Keeping Tabs: Using browser tabs as self-reminders in personal information management
Author
Helweg-Isenberg, Elan Joel
Term
4. term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-25
Pages
125083
Abstract
Mange mennesker lader browserfaner stå åbne for at minde sig selv om noget, de vil læse, gøre eller vende tilbage til senere. Selv om adfærden er udbredt, er den sjældent blevet undersøgt direkte. For at udfylde dette hul gennemgik vi beslægtet forskning og gennemførte et eksplorativt studie med en contextual inquiry-tilgang (observation og interview i de sammenhænge, hvor adfærden forekommer). Emnet ligger i krydsfeltet mellem personlig informationshåndtering (hvordan folk organiserer og holder styr på information), kognitiv aflastning (at bruge værktøjer til at aflaste hukommelsen) og indsamling af webinformation. Vores proces omfattede spørgeskema, interviews, forskningsdagbøger og gennemgang af artefakter, hvor seks deltagere viste og forklarede deres åbne faner. Vi bekræfter, at browserfaner bruges som digitale påmindelser, og skitserer flere retninger for videre forskning i praksissens implikationer og muligheder. Vi peger også på barrierer for at studere fænomenet, herunder de subjektive, meningsbærende begreber, det kræver at tale om og undersøge, samt manglen på tidligere arbejde, der kan vejlede metodevalget.
Many people keep web browser tabs open to remind themselves what to read, do, or return to later. Although common, this everyday practice has rarely been studied directly. To address this gap, we reviewed related research and ran an exploratory study using a contextual inquiry approach, which observes and interviews people in the settings where the behavior occurs. The topic sits at the intersection of personal information management (how people organize and keep track of information), cognitive offloading (using tools to reduce memory demands), and web information gathering. Our process combined a survey, interviews, research diaries, and artifact walkthroughs in which six participants showed and explained their open tabs. We confirm that people use browser tabs as digital reminders and outline several directions for future research on the implications and possibilities of this practice. We also highlight barriers to studying it, including the subjective, meaning-laden concepts involved and the lack of prior work to guide methods.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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