Understanding End Users Research Articles

Lessons Learned Using Rapid Human Factors Methods: Condensed Timeline with Effective and Impactful Results

Contextual inquiry and discount usability represent a powerful combination of human factors methods as a responsive and rapid approach to better understand end users’ interactions with a new electronic health record (EHR) system as an enterprise capability. Contextual inquiry is an approach to conducting ethnographic field studies and discount usability is a simplified and efficient technique to identify usability issues. This paper describes how the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Health Informatics Human Factors Engineering (OHI HFE) responded to a request from VHA leadership to provide rapid support to assess EHR post-implementation system performance to discover if there are barriers or shortcomings. The team utilized contextual inquiry methods and principles of discount usability to assess system usability and effectiveness in meeting end-user needs. OHI and the Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office (OEHRM IO) formed a team to conduct semi-structured interviews and observations with health care providers at a VHA facility to gather qualitative data showcasing representative users’ experiences with the EHR. The team analyzed the data collected to identify themes and created an affinity map and two service blueprints. It then used this information to produce a report of findings and recommendations. The study identified areas that required remediation, actions that would facilitate success, and opportunities for improvement. Key contributors to the success of this rapid and important effort included the team’s ability to accommodate a compressed schedule by carefully targeting scope; focusing on a smaller number of participants than originally planned; asking direct, targeted questions developed in advance; and capturing data during short interview and observation windows. The data collected also highlights opportunities to continue the use of discount usability methods, when necessary, to continuously improve OHI HFE data collection and achieve targeted quality improvement in a condensed timeframe.

The Creation of a Research Television Studio to Test Probabilistic Hazard Information with Broadcast Meteorologists in NOAA’s Hazardous Weather Testbed

Abstract Broadcast meteorologists play an essential role in communicating severe weather information from the National Weather Service to the public. Because of their importance, researchers incorporated broadcast meteorologists in the development of probabilistic hazard information (PHI) in NOAA’s Hazardous Weather Testbed. As part of Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs), PHI is meant to bring additional context to severe weather warnings through the inclusion of probability information. Since this information represents a shift in the current paradigm of solely deterministic NWS warnings, understanding end user needs is paramount to create usable and accessible products that result in their intended outcome to serve the public. This paper outlines the establishment of “K-Probabilistic Hazard Information Television” (KPHI-TV), a research infrastructure under the Hazardous Weather Testbed created to study broadcast meteorologists and PHI. A description of the design of KPHI-TV and methods used by researchers are presented, including displaced real-time cases and semistructured interviews. Researchers completed an analysis of the 2018 experiment, using a quantitative analysis of television coverage decisions with PHI, and a thematic analysis of semistructured interviews. Results indicate that no clear probabilistic decision thresholds for PHI emerged among the participants. Other themes arose, including the relationship between PHI and the warning polygon, and communication challenges. Overall, broadcast participants preferred a system that includes PHI over the warning polygon alone, but raised other concerns, suggesting iterative research in the design and implementation of PHI should continue. Significance Statement Broadcast meteorologists are the primary source of severe weather warning information for the U.S. public. As a result, researchers at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory and the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies developed a mock television studio to allow broadcast meteorologists to use and communicate experimental products “on air” as part of the research-and-development process. Feedback provided by broadcasters is incorporated into products through an iterative process. Since 2016, 18 broadcasters have tested probabilistic hazard information at the warning time scale (0–1 h) for severe wind and hail, tornadoes, and lightning.

Survey on the perceptions of UK gastroenterologists and endoscopists to artificial intelligence

Background and aimsWith the potential integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical practice, it is essential to understand end users’ perception of this novel technology. The aim of this study,...

Impact of Using Drones in Emergency Medicine: What Does the Future Hold?

