Collated Path: a one-dimensional interface element to promote user orientation and sense-making activities in the Semantic Web

This paper details the design of a one-dimensional interface element, the “Collated Path” an effort to create a very, light-weight information manipulation tool that could be used within a user´s own dataset (e.g. their history list), which could then be used in combination with other searches. It is optimized to present views of the Semantic Web useful for everyday applications. Emphasis was placed on creating a tool with Simple elements that could be combined to create sophisticated views. Whereas existing Web information tools such as browser history and search tools like Sherlock present a limited search/retrieve view, the Collated Path creates a view that encourages the interaction and tangibility of such data enabling effective integration into the workspace. The model uses the metaphor of “pages”, representing Web resources, which are “collated” in two variables according to some retrieved or generated values, such as time accessed, popularity, or relevance to search terms. In addition, the design is general enough to accept values from an RDF model, the W3C´s metadata standard for the Web. The conceptual framework is not restricted to Web pages, but the “page” metaphor connects the concept with previous research that have promoted document piles, and other visualization methods, while giving it a more grounded basis for discussion