Using Overview Style Tables on Small Devices by Rui Zhang Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia November 2008 © Copyright by Rui Zhang, 2008 Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-50083-5 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-50083-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY To comply with the Canadian Privacy Act the National Library of Canada has requested that the following pages be removed from this copy of the thesis: Preliminary Pages Examiners Signature Page (pii) Dalhousie Library Copyright Agreement (piii) Appendices Copyright Releases (if applicable) DEDICATION PAGE To my parents, for preparing me for this journey To my husband, for holding my hand during it And to my son, for supporting me in such a sweet way IV TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES xiii ABSTRACT xvi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED xvii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . ...xviii CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Research Summary 2 1.2 Organizational Overview 5 CHAPTER 2 Background 6 2.1 Table Structure 6 2.2 Table Use 10 2.3 Tables for Use on Multiple Devices 14 2.3.1 Transformation 14 2.4 Display Problems on Small Screen Devices 17 2.5 Table Views 19 2.6 Summary : , 23 v CHAPTER 3 Research Questions 24 3.1 Research Questions 24 3.2 Tasks and Current Features Analysis 27 3.3 New Feature Analysis 30 3.3.1 Prototype..... 30 3.3.2 Table Overview (Zoom-in/Zoom-out) 34 3.3.3 Subtables 35 3.3.4 Cell Expansion 38 3.3.5 Landmark 43 3.3.6 Other Functions 44 3.4 Summary 44 CHAPTER 4 Sequence of Studies 46 4.1 Table Views Studies: Study 1.1 and Study 1.2 46 4.1.1 Study 1.1 - Table Views Study 49 4.1.2 Study 1.2 - Table Views Study with Task Factor 52 4.1.3 Discussion of Both Table View Studies 57 4.1.4 Conclusions for Table View Studies 1.1 and 1.2 59 4.2 Study 2: Browsing Method Study - Column Expansion vs. Cascade 60 4.2.1 Study 2 Experimental Design 62 vi 4.2.2 Study 2 Results 64 4.2.3 Discussion for Study 2 67 4.2.4 Conclusions of Study 2 70 4.3 Study 3: Expansion Method Study - Column Expansion Comparison 70 4.3.1 Column Expansion Comparision Experimental Design 72 4.3.2 Column Expansion Study Results 78 4.3.3 Discussion for Column Expansion Comparison 83 4.3.4 Conclusions of Column Expansion Comparison Study.... 85 4.4 Study 4: Landmarks 85 4.4.1 Landmarks Experimental Design 86 4.4.2 Landmarks Study Results 90 4.4.3 Discussion for Landmark Study 93 4.4.4 Conclusions of Landmark Study 97 4.5 Study 5: Search Study 97 4.5.1 Search Study Experimental Design 100 4.5.2 Search Study Results 106 4.5.3 Discussion for Search 112 4.5.4 Conclusions of Search Study 115 vii CHAPTER 5 Conclusions 116 5.1 Contributions 120 5.1.1 Theoretical Contributions 120 5.1.2 Applied Contributions 121 5.2 Study Limitations 122 5.3 Future Work 124 5.3.1 Over All Examination using Our Design 124 5.3.2 Extending Study for Various Table Styles and Other Data Types 124 5.3.3 Supporting Efficient Web Use 125 5.3.4 Providing a Framework for Equivalent Task Complexity Design 125 BIBLIOGRAPHY 126 APPENDIX A. TABLE VIEWS STUDY 1.1 QUESTIONNAIRE 132 APPENDIX B. TABLE VIEWS STUDY 1.2 QUESTIONNAIRE - WITH TASK FACTOR 135 APPENDIX C. STUDY 2: BROWSING METHOD STUDY - COLUMN EXPANSION VS. CASCADE QUESTIONNAIRE 139 APPENDIX D. STUDY 3: EXPANSION METHOD STUDY - COLUMN EXPANSION COMPARISON QUESTIONNAIRE 141 APPENDIX E. STUDY 4: LANDMARKS STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE 145 APPENDIX F. STUDY 5: SEARCH STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE 148 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 2.3.1 Bickmore and Schilit transcoding matrix 15 Table 2.3.2 Extended Bickmore and Schilit transcoding matrix 16 Table 3.3.1 Relationship of tasks and features 30 Table 4.1.1 Task types and sample queries 49 Table 4.1.2 Mixed factorial table 50 Table 4.1.3 Accuracy comparison between three techniques 50 Table 4.1.4 Efficiency comparison between three techniques 50 Table 4.1.5 Univariate linear results - efficiency (study 1.1) 51 Table 4.1.6 Mixed factorial table 53 Table 4.1.7 Accuracy comparison between three techniques 53 Table 4.1.8 Efficiency comparison for efficiency between three applications 54 Table 4.1.9 Univariate linear results - efficiency (study 1.2) 54 Table 4.1.10 Hypotheses summary 58 Table 4.1.11 Summarization of significant results 59 Table 4.2.1 Task types and sample queries 63 Table 4.2.2 Mixed factorial table 64 Table 4.2.3 Accuracy 64 ix Table 4.2.4 Comparison for efficiency between two methods 65 Table 4.2.5 Univariate linear results - efficiency (study 2) 65 Table 4.2.6 Efficiency between two methods in different task complexity 66 Table 4.2.7 Valuable comments examples 66 Table 4.2.8 Hypotheses summary 67 Table 4.2.9 Summarization of significant results 69 Table 4.3.1 Task complexity and examples 77 Table 4.3.2 Mixed factorial table 78 Table 4.3.3 Accuracy 79 Table 4.3.4 Univariate linear results - accuracy (study 3) 79 Table 4.3.5 Overall efficiency 80 Table 4.3.6 Univariate linear results - efficiency (study 3) 80 Table 4.3.7 Comparison for short tables 81 Table 4.3.8 Comparison for efficiency for long tables 82 Table 4.3.9 Hypotheses summary 84 Table 4.3.10 Summarization of significant results 85 Table 4.4.1 Task complexity and examples 89 Table 4.4.2 Mixed factorial table 90 Table 4.4.3 Accuracy based on data pattern 90 x Table 4.4.4 Accuracy based on task complexity 91 Table 4.4.5 Efficiency based on data pattern 92 Table 4.4.6 Efficiency based on task complexity 92 Table 4.4.7 Hypotheses summary 94 Table 4.4.8 Matrix of accuracy 94 Table 4.4.9 Summarization of significant results 97 Table 4.5.1 Sample table A 102 Table 4.5.2 Sample table B 102 Table 4.5.3 Sample table 103 Table 4.5.4 Task type 104 Table 4.5.5 Sample questions 104 Table 4.5.6 Mixed factorial table 106 Table 4.5.7 Effectiveness based on methods 106 Table 4.5.8 Univariate linear results - accuracy (study 5) 107 Table 4.5.9 Effectiveness based on table complexity 108 Table 4.5.10 Univariate linear results - efficiency (study 5) 109 Table 4.5.11 Efficiency 110 Table 4.5.12 Method order 112 Table 4.5.13 Hypotheses summary 113 xi Table 4.5.14 Summarization of significant results 115 Table 5.1 Conclusion summary for five studies 116 XII LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1.1 Table sample 8 Figure 2.1.2 Calendar sample 9 Figure 2.1.3 Time table sample 9 Figure 2.1.4 Football league table sample 10 Figure 2.1.5 Content table sample 10 Figure 2.2.1 Table reading and navigation modes 11 Figure 2.3.1 The sample web table displayed on mScope [43] 17 Figure 2.5.1 The sample page displayed with IE on PDA 20 Figure 2.5.2 Sample table linearized 21 Figure 2.5.3 The sample web table displaying on Palmscape 22 Figure 2.5.4 Sample using Excel on PDA 22 Figure 3.3.1 University enrollment sample table 31 Figure 3.3.2 Numeric sample table with Overview model on simulator prototype 32 Figure 3.3.3 Full table view of hotel check-in sample 33 Figure 3.3.4 Compressed view of hotel check-in table sample 34 Figure 3.3.5 Table Overview sample with Zoom-in/Zoom-out feature 35 Figure 3.3.6 An example of table block selection & generation 36 xiii Figure 3.3.7 Non sequential table multiple rows selection & generation 36 Figure 3.3.8 Non sequential table multiple columns selection & generation 37 Figure 3.3.9 An example of table special cells selection & generation 38 Figure 3.3.10 Tooltips sample 39 Figure 3.3.11 Cascade sample 40 Figure 3.3.12 Column, row, column/row expansion sample 41 Figure 3.3.13 Single column expansion vs.