| This study examined the differences between a 3-D, VRML search interface, similar to Cone Trees, as a front-end to Yahoo on the World Wide Web and a conventional text-based, 1-D interface to the same database. The study sought to determine how quickly users could find information using both interfaces, their degree of satisfaction with both search interfaces, and which interface they preferred.; Claims have been made that 3-D search interfaces are more natural than 1-D search interfaces and should enable users to work more quickly and with greater satisfaction compared to 1-D search interfaces. However, 1-D search interfaces are generally easier to use, are more familiar to users, have undergone extensive refinement, and run faster on standard computers than 3-D interfaces.; Participants were 75 students at the University of North Texas, drawn from undergraduate and graduate classes in computer education and from graduate students in information science. Participants were given four search tasks to perform, two with the 3-D search interface and two with the 1-D search interface, and each of the searches was timed. After completing all searches, participants completed a user satisfaction questionnaire for each interface and a preference questionnaire, where they indicated which interface they preferred.; Results demonstrated that: (a) 3-D searches took significantly longer to perform than 1-D searches, (b) participants' user-satisfaction scores were significantly higher for the 1-D interface than the 3-D interface, (c) participants' preference for the 1-D interface was significantly greater than for the 3-D interface, and (d) participants' degree of preference for the 1-D interface was significantly greater than their degree of preference for the 3-D interface.; The results of this study suggest that, at least for simple search tasks, 1-D search interfaces are better than 3-D, VRML search interfaces. Current consumer-level computer systems are not capable of supporting 3-D, VRML interfaces of any complexity. Without the speed and complexity possible with large systems, 3-D search interfaces will not perform as well as simpler search interfaces. |
