In almost all computer applications, users must enter correct words for the desired objects or actions. For success without extensive training, or in first-tries for new targets, the system must recognize terms that will be chosen spontaneously. We studied spontaneous word choice for objects in five application-related domains, and found the variability to be surprisingly large. In every case two people favored the same term with probability <0.20. Simulations show how this fundamental property of language limits the success of various design methodologies for vocabulary-driven interaction. For example, the popular approach in which access is via one designer's favorite single word will result in 80-90 percent failure rates in many common situations. An optimal strategy, unlimited aliasing, is derived and shown to be capable of several-fold improvements.
%0 Journal Article
%1 furnas87vocabulary
%A Furnas, G. W.
%A Landauer, T. K.
%A Gomez, L. M.
%A Dumais, S. T.
%C New York, NY, USA
%D 1987
%I ACM
%J Commun. ACM
%K research.conceptual research.web20.tagging
%N 11
%P 964--971
%R http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/32206.32212
%T The vocabulary problem in human-system communication
%U http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=32212
%V 30
%X In almost all computer applications, users must enter correct words for the desired objects or actions. For success without extensive training, or in first-tries for new targets, the system must recognize terms that will be chosen spontaneously. We studied spontaneous word choice for objects in five application-related domains, and found the variability to be surprisingly large. In every case two people favored the same term with probability <0.20. Simulations show how this fundamental property of language limits the success of various design methodologies for vocabulary-driven interaction. For example, the popular approach in which access is via one designer's favorite single word will result in 80-90 percent failure rates in many common situations. An optimal strategy, unlimited aliasing, is derived and shown to be capable of several-fold improvements.
@article{furnas87vocabulary,
abstract = {In almost all computer applications, users must enter correct words for the desired objects or actions. For success without extensive training, or in first-tries for new targets, the system must recognize terms that will be chosen spontaneously. We studied spontaneous word choice for objects in five application-related domains, and found the variability to be surprisingly large. In every case two people favored the same term with probability <0.20. Simulations show how this fundamental property of language limits the success of various design methodologies for vocabulary-driven interaction. For example, the popular approach in which access is via one designer's favorite single word will result in 80-90 percent failure rates in many common situations. An optimal strategy, unlimited aliasing, is derived and shown to be capable of several-fold improvements.},
added-at = {2008-08-16T18:22:00.000+0200},
address = {New York, NY, USA},
author = {Furnas, G. W. and Landauer, T. K. and Gomez, L. M. and Dumais, S. T.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2dd053f8c942961b81c86fe127affd1f0/msn},
doi = {http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/32206.32212},
interhash = {b03603efa8152234684ffce8b44a5abb},
intrahash = {dd053f8c942961b81c86fe127affd1f0},
issn = {0001-0782},
journal = {Commun. ACM},
keywords = {research.conceptual research.web20.tagging},
number = 11,
pages = {964--971},
publisher = {ACM},
timestamp = {2009-06-25T15:59:17.000+0200},
title = {The vocabulary problem in human-system communication},
url = {http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=32212},
volume = 30,
year = 1987
}