Characterizing user navigation through complex data structures

As part of the general study of user navigation through interactive databases, a set of indices is proposed to characterise users' search sequences. These indices are presented as an attempt to capture some of the psychologically significant aspects of the movement of users within interactive data-bases. An example of the use of the indices is given in reference to an experiment to compare front-ends to a data-base program. Their strengths and weaknesses are discussed in the light of this experiment. Their potential as a basis for the precise definition of search strategies such as browsing and scanning is also considered.