Start Date

11-8-2016

Description

The instance-based paradigm – introduced as an alternative to traditional class-based database management methods – does not require imposing a well-defined schema over data, nor does it entail central control and planning. As a consequence, it supports information requirements agility, enables collection of higher quality data, and reduces the schema and database operation problems associated with traditional methods. This study investigates the ability of content-consumers to use instance-based representations effectively for information retrieval purposes. A visual representation of the instance-based data was created and empirically evaluated with 12 subjects using protocol analysis. Results show that instance-based users were able to retrieve the required information more accurately compared to users of the traditional representation. From a cognitive point of view, instance-based users were more efficient than class-based users – they experienced fewer breakdowns in their problem solving process and, when breakdowns occurred, were more successful in recovering from them.

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Aug 11th, 12:00 AM

Querying Instances – A Protocol Analysis Study

The instance-based paradigm – introduced as an alternative to traditional class-based database management methods – does not require imposing a well-defined schema over data, nor does it entail central control and planning. As a consequence, it supports information requirements agility, enables collection of higher quality data, and reduces the schema and database operation problems associated with traditional methods. This study investigates the ability of content-consumers to use instance-based representations effectively for information retrieval purposes. A visual representation of the instance-based data was created and empirically evaluated with 12 subjects using protocol analysis. Results show that instance-based users were able to retrieve the required information more accurately compared to users of the traditional representation. From a cognitive point of view, instance-based users were more efficient than class-based users – they experienced fewer breakdowns in their problem solving process and, when breakdowns occurred, were more successful in recovering from them.