A taskonomy for the Semantic Web

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Heath, Tom

Affiliations: Talis Systems Ltd., Knights Court, Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park, B37 7YB, United Kingdom. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: The modalities of search and browse dominate current thinking about interaction with the Web. Given the Web's origins as a global hypertext system, it is understandable that these document-centric interaction patterns prevail. However, these modalities alone are inadequate as a conceptual model of interaction with the global Linked Data space that is the Semantic Web. Realising the full potential of the Semantic Web requires a fundamental reconsideration of Web interaction patterns in the light of Linked Data, and this renewed conceptualisation must drive the research agenda related to user interaction and the Semantic Web. This paper argues that a fundamental understanding of user goals and tasks is the appropriate perspective from which to approach the research and development of Semantic Web applications. However, the Web in Semantic Web should not detract from the potential for cross-platform data interoperability enabled by the Semantic Web technology stack. In this context we propose a taskonomy of data- and object-centric user tasks derived from an analytical abstraction of existing research, not simply in the fields of Web search and browse but also email and Instant Messaging, that can help shape the direction of research and application development in the Semantic Web field.

Keywords: Semantic Web, Linked Data, email, Instant Messaging, user interaction, taskonomy, activity-centred design

DOI: 10.3233/SW-2010-0003

Journal: Semantic Web, vol. 1, no. 1-2, pp. 75-81, 2010