%0 Journal Article %1 32212 %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 imported_before %N 11 %P 964--971 %R http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/32206.32212 %T The vocabulary problem in human-system communication %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{32212, 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 = {2007-12-27T18:23:39.000+0100}, 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/pitman}, doi = {http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/32206.32212}, interhash = {b03603efa8152234684ffce8b44a5abb}, intrahash = {dd053f8c942961b81c86fe127affd1f0}, issn = {0001-0782}, journal = {Commun. ACM}, keywords = {imported_before}, number = 11, pages = {964--971}, publisher = {ACM}, timestamp = {2007-12-27T23:19:27.000+0100}, title = {The vocabulary problem in human-system communication}, volume = 30, year = 1987 }