On evaluating interactive query languages

Abstract In this paper, we propose some user interaction criteria for describing and evaluating interactive query languages. We divide the querying process into three parts: request, reply, and dynamics. For all three parts, certain desirable characteristics are identified that describe the parameters of the user interaction. These interaction parameters provide a framework within which different interactive query languages can be compared. We then identify six different query language types: keyword, by example, natural language, menu, graphic, and multimedia. Each query language type is described in terms of the interaction parameters. Due to tradeoffs among the desirable characteristics for the various user interaction parameters, there is a need for human factors evaluation of the parameters to decide on an appropriate choice for a given query language. The purpose of the evaluation framework presented here is to help guide the design of these human factors experiments.

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