[Sighci-l] We are breathing.....

[Carolyn Watters]

If everyone who has responded sends in a paper next year we could have a
real track! I suggest that if we want to have visibility in the ASIS
community we need to put together a "track with flow" that includes 
panels, show-and-tell sessions, as well as solid empirical and
theoretical research and be a presence at the next ASIST. 
2 cents (US$) worth
Carolyn


_____________________________________________

Dr. Carolyn Watters
Faculty of Computer Science
Dalhousie University
6050 University Ave
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada B3H 1W5	902-494-1430 fax:902-492-1517
_____________________________________________


On Mon, 9 Dec 2002, Xia Lin wrote:

> Let's follow Andrew's trail for a more constructive discussion:
> brainstorming some possible panel sessions for the annual meeting.
> 
> 
> 
> 1. There is no question that HCI is a major research area.  If it is alive
> or dead will not be decided by how HCI survives in ASIS.  Some of you have
> discussed differences between ASIS HCI and ACM SIGCHI. They certainly can
> not be compared in the same scale.  But one possible unique area that ASIS
> can establish is "Information Retrieval Interfaces" -it's not a major area
> in ACM SIGCHI, not in ACM SIGIR, neither.  It fits well within ASIS.  I
> remembered we used to organize IR Interface Demo sections at ASIS Annual
> meetings, they were very popular.  So this is my first suggestion - to
> organize a demo or panel session on IR Interface Design.
> 
> 
> 
> 2. Continuing the comparison of ACM SIGCHI and ASIS HCI, I also see a
> difference in the H (human). ACM SIGCHI studies all types of users --
> general computer users or system users. ASIS perhaps can focus on one
> special type of users -  the middle of H and I  --- it's not C as in HCI -
> it's the intersection of users and information, or simply, information
> consumers and providers.  This again will play well within ASIS. A session
> co-sponsored with USE group would be nice on this topic.
> 
> 
> 
> 3.  One best way to show HCI's contribution is to present the design and
> results of nice empirical studies on interfaces/interactions.  Is any one
> out there doing any empirical research?  I can think of one and two ..
> 
> 
> 
> 4.  Going back to Andrew's suggestion of providing examples of how HCI has
> added knowledge to the field, one model of ACM SIGCHI might be considered -
> Introducing HCI Labs.  We might organize a session to include presentation
> on:
> 
>     HCI Research Agenda at Drexel
> 
>     HCI Research Agenda at Texas
> 
>     HCI Research Agenda at Michigan
> 
>     ..
> 
> Then let the schools challenge each others ..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Enough of my suggestions.  Comments?   New ideas?
> 
> 
> 
> -- Xia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andrew Dillon" <adillon at gslis.utexas.edu>
> To: <sighci-l at asis.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 6:37 PM
> Subject: [Sighci-l] We are breathing.....
> 
> 
> > Well, I am pleased to note that this SIG has produced more activity via
> > email over the last week than I have witnessed in the last 2 years - this
> > must count for something. I'd like to explore, however, the extent to
> which
> > HCI within ASIST has something unique to offer to its members and the
> > broader ASIST community.
> >
> > At the recent Annual Conference of ASIST I deliberately asked a
> provocative
> > question of the IA panel (which was something like: "What have you told us
> > that is new?"). I would propose a similarly provocative line for us e.g.,
> > what can HCI within ASIST offer that is new/unique/of value?
> >
> > In one way, I am convinced that the C in HCI is potentially misleading -
> > since the field's focus has always been on tasks, the notion that we are
> > studying phenomena that exclude information or content is not sustainable
> to
> > me. Furthermore, I would point out that I believe information is part of
> the
> > interface, it carries with it conventions and forms which serve a
> > communicative process to the user, regardless or how the screen is
> designed
> > or the control functions are displayed. Perhaps we are the Human
> Information
> > Interaction group really, but that name hardly helps either.
> >
> > When I listen to much of what passes for IA within ASIST I also feel the
> > need for the HCI group since so many issues related to user experience are
> > excluded from the rather narrow 'little IA' perspective that dominates
> > there.
> >
> > So much for the good - but what do we offer in response?
> >
> > Perhaps we just need this venue for those of us who want to talk on
> > occasion. But I would like something more. I cannot track the original
> > message that raised the point about how lacking in HCI knowledge many
> people
> > still are (was it you Murray?) but I think this raises a really
> interesting
> > point for us to consider in the light of the question I asked the IA
> panel:
> > What should we be doing to get the message out about the value HCI can add
> > to the information world?
> >
> > I would love to see a panel at the next annual that had a series of
> > presentations where each person contributed one example of how HCI has
> added
> > knowledge to the field that makes a difference. At the IA summit I heard
> the
> > keynote speaker say that the research on usability was relatively  useless
> > as it told him nothing he did not already know. I challenged him on this
> > publicly but his point stuck with many. Are we able to counter such
> > arguments for HCI in general? Perhaps we do not need a panel so much as a
> > public debate to stir up interest and activity in this SIG. That's my
> > suggestion, but I'd love to hear yours.....
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Sighci-l at asis.org
> > http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sighci-l
> >
> 
> 
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