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles or “drones” has expanded in the last decade, as their technology has become more sophisticated, and costs have decreased. They are now used routinely in farming, environmental surveillance, public safety, commercial product delivery, recreation, and other applications. Health-related applications are only recently becoming more widely explored and accepted. The use of drone technology in emergency medicine is especially promising given the need for a rapid response to enhance patient outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the main current and expanding applications of drone technology in emergency medicine and to describe challenges and future opportunities. Current applications being studied include delivery of defibrillators in response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, blood and blood products in response to trauma, and rescue medications. Drones are also being studied and actively used in emergency response to search and rescue operations as well as disaster and mass casualty events. Current challenges to expanding their use in emergency medicine and emergency medical system (EMS) include regulation, safety, flying conditions, concerns about privacy, consent, and confidentiality, and details surrounding the development, operation, and maintenance of a medical drone network. Future research is needed to better understand end user perceptions and acceptance. Continued technical advances are needed to increase payload capacities, increase flying distances, and integrate drone networks into existing 9-1-1 and EMS systems. Drones are a promising technology for improving patient survival, outcomes, and quality of life, particularly for those in areas that are remote or that lack funds or infrastructure. Their cost savings compared with ground transportation alone, speed, and convenience make them particularly applicable in the field of emergency medicine. Research to date suggests that use of drones in emergency medicine is feasible, will be accepted by the public, is cost-effective, and has broad application.

Using Emoji Stickers to Understand End-User Opinions of the Dapivirine Vaginal Ring for HIV Prevention.

Globally, HIV affects women disproportionally to men, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. While the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring (VR) is a promising female-initiated HIV prevention method, it is important to understand how well the ring is liked. With former participants of HOPE, an open-label extension trial of the ring, we used emoji stickers and a worksheet to explore female end-user's acceptability of and opinions about the VR. We aimed to understand these participants' opinions about the VR, and how they had changed over time, particularly in the context of known efficacy of the dapivirine VR. Most participants easily understood the exercise and how to use the emoji stickers, with a few exceptions. For those who had trouble understanding how to use the emoji, interviewer support and encouragement helped them to understand and continue with the exercise. Emoji interpretation varied widely with participants using the same emoji to express divergent opinions. Using the emoji stickers, participants expressed mostly positive opinions of the vaginal ring for HIV prevention, with some lingering concerns about the product's partial effectiveness. This paper contributes to the literature supporting the assertion that the dapivirine VR for HIV prevention is acceptable to women, and that acceptability increases with time and proper education. This analysis also provides evidence that emoji visual tools can enhance understanding of acceptability of an intervention when used in qualitative research.

Extensible, Extendable, Expandable, Extractable: The 4E Design Approach for Reconfigurable Displays

ABSTRACT We introduce “4E,” a new design approach of reconfigurable displays that can change their form factors by capitalizing on four quality properties inspired by applied material: extensibility, extendability, expandability, and extractability. This approach is applicable to both fixed and portable displays. We define and exemplify each property, highlighting the key differences in how reconfigurable displays can change their form factors to accommodate more screen real estate for more users, applications, and functionality. To demonstrate the 4E approach, we conduct a targeted literature review and introduce E3Screen, a prototype that enhances any flat screen (e.g., of a tablet, laptop, monitor) with two slidable, rotatable, and foldable lateral displays. We report results from a controlled experiment with participants, conducted to collect, analyze, and understand end users’ preferences for display configurations permitted by the extendability, expandability, and extractability of E3Screen. Our results structure future research and development in reconfigurable displays and multi-display collaborative workspaces.

Co-Designing a Mobile App to Improve Mental Health and Well-Being: Focus Group Study.

BackgroundRecent advances in mobile technology have created opportunities to develop mobile apps to aid and assist people in achieving various health and wellness goals. Mental health apps hold significant potential to assist people affected by various mental health issues at any time they may need it, considering the ubiquitous nature of mobile phones. However, there is a need for research to explore and understand end users’ perceptions, needs, and concerns with respect to such technologies.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to explore the opinions, perceptions, preferences, and experiences of people who have experienced some form of mental health issues based on self-diagnosis to inform the design of a next-generation mental health app that would be substantially more engaging and effective than the currently available apps to improve mental health and well-being.MethodsWe conducted six focus group sessions with people who had experienced mental health issues based on self-diagnosis (average age 26.7 years, SD 23.63; 16/32, 50% male; 16/32, 50% female). We asked participants about their experiences with mental health issues and their viewpoints regarding two existing mental health apps (the Happify app and the Self-Help Anxiety Management app). Finally, participants were engaged in a design session where they each sketched a design for their ideal mental health and well-being mobile app.ResultsOur findings revealed that participants used strategies to deal with their mental health issues: doing something to distract themselves from their current negative mood, using relaxation exercises and methods to relieve symptoms, interacting with others to share their issues, looking for an external source to solve their problems, and motivating themselves by repeating motivational sentences to support themselves or by following inspirational people. Moreover, regarding the design of mental health apps, participants identified that general design characteristics; personalization of the app, including tracking and feedback, live support, and social community; and providing motivational content and relaxation exercises are the most important features that users want in a mental health app. In contrast, games, relaxation audio, the Google map function, personal assistance to provide suggestions, goal setting, and privacy preservation were surprisingly the least requested features.ConclusionsUnderstanding end users’ needs and concerns about mental health apps will inform the future design of mental health apps that are useful to and used by many people.

Electing User Needs Related to Human Values through Illustrative ConOps ‐ a new‐energy case study

AbstractThis paper investigates how to better understand end users’ human values at an early phase of system design in an innovative new‐energy project. By early involvement of end‐user, companies can avoid making costly design mistakes that reduce the usability of the system. For the innovative system there were no end‐users from where to directly obtain the operational knowledge. The paper has adopted research methods from the Design Thinking process, and uses industry‐as‐laboratory, conducting in‐depth interviews with end‐users from related applications. The research focuses on needs that originate from “human values” defined as an expressed emotional feeling addressing how the users perceive the system. The interviews resulted in 105 user needs translated into 17 relevant stakeholder requirements. The results showed that conducting interviews showing an illustrative ConOps gave 17% more chance of finding needs originating from human values compared to not using this attribute. This research proposes a process for integrating the human values into the early phase of systems engineering.

User Stories-Based Requirement Elicitation for Data Visualization to Support Decision Making in Water Resource Management at Bago River Basin

Understanding of system requirements that satisfy end users’ needs is fundamental of system development, yet challenging when end users are unable to address their needs explicitly. Although a number of scholars have been designing and applying requirement elicitation techniques, there is a research gap in Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) with Web-based Geographical Information System (Web-GIS) in water resource management for disaster risk reduction. The gap addresses especially design elicitation techniques and their performances 1) to understand data types used for decision making, 2) set timing for sharing the data to accomplish end users’ tasks, and 3) compile the data to be represented so as to facilitate end users’ decision making. This study therefore designed a requirement elicitation technique by advancing User Story Mapping (USM) and validated through a workshop using mock-up system interface with potential end users who are in charge of water resource management in Myanmar’s Bago River Basin. Through the research it could be validated that the user stories-based approach enabled end users to decompose their operation activities into tasks. It also allowed them to link to necessary data with visual image for facilitating their task accomplishments and decision making for water resource management. It was revealed that the benefits of using the designed approach are not only just to summarize necessary data and information for end users’ decision making but also to encourage them to proactively consider data utilization into their operations. For further development of the requirement elicitation to understand end users needs, insights and recommendations for the proposed technique designing and conducting of the workshop were obtained.

IoT Technology for Facilities Management: Understanding End user Perception of the Smart Toilet

The Internet of Things (IoT) plays an important role as an emerging technology. IoT platforms enable electronic devices to collect, process, and monitor various types of data. The Smart Toilet system featured in this paper is based on IoT technology, and it is designed for resource optimization in facility management services and for bringing convenience to individual end users. This paper presents a study conducted on individual end user perception of the Smart Toilet. A total of 124 respondents had participated in the study’s online survey and statistical data analysis methods were used to analyse the data. Results indicate user perception of the proposed Smart Toilet and the Smart Toilet app.

How Do Healthcare Professionals Personalize Their Software? A Pilot Exploration Based on an Electronic Health Records Search Engine.

To improve user experience, many health IT systems provide personalization options allowing end users to tailor the software to their needs and preferences. However, few studies have investigated if healthcare professionals actually make full use of this feature. As an initial step towards understanding end users' software personalization behavior in healthcare, we conducted a pilot study to examine how clinicians, staff, and researchers customized a search engine designed to facilitate information retrieval from electronic health records. The results show that a majority of the end users (82.4%) did not make an effort to modify the system's default settings. Among those who did, they more often changed its 'look-and-feel' than its functionality offerings. We conclude that future research is warranted to study the rationale underlying healthcare professionals' software personalization decisions both to optimize user experience and to avoid building complex and costly personalization options that are unused or underutilized.

Harnessing knowledge of building end-users: identifying knowledge brokers that matter

PurposeThis study aims to investigate projects as social exchange networks, focussing on identifying knowledge brokers within the project network where they are key holders and disseminators of end-user needs. The purpose is to augment current theory through a practice lens so that building end-user requirements can be better incorporated in evolving project ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive, an inductive case study is used to map knowledge brokers during a complex construction and co-location project. During the wider study, a variety of methods including archival data, interviews and questionnaires along with social network analysis (SNA) were used. The mixed methodology used has been pivotal in the triangulation of data from various sources. However, the output of SNA presented in this paper relies mostly on interviews and questionnaires administered to the project’s core network. Network relationships were mapped with knowledge of user requirements, being the key determinant of the binary relationships between actors.FindingsThe research found certain roles to be central knowledge brokers of knowledge related to end-user processes, including real estate and strategic planning, building operations and management, human and environmental factors, planning and project management and facility and service delivery. The knowledge of the above roles, albeit in a contextually situated case study, augments current understanding of which roles to tap on during project execution for better representation of end-user needs.Practical implicationsThe research site is representative of a complex network of construction project stakeholders, including several categories of end-users and their representatives. The study demonstrates the use of the project-as-practice approach, whereby project theory is seen to emerge directly from practice. This has impact on practice as emergent theory about knowledge transfer and knowledge brokerage is essentially practice-led and hence more useful and relate-able to practitioners.Originality/valueResearch presented here is novel in terms of its approach towards understanding end-user needs such as need for privacy, control, attachment and interaction during construction projects. This is done through the identification of relevant knowledge brokers. The study uses SNA as an analytical tool to map knowledge transfers through the project’s network. End-user requirements are usually captured in the front-end of projects as specifications and deliverables, as new challenges emerge during execution, changes are required to the project’s direction and outcomes. It is therefore imperative that end-user needs are re-identified through knowledge brokers holding key knowledge. This allows project managers to prepare appropriate responses to changing project ecosystems.

Implementation Science: Lessons Learned From Evaluating Practice Recommendations for the Care of Patients With Spine Injuries.

Health care providers are encouraged to provide care according to practice recommendations because these suggestions should improve patient care and promote optimal patient outcomes. The goals of these practice recommendations are to improve patient care and promote optimal patient outcomes. However, without integration into clinical practice, the value of practice recommendations in supporting patient care is lost. Unfortunately, little is known about the success of integrating practice recommendations into clinical practice, and targeted efforts to promote integration are likely needed. Implementation research is a broad area of study that focuses on how guidelines, programs, or interventions are put into practice and delivered. The Translating Research Into Injury Prevention Practice (TRIPP) framework consists of 6 stages that support implementation science, and the framework has been used to assist in integrating injury-prevention programs into patient care. The structure of the TRIPP framework makes it applicable to other programs that would benefit from implementation science, including practice recommendations. Stages 5 and 6 of the TRIPP framework emphasize the need to explore the implementation context and factors related to uptake of a program by end users. This commentary highlights our efforts to use methods for implementation research to evaluate stage 5 of the TRIPP framework as it relates to acute care for patients with suspected spine injuries and provides 6 lessons learned that may assist in future efforts to better implement practice recommendations in patient care. Targeted efforts to assist clinicians in implementing practice recommendations may promote their use and ultimately enhance the care provided for patients with a variety of health conditions. An essential component of any implementation effort is understanding end users via stages 5 and 6 of the TRIPP framework, and this understanding may maximize knowledge translation and encourage practice change and advancement.

Chinese Cardiovascular Disease Mobile Apps' Information Types, Information Quality, and Interactive Functions for Self-Management: Systematic Review.

BackgroundChina has a large population with cardiovascular disease (CVD) that requires extensive self-management. Mobile health (mHealth) apps may be a useful tool for CVD self-management. Little is currently known about the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and whether app functions are conducive to promoting CVD self-management.ObjectiveWe undertook a systematic review to evaluate the types and quality of health information provided in Chinese CVD mobile apps and interactive app functions for promoting CVD self-management.MethodsMobile apps targeting end users in China with CVD conditions were selected in February 2017 through a multi-stage process. Three frameworks were used to evaluate the selected apps: (1) types of health information offered were assessed using our Health Information Wants framework, which encompasses 7 types of information; (2) quality of information provided in the apps was assessed using the 11 guidelines recommended by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health; and (3) types of interactive app functions for CVD self-management were assessed using a 15-item framework adapted from the literature, including our own prior work.ResultsOf 578 apps identified, 82 were eligible for final review. Among these, information about self-care (67/82, 82%) and information specifically regarding CVD (63/82, 77%) were the most common types of information provided, while information about health care providers (22/82, 27%) and laboratory tests (5/82, 6%) were least common. The most common indicators of information quality were the revealing of apps’ providers (82/82, 100%) and purpose (82/82, 100%), while the least common quality indicators were the revealing of how apps’ information was selected (1/82, 1%) and app sponsorship (0/82, 0%). The most common interactive functions for CVD self-management were those that enabled user interaction with the app provider (57/82, 70%) and with health care providers (36/82, 44%), while the least common interactive functions were those that enabled lifestyle management (13/82, 16%) and psychological health management (6/82, 7%). None of the apps covered all 7 types of health information, all 11 indicators of information quality, or all 15 interactive functions for CVD self-management.ConclusionsChinese CVD apps are insufficient in providing comprehensive health information, high-quality information, and interactive functions to facilitate CVD self-management. End users should exercise caution when using existing apps. Health care professionals and app developers should collaborate to better understand end users’ preferences and follow evidence-based guidelines to develop mHealth apps conducive to CVD self-management.

Technology Experience of Solid Organ Transplant Patients and Their Overall Willingness to Use Interactive Health Technology.

The use of interactive health technology (IHT) is a promising pathway to tackle self-management problems experienced by many chronically ill patients, including solid organ transplant (Tx) patients. Yet, to ensure that the IHT is accepted and used, a human-centered design process is needed, actively involving end users in all steps of the development process. A first critical, predevelopment step involves understanding end users' characteristics. This study therefore aims to (a) select an IHT platform to deliver a self-management support intervention most closely related to Tx patients' current use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), (b) understand Tx patients' overall willingness to use IHT for self-management support, and investigate associations with relevant technology acceptance variables, and (c) explore Tx patients' views on potential IHT features. We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive study between October and December 2013, enrolling a convenience sample of adult heart, lung, liver, and kidney Tx patients from the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium. Broad inclusion criteria were applied to ensure a representative patient sample. We used a 35-item newly designed interview questionnaire to measure Tx patients' use of ICTs, their overall willingness to use IHT, and their views on potential IHT features, as well as relevant technology acceptance variables derived from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and a literature review. Descriptive statistics were used as appropriate, and an ordinal logistic regression model was built to determine the association between Tx patients' overall willingness to use IHT, the selected technology acceptance variables, and patient characteristics. Out of 139 patients, 122 agreed to participate (32 heart, 30 lung, 30 liver, and 30 kidney Tx patients; participation rate: 88%). Most patients were male (57.4%), married or living together (68%), and had a mean age of 55.9 ± 13.4 years. Only 27.9% of Tx patients possessed a smartphone, yet 72.1% owned at least one desktop or laptop PC with wireless Internet at home. On a 10-point numeric scale, asking patients whether they think IHT development is important to support them personally in their self-management, patients gave a median score of 7 (25th percentile 5 points; 75th percentile 10 points). Patients who were single or married or living together were more likely to give a higher rating than divorced or widowed patients; patients who completed only secondary education gave a higher rating than higher educated patients; and patients with prior ICT use gave a higher rating than patients without prior ICT use. Tx patients also had clear preferences regarding IHT features, such as automatic data transfer, as much as possible, visual aids (e.g., graphs) over text messages, and personally deciding when to access the IHT. By investigating Tx patients' possession and use of ICTs, we learned that computers and the Internet, and not smartphones, are the most suitable IHT platforms to deliver self-management interventions for our Tx patients. Moreover, Tx patients generally are open to using IHT, yet patient acceptance variables and their preferences for certain IHT features should be taken into account in the next steps of IHT development. Designers intending to develop or use existing IHTs should never overlook this critical first step in a human-centered design. Before considering using eHealth technology in clinical practice, professionals should always check whether patients are familiar with using information and communication technology, and whether they are willing to use technology for health-related purposes.

