search Factor List Type Variable ................... .. ......4 Figure 2: Diaiog used to wllect responses in the experirnental systern ....... 5 Figure 3 : The experimental design for the study ........................................6 Figure 4: Sample database structure ................... .... ............................ -7 Figure 5: Example of a QUEL query ...................................................... 10 Figure 6: Example of a SEQUEL query ......................... .... ............. 10 Figure 7: Example of a SEQUEL 2 query with nesting ............................ 11 Figure 8: Example of a SQUARE query .................................................. 12 Figure 9: Example of a QBE query ...................................................... 13 Figure 10: User view of Michard's GQL system @. 282) .................... .... 16 Figure 1 1: Example of Anded factors in GQL ......................................... 16 Figure 12: Example of a Tablet query ................................................... 18 Figure 13 : PICASSO system................................................................... 24 Figure 14: Mental workload and task performance .hypothetid aime .. 3 8 Figure 15: List of experimental scieens presented to study subjects ......... 43 Figure 16: Mental workload deused in the study ................................. 46 Figure 17: Bar graph of ceii means for totai time ................... ..............53 Figure 18: Bar graph of cdmeans for total number correct .................... 54 Figure 19: Bar graph of ce11 means for composite performance index ..... -55 Figure 20: Bar graph of cell means for the preference measure ................ 57 Figure 2 1 : Bar graph of ceii means for the mental workload measure ..... -58 Figure 22: Introductory screen from the experimental system .................. 72 Figure 23 : Demographic input screen from the experimental systern ....... -72 Figure 24: Map screen fiom the experimental system .............................. 73 Figure 25: Introduction to factor operations screen .................. .. ........ 73 Figure 26: Introduction to Boolean operations screen ...................... ... -74 Figure 27: Slider wntrol screen fiom the experimental systern ............... -74 Figure 28: Summary instruction saeen nom the experimental system...... 75 Figure 29: Screen fiom practîce portion of the experimental system ........ 75 Figure 30: Screen fiom test portion of the experîmental system ............... 76 Figure 3 1: Preférences screen nom the experirnental system ................... -76 Figure 32: Concentration level screen nom the experimentaI system....... -77 Table 1: Error rdtsfiom the Greene et al . (1990, p .320) study ........... 27 Table 2: Surnrnary of the demographic profle of the sarnple .................... 42 Table 3: Database fields fiom the eqerhental system ........................... 44 Table 4: Preference measure used in the scperiment ....................... .. .... 45 Table 5: Listing of the questions used in the experimental session............ 47 Table 6: Meam and standard deviations for the dependent variables ........ 52 Table 7: Intercorrelation matrix for the dependent measures .................... 52 Table 8: Surnmary table of ANOVA for totai tirne .................................. 53 Table 9: Summary table of ANOVA for total correct .............................-54 Table 10: Summary table ofANOVA for composite ............................... 55 Tabte 11 : Surnmary rdts(F values) for post hoc analysis .................... -56 Table 12: table of -VA for satisfaction .......... .. ......... 57 Table 13: Summary table of ANOVA for mental workload ..................... 58 Table 14: