Abstract
Questions of feasibility and desirability of natural langauge interfaces for human-machine interactions gain more and more interest in empirical research. There is growing consensus that field studies provide valuable leads with respect to design decisions.
One of the most important aspects of user friendly interfaces are the restriction rules. The problem is how to restrict the diversity of communicative use of the human native language without losing the advantage of this form of communication with computers.
The paper tries to answer this question on the basis of several empirical studies which investigate the same domain-independent natural langauge query system, using various applications in two different natural languages - - English and German. The studies were performed in cooperation with the IBM Heidelberg Scientific Center (West Germany), the New York University (Advanced Language Project), and the Department of Linguistic Information Science at the University of Regensburg (West Germany). Altogether, these experiments involved about 100 subjects and over 12,000 queries, constituting the bulk of empirical evaluations of natural query language systems reported to date. Results of these experiments are presented and one of the most recent successful software packages Q&A is discussed with respect to the selected restriction rules.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bundy, A., ed., 1983, Proceedings of the 8th IJCAI, Karlsruhe.
Carboneil, J. G., 1984, “Is There Natural Language After Databases?”, Proceedings of CQLING 1984, Stanford, pp. 186–187.
Flickinger, D., 1984, “Panel on Natural Language and Databases”, Proceedings of CQLING 1984, Stanford, pp. 188–189.
Gaines, B. R., and Shaw, M. L. G., 1986, “From Time-Sharing to the Sixth Generation: The Development of Human-Computer-Interaction. Part I.,” Intl. J. Man-Machine Studies, 24, pp. 1–27.
Hirose, K., and Fuchi, K., 1984, The Culture of the Fifth Generation Computer, Tokyo.
Hutchins, E. L., et al., 1986, “Direct Manipulation Interfaces”, User Centered System Design, Norman, D. A., and Draper, S. W., eds., Hillsdale-London, pp. 87–124.
Jarke, M., and Krause, J., 1985, “New Empirical Results of User Studies with a Domain-Independent Natural Language Query System”, Artificial Intelligence Methodology Systems Applications, Bibel, W., and Pettkoff, B., eds., North-Holland, pp. 153–159.
Jarke, M., Krause, J., and Vassiliou, Y., 1986, “Studies in the Evaluation of a Domain-Independent Natural Language Query System”, Cooperative Interactive Information Systems, Bole, L., and Jarke, M., eds., Berlin et al., pp. 101–130.
Jarke, M., et al., 1985, “A Field Evaluation of Natural Language for Data Retrieval”, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, SE-11, (1), pp. 97–114.
Krause, J., 1982, “Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion in natürlicher Sprache”, Evaluierungsstudien zu praxisorientierten Frage-Antwort-Systemen und ihre Methodik, Tübingen.
Krause, J., 1984, “Praxisorientierte natürlichsprachliche Frage-Antwort- Systems: Zur Entwicklung vor allem in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland”, Nachrichten für Dokumentation, 34, (4/5), pp. 188–194.
Krause, J., and Lehmann, H., 1980, “User Specialty Languages. A Natural Language Based Information System and Its Evaluation”, Dialogsvsteme und Textverarbeitung, Krallmann, D., ed., Essen, pp. 127–146.
Lehmann, H., 1978, “Interpretation of Natural Language in an Information System”, IBM-Journal of Research and Development, 5, pp. 560–572.
Lehmann, H., and Blaser, A., 1979, Query Languages in Database Systems, IBM Heidelberg Scientific Center Technical Report 79.07.004.
Lehmann, H., Ott, N., and Zoeppritz, M., 1985, “A Multilingual Interface to Databases”, IEEE Database Engineering Bulletin 8.3, September 1985.
McKeown, K. R., 1984, “Natural Language for Expert Systems: Comparison with Database Systems”, Proceedings of CQLING 1984, Stanford, pp. 190–193.
Ott, N., and Zoeppritz, M., 1979, “USL - An Experimental Information System Based on Natural Language”, Natural Communication with Computers, Bole, L., ed., München et al., pp. 3–32.
Shneidermann, B., 1983, “Direct Manipulation: A Step Beyond Programming Languages”, IEEE, 8, pp. 57–69.
Sparck-Jones, K., 1984, “Natural Language and Databases, Again”, Proceedings of CQLING 1984, Stanford, pp. 182–183.
Vassiliou, Y., et al., 1983, “Natural Language for Database Queries: A Laboratory Study”, MIS Quarterly, 7, (4), pp. 47–61.
Whiteside, J., et al., 1985, “User Performance with Command, Menu, and Iconic Interfaces”, Human Factors in Computer Systems-II. Proceedings of the CHI’85 Conference, Bormann, L., and Curtis, B., eds., Amsterdam, et al., pp. 185–192.
Zoeppritz, M., 1983, “Human Factors of a ‘Natural Language End User System’“, End User Systems and Their Human Factors, Blaser, A., Zoeppritz, M., eds., Berlin et al., pp. 62–93.
Zoeppritz, M., 1984, Syntax for German in the User Specialty Languages System, Tübingen.
Zoeppritz, M., 1985, “Computer Talk?”, IBM Heidelberg Scientific Center Technical Note 85.05.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1987 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Krause, J. (1987). Human-to-Machine Interaction in Natural Language: Empirical Results of Field Studies with an English and a German Interface. In: Zunde, P., Agrawal, J.C. (eds) Empirical Foundations of Information and Software Science IV. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5472-7_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5472-7_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5474-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5472-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive