THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

HCI impact and uncitedness

Reviewer: Cecilia G. Manrique

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of the interrelationship between users and computers. As a field of study, it requires looking at the intersection of understanding human behavior with understanding how machines operate. Hopson works for the user research department at Microsoft Game Studios. His paper is an interesting reflection on the purpose and usefulness of applied research. It begins with the premise that research is only as good as its impact on those who are touched by it. Academics engaged in research are often concerned about the impact of research as measured by the concept of "citedness," the proportion of published works that are referenced by others; its corollary concept of "uncitedness" is the proportion of published works that are never referred to by others. Based on existing data, it is said that in the scientific field uncitedness is around 24 percent. However, in the arts and humanities, it can be as high as 93 percent. Beyond that, it is understood that the mere reading of information does not lead to action. This causes concern to those in the HCI field that rely on the interaction and communication between researcher and user, in order to come up with useful products. Hopson recognizes that a lot of research goes by the wayside, and that not all research has the same impact on other research. Thus, he puts a premium on his ability to present data in such a way that he engages very closely with his clients, walking them through every step of the process so that he has a feel for the impact of that research on subsequent work. Much of the rest of the paper is devoted to how to make a presentation, with three themes for successful presentations: establish audience motivation; know the product rather than evaluate the product; and reflect the goals of the audience, not the presenter. This is where the paper becomes a how-to piece rather than an analytical work, and fails to do precisely what Hopson wishes to accomplish?to be able to analyze and understand the impact of HCI work. It is a leap of faith to conclude that the mere adherence to the themes of a successful presentation will reduce uncitedness. This is what Hopson tries to imply, but I do not buy it. Online Computing Reviews Service