A Ground-Up Approach to mHealth in Nigeria: A Study of Primary Healthcare Workers’ Attitude to mHealth Adoption

Mobile Health (mHealth) has been piloted in developing countries to transform the delivery of healthcare services. Despite this heightened focus on mHealth, the number of fully operational mHealth solutions implemented in these locations remains surprisingly low. To extend mHealth projects beyond pilot stage it is imperative that the primary end user is positively predisposed to engaging with the mHealth intervention. Through exploring initial perceptions, we can inform later stages of mHealth projects or develop interventions to convert attitudes into commitment or motivation to use mHealth. This qualitative exploratory study aims to understand end users’, namely Primary Healthcare (PHC) workers, initial attitudes towards a mHealth project called IMPACT (usIng Mobile Phones for Assessing, Classifying and Treating sick children). We conducted a field study in Enugu State, Nigeria to understand end users’ perceptions of the relevance, benefits, threats and initial understanding of the technology influencing end users’ attitudes towards adoption of mHealth. The initial findings indicate that PHC workers expressed positive perceptions regarding the relevance and benefits associated with the IMPACT app. PHC workers focus on how the technology could support them to be more efficient and effective in their roles. However, they advocate the need for community wide education and training to eradicate negative perceptions or misgivings about the potential use of mHealth as part of a patient’s assessment.

User-Centered Design and Printed Educational Materials: A Focus Group Study of Primary Care Physician Preferences.

It is challenging for primary care physicians (PCPs) to review and apply the growing amount of clinical evidence available. Printed educational materials (PEMs), which synthesize evidence, are often ineffective at improving knowledge, possibly due to poor design and limited uptake. In this study, we collected PCP preferences for the design and content of physician-oriented PEMs and determined key attributes that may increase their usability and uptake. We held 90-minute focus groups with PCPs in Toronto, ON, Canada. Focus groups included discussion about whether and how participants use PEMs, feedback on three examples of PEMs, and a discussion on general format and design preferences in PEMs. We analyzed focus group transcripts using a thematic analysis and summarized results in a list of user preferences. Four focus groups were held with 13 PCPs. We found that participants only read PEMs relevant to their patients and prefer short, concise documents, with links to sources that can provide more detailed information. Simplicity of materials was important, with many participants preferring PEMs without lengthy backgrounds or scientific explanations. Most participants wanted to see key messages highlighted to easily assess the relevance of the materials to their practice. Some participants shared physician-oriented PEMs with patients. This study shows that PCPs may prefer shorter, simpler, and more concise documents that have less scientific detail but provide references to further information sources. It is important to understand end user preferences for the design and content of these materials to enhance their uptake.

Developing mental health mobile apps: Exploring adolescents’ perspectives

Mobile applications or 'apps' have significant potential for use in mental health interventions with adolescents. However, there is a lack of research exploring end users' needs from such technologies. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' needs and concerns in relation to mental health mobile apps. Five focus groups were conducted with young people aged 15-16 years (N = 34, 60% male). Participants were asked about their views in relation to the use of mental health mobile technologies and were asked to give their responses to a mental health app prototype. Participants identified (1) safety, (2) engagement, (3) functionality, (4) social interaction, (5) awareness, (6) accessibility, (7) gender and (8) young people in control as important factors. Understanding end users' needs and concerns in relation to this topic will inform the future development of youth-oriented mental health apps that are acceptable to young people.

Using Semantic Search and Knowledge Reasoning to Improve the Discovery of Earth Science Records

Web resources exploration is increasingly driven by semantic web technologies with automated processing. Earth science communities generate large amounts of datasets described in hundreds of millions of metadata records. It is critical to discover the accurate data from the millions of data records based on the end user's searching intent. However, the big challenge is how to ensure that catalogs and Spatial Web Portals can understand end user's intents. To enable portals effectively ‘understand' the meaning of user's queries and to provide a better searching experience for end users, we collaborated with Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) to develop such a capability through a semantic Testbed. We implemented a reasoning engine using similarity calculations to facilitate the meaningful discovery of Earth science data and to improve the accuracy of searching results.

Designing for designers: Insights into the knowledge users of inclusive design

Over the last twenty years, research on inclusive design has delivered a wealth of publications and initiatives, forming an emerging knowledge base for inclusive design. The inclusive design knowledge base breaks down into two discrete areas – understanding end users from many different perspectives, and understanding the information needs of the knowledge users (e.g. designers) who are involved in promoting and delivering inclusive design solutions. Much research has focused on the end users, but in recent years, understanding the needs and the characteristics of knowledge users has added a new dimension to the research task.This paper focuses on the knowledge users of inclusive design. It discusses the different types of knowledge users and their knowledge needs. The research programmes undertaken by the Inclusive Design Research Group (IDRG) are used to illustrate the process of understanding knowledge needs of designers, developing different types of tools to meet those needs and evaluating their effectiveness. The paper concludes with a discussion on how to adopt an inclusive design research methodology to effectively engage the knowledge users in the development of inclusive design tools.