Evaluation of Strategies of File Management Behavior

Abstract

A critical component of computer interface design is the specification of a file management system. Although much is known about how humans organize and classify information and objects, there have been few investigations of the performance consequences of alternative computer filing systems. This paper presents the results of an experimental study of how the organizational capabilities of interactive computer filing systems affect the ability of users to manage sets of information. This study compared the use of flat versus hierarchical, and keyword versus non-keyword filing systems. Each of 16 subjects performed a two-part filing and retrieval task using one of four filing system configurations. Subjects first organized and arranged a set of 50 computer files according to the constraints and capabilities of one of the four filing systems. During retrieval the subjects were required to locate certain files and perform common computer operations on them. Task completion time is used as a measure of ease of filing and retrieval for each system. Strategies of file retrieval as a function of the filing system are also discussed.