Browsing in hypertext: a cognitive study

Several dimensions of browsing are examined to find out: what browsing is and what cognitive processes are associated with it; whether there is a browsing strategy and, if so, whether there are any differences between how subject-area experts and novices browse; and how this knowledge can be applied to improve the design of hypertext systems. Two groups of students, subject-area experts and novices, were studied while browsing a Macintosh HyperCard application. Three browsing strategies were identified: (1) search-oriented browse: scanning and reviewing information relevant to a fixed task; (2) review-browse: scanning and reviewing interesting information in the presence of transient browse goals that represent changing tasks; and (3) scan-browse: scanning for interesting information without review. Most subjects used review-browse interspersed with search-oriented browse. Within this strategy, comparisons showed that experts browsed in more depth, and viewed information differently than did novices. Based on these findings, suggestions are made to hypertext developers