Abstract
Graphic data models are used as a communication tool between system users and a system analyst to support database design. It is a tacit assumption that users understand graphic models and can confirm that the model correctly depicts important requirements for the system. For this, the data model syntax and style must facilitate understanding of the information elements, interrelationships, and constraints represented. Unfortunately, little is known about how users read and interpret data models, what level of detail is seen, or how model type or graphic style influences model comprehension. Our observations, from a pilot study in graphic data model perception, indicate that many graph details are seen by less than half of the readers and that graphic style influences both the ease with which the models are read and model comprehension.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brooke, J. and Duncan, K., An Experimental Study of Flowcharts as an Aid to the Identification of Procedural Faults. Ergonomics, 23, 1980, 387–399.
Cattel,R.G.G. Object Data Management Object-oriented and Extended RDBS. Addison Wesley, 1991.
ElMasri,R. and S.B.Navathe, Fundamentals of Database Systems,2.ed. Benjamin Cummings 1994.
Just, M., Carpenter, P., A theory of reading: From eye fixation to comprehension. Psychological Review, 87, 1980, pp 329–354.
Lohse, G., A Cognitive Model for Understanding Graphical Perception. Human-Computer Interaction, 8, 1993, pp.353–388.
Loomis,M. Data Modeling — the IDEF1X Technique. Proc. IEEE Conf. on Computers and Communications, pp 146–151. March 1986.
McConkie, G. Eye Movements and Perception During Reading. In K. Rayner (Ed.) Eye Movements in Reading: In Eye Movements in Reading: Perceptual and Language Processes, Academic Press, NY, NY. 1983.
Nijssen, G.M. and T.A. Halpin. Conceptual Schema And Relational Database Design — A fact oriented approach. Prentice Hall 1989.
Nordbotten, J.C. Modelling Relationships And Constraints In SSM — A Structural Semantic Data Model. Report no. 14, ISSN 0803-6489. Information Science, Univ. of Bergen. 1993.
Nordbotten,J.C. & M.E.Crosby. Graphic Model Legibility — An Experiment. Report no. 14, ISSN 0803-6489. Information Science, Univ. of Bergen. 1995.
Sheppard, S.B., Kruisi, E., Bailey, J. W. An Empirical Evaluation of Software Documentation Formats. Proceedings Human Factors in Computer Systems, 1982, 121–124.
Wolverton, G. & Zola, D. The Temporal Characteristics of Visual Information Extraction During Reading. In K. Rayner (Ed.) Eye Movements in Reading: In Eye Movements in Reading: Perceptual and Language Processes, 1983, New York NY: Academic Press.
Wright, P. & Reid, F., Written Information: Some Alternatives to Prose for Expressing the Outcome of Complex Contingencies. Journal of Applied Psychology 57, 1973, pp. 160–166.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Nordbotten, J.C., Crosby, M.E. (1995). Recognizing graphic detail an experiment in user interpretation of data models. In: Goble, C., Keane, J. (eds) Advances in Databases. BNCOD 1995. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 940. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0000541
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0000541
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-60100-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49427-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive