Metrics for improving the quality of hypermedia authoring

Xavier Mendes, Maria Emilia (1999) Metrics for improving the quality of hypermedia authoring. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

Hypermedia authoring has been a major area of research and interest in the last few years. There are many ways of understanding what authoring means and what can contribute to its improvement. Consequently, many different hypermedia systems, methods and methodologies have been proposed in the last decade. The main research methods used by the developers of those hypermedia systems, methods and methodologies have been engineering and analytical methods. However, the corresponding analysis or empirical observations published to date have not been conducted formally.

The definition of metrics to improve hypermedia authoring and evaluation has already stimulated some interest. However, generally, they have been developed mainly in an ad-hoc fashion, contributing to the expression of measures in an ambiguous manner and limiting their use. They also lack the necessary empirical justification.

The aim of this thesis is to study ways of improving the quality of hypermedia authoring. To achieve this goal a research methodology integrating four particular approaches has been conducted: a feature analysis evaluation to analyse how adequate current hypermedia methods, methodologies and systems are in relation to users' authoring requirements, the use of a scientific method of research, the proposition of metrics which adhere to the representational measurement theory, and the empirical and theoretical validation of the metrics proposed.

The quality characteristics considered in this research are the maintainability of hypermedia applications, the reusability of hypermedia information and the development effort involved in authoring a hypermedia application.

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