Development of an instrument measuring user satisfaction of the human-computer interface
CHI '88 Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
No IFs, ANDs, or ORs: a study of databases querying
International Journal of Man-Machine Studies
Mapping crime in its community setting: event geography analysis
Mapping crime in its community setting: event geography analysis
IBM computer usability satisfaction questionnaires: psychometric evaluation and instructions for use
International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction
Information seeking in electronic environments
Information seeking in electronic environments
The integration of computing and routine work
ACM Transactions on Information Systems (TOIS) - Special issue: selected papers from the conference on office information systems
Information foraging in information access environments
CHI '95 Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Expertise and the perception of shape in information
Journal of the American Society for Information Science
User analysis in HCI—the historical lessons from individual differences research
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
Proceedings of the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human factors in computing systems
DIS '97 Proceedings of the 2nd conference on Designing interactive systems: processes, practices, methods, and techniques
Information ecologies: using technology with heart
Information ecologies: using technology with heart
Usability Engineering
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
Analysing and evaluating usefulness and usability in electronic information services
Journal of Information Science
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An information architecture that allows users to easily navigate through a system and quickly recover from mistakes is often defined as a highly usable system. But usability in systems design goes beyond a good interface and efficient navigation. In this article we describe two database systems in a law enforcement agency. One system is a legacy, text-based system with cumbersome navigation (RMS); the newer system is a graphical user interface with simplified navigation (CopNet). It is hypothesized that law enforcement users will evaluate CopNet higher than RMS, but experts of the older system will evaluate it higher than others will. We conducted two user studies. One study examined what users thought of RMS and CopNet, and compared RMS experts' evaluations with nonexperts. We found that all users evaluated CopNet as more effective, easier to use, and easier to navigate than RMS, and this was especially noticeable for users who were not experts with the older system. The second, follow-up study examined use behavior after CopNet was deployed some time later. The findings revealed that evaluations of CopNet were not associated with its use. If the newer system had a better interface and was easier to navigate than the older, legacy system, why were law enforcement personnel reluctant to switch? We discuss reasons why switching to a new system is difficult, especially for those who are most adept at using the older system. Implications for system design and usability are also discussed.