As more and more information gets converted into electronic formats, we are extending our discussion of how to navigate through electronic information. Conventions and standards are starting to emerge. The hypertext linking and navigation tools that presently exist may not be appropriate for all writing styles, particularly fictional writing or hypertext narratives. This paper discusses a usability study, with a small set of users who performed tasks on texts designed for leisure reading. It examines the impact of the navigation system and the reactions of those utilizing these electronic tools. The study was carried out using Storyspace, a hypertext writing environment available on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. This research has implications for the design of electronic books and the expansion of metaphors for hypertext navigation.

The author does a good job of explaining the background and expectations when reading a hypertext narrative. She raises the question “how does one conduct a usability test of a product that is largely aesthetic?” After addressing these issues, she then explains her usability test and the three categories she investigated: interface issues, reading behavior issues, and reader attitude issues. Her methodology is clear and well explained. She calibrated a reading rate measure to aid in the discussion of speed and possible fatigue when reading on-screen material. She makes good use of figures to demonstrate the different views presented to the reader. This paper contains appropriate and relevant references.

The author’s discussion and findings are very interesting. She lists some recommendations that are important for hypertext system designers, and have impact specifically when reading hypertext narratives. One of her findings is that users wanted to move through the material in a linear fashion. This is specific to the way we are used to reading this type of writing. The more complex the interface, the more it seemed to interfere with the task at hand.

A researcher who is interested in this domain may want more details about the author’s task list and the content of her questionnaires. The more general reader will find this an interesting approach to the use of technology in an application area that is growing and will become more pervasive over time.