Characteristics Glossary
Based on PACT Analysis
Our characteristics are strictly grounded in the PACT (People, Activities, Contexts, Technologies) framework. Specifically, we have derived a total of 113 characteristics from the PACT template provided by the QUT School of Design. Based on the workshop's PACT analyses, we reduced the relevant characteristics to 29, where each characteristic spans over a list of potential values.
| Characteristic ↕ | Description ↕ | Type ↕ |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | The amount of information blocks a user is expected to work with simultaneously (in reference to Miller's magical number 7) | Ordinal |
| Cognitive Orientation | Refers to the cognitive quality that is required the most to perform the activity | Categorical |
| Age Group | The normal age (group) of a user. Minors and elderly might have additional constraints | Categorical |
| Domain Expertise | The level of domain expertise that is required for a user to have to perform the activity | Ordinal |
| Technical Proficiency | The level of technical proficiency that is required for a user to have to perform the activity | Ordinal |
| Multilinguality | Only relevant in group work, in case participants do not share the same language | Ordinal |
| Goal Orientation | Specifies the main goal orientation of the activity | Categorical |
| Frequent task repetitions | Specifies if the task is frequently repeated and user can easily recall the steps of the task | Boolean |
| Parallel tasks | Specifies if a user must perform multiple tasks at once or task batches instead of working sequentially | Boolean |
| Type of Cognitive Work | Specifies the level of cognitive commitment a user has to invest to perform the activity. The higher the commitment, the less parallel work can be considered | Ordinal |
| Type of Physical Work | Specifies the level of physical commitment a user has to invest to perform the activity. The higher the commitment, the less parallel work can be considered | Ordinal |
| Social Structure | Specifies if a user must work together with others to perform the task | Ordinal |
| Duration | Specifies the average duration required to complete the task. This includes also waiting time. | Ordinal |
| Comfort Lighting | Comfort lighting describes an environment bright enough to read on paper without eye strain | Boolean |
| Ambient noise | Ambient noise interferes with verbal information and poses an obstacle to aural communication | Ordinal |
| Role | RASCI scheme adopted, mainly for elicitation technique. Specifies if the elicitation technique is valuable to more than just the executing user (responsible) | Ordinal |
| Location characteristics | Specifies if the environment poses additional restrictions like safety risks | Ordinal |
| Time Pressure | Specifies if users work under time pressure which limits the chances of parallel knowledge elicitation | Boolean |
| Available Documentation | Specifies if supporting material is available that describes the activity that can be used as artifacts for any elicitation technique | Boolean |
| Mode of Communication | Specifies if a delay in the communication with the user is allowed or not | Ordinal |
| Is Stationary | Specifies if the setup is stationary or mobile | Boolean |
| Internet Access | Specifies if online resources (including intranet resources) can be easily retrieved if needed | Boolean |
| Visual Input | Specifies if the user must input information visually (e.g., by gestures) | Boolean |
| Aural Input | Specifies if the user must input information aurally (e.g., by utterance) | Boolean |
| Tactile Input | Specifies if the user must input information tactilely (e.g., by keyboard press) | Boolean |
| Visual Output | Specifies if information is conveyed visually to the user (e.g., via monitor screen) | Boolean |
| Aural Output | Specifies if information is conveyed aurally to the user (e.g., via speaker) | Boolean |
| Tactile Output | Specifies if information is conveyed tactilely to the user (e.g., via smartwatch vibration) | Boolean |
| Automation level | Specifies the level of automation (in reference to Sheridan and Parasuraman's levels of automation) | Ordinal |