Rights statement: This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Interacting with Computers following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Roger Whitham, Leon Cruickshank; The Function and Future of the Folder. Interact Comput 2017 1-19. doi: 10.1093/iwc/iww042 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/iwc/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/iwc/iww042
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The function and future of the folder
AU - Whitham, Roger Denis Redmayne
AU - Cruickshank, Leon
N1 - This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Interacting with Computers following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Roger Whitham, Leon Cruickshank; The Function and Future of the Folder. Interact Comput 2017 1-19. doi: 10.1093/iwc/iww042 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/iwc/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/iwc/iww042
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - Folders are a commonplace metaphor in computing environments, constituting a link to physical work materials and are a key means for individuals to impose order on their digital work materials. This paper presents the findings of a novel qualitative study examining folder use by 12 information workers, using logging to accurately capture how folders were used in individual everyday work over 6 weeks, and challenging participants to work without using folders. Through observation and interviews, the study provides new descriptions of how folders are used and the dependence some study participants had on their folders to think and create, as well as to access files. The findings call into question whether search and recency-based lists of files could fulfil the functional role of folders, identified as key means for individuals to construct and specialize their work environments. Implications are discussed for document management tools, and more generally for operating system design.
AB - Folders are a commonplace metaphor in computing environments, constituting a link to physical work materials and are a key means for individuals to impose order on their digital work materials. This paper presents the findings of a novel qualitative study examining folder use by 12 information workers, using logging to accurately capture how folders were used in individual everyday work over 6 weeks, and challenging participants to work without using folders. Through observation and interviews, the study provides new descriptions of how folders are used and the dependence some study participants had on their folders to think and create, as well as to access files. The findings call into question whether search and recency-based lists of files could fulfil the functional role of folders, identified as key means for individuals to construct and specialize their work environments. Implications are discussed for document management tools, and more generally for operating system design.
KW - Information Retrieval
KW - Document management
KW - interaction paradigms
KW - HCI theoryconcepts and models
KW - HCI design and evaluation methods
KW - HCI theory, concepts and methods
U2 - 10.1093/iwc/iww042
DO - 10.1093/iwc/iww042
M3 - Journal article
VL - 29
SP - 629
EP - 647
JO - Interacting with Computers
JF - Interacting with Computers
SN - 0953-5438
IS - 5
ER -