Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Application of cognitive engineering principles to the redesign of a dichotomous identification key for parasitology.
- Journal:
- AMIA ... Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Smith-Akin, Kimberly A et al.
- Affiliation:
- University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston · United States
Plain-English summary
This study looked at how to improve a tool used to identify parasites, which can be tricky for beginners because of complicated language and details. The researchers redesigned this identification tool for online use, making it simpler by showing one question at a time and guiding users through the process based on their answers. They compared the old paper version to the new online version and found that the paper key didn't fully meet many helpful design principles, while the new online key met all the important guidelines. Overall, the redesigned key is much easier for people to use.
Abstract
Dichotomous identification keys are used throughout biology for identification of plants, insects, and parasites. However, correct use of identification keys can be difficult as they are not usually intended for novice users who may not be familiar with the terminology used or with the morphology of the organism being identified. Therefore, we applied cognitive engineering principles to redesign a parasitology identification key for the Internet. We addressed issues of visual clutter and spatial distance by displaying a single question couplet at a time and by switching to the appropriate next couplet after the user made a choice. Our analysis of the original paper-based key versus the Web-based approach found that of 26 applicable cognitive engineering principles, the paper key did not meet 4 (15%) and partially met 11 (42%). In contrast, the redesigned key met 100% of 32 applicable cognitive engineering principles.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17238439/