- Email: [email protected]
Software psychology: Human factors in computer and information systems
164
Book Reviews
authors in the context of an alphabetical library catalog organized around the concept of authorship” (p. 6). In order to do this he looks first at the history of catalogue code revision and then, finding no single adequate explanation of corporate authorship, he turns to a philosophical analysis of the concept of authorship finally proposing a “corporate utterance theory” as an explanation of corporate authorship. The primary significance of his work is the fact that he attempts to provide a logical explanation for one aspect of the authorship principle that has long proven problematical. His discussion of “The Development of the Concept of Corporate Authorship” (pp. 7-114)-which, in terms of pages, represents 53.5% of the work-is a lengthy and valuable contribution to the study of code revision. His sources include both published works and the minutes of several different committees. Such material is neither widely distributed nor easily analyzed when found. However, since his purpose is to seek out the recognized explanations of a single concept, “corporate authorship,” the history, though lengthy and detailed, is necessarily one sided. Such side issues as the question of entry for collections or the use of title entry for serials are mentioned but not pursued. Hence, students will find this part of his work a useful but limited introduction to the past. The more significant part of his work is the analysis of two different concepts of authorship-“Authorship by Origination” and “Authorship by Assumption of Responsibility.” Neither of these concepts is fully satisfactory. Authorship by origination requires that authors at least be represented “ . . . as having made up the content of their works . . . ” (p. 136) and this definition would not apply to many of the works commonly regarded as examples of works of corporate authorship. The authorship-by-assumption theory defines the author as “ . . . the one responsible for the work. . . ” Such responsibility is transferable and, when transferred, requires that indications of the originator of the work be “supplanted” (p. 172).This theory certainly permits a more satisfactory explanation of corporate authorship, but still there are problems. It is not always clear whether a sufficient number of signs of the originator have been supplanted nor what is necessary for the adoption of a work. Carpenter then proposes the “corporate utterance theory.” According to this theory a work is a work of corporate authorship when it is represented as a corporate utterance. This can happen only when a corporate body has some form of a describably consensus mechanism (p. 165). Will this theory prove an adequate basis for the continued development of an author catalogue? Given the practical nature of a cataloguer’s mind, Carpenter could have strengthened, or at least clarified, his argument if he had included an analysis of several specific publications illustrating different types of works. Such an analysis would clarify his argument by making the differences in application of these various theories explicit. However, in all fields, it is necessary first to propose a theory, and that is what Michael Carpenter has done. Now we can discuss its implications and investigate whether, or in what sense, the resultant catalogues will prove better than the ones we have. University of California, Irvine
D. KATHRYNWEINTRAUB
Software Psychology: Human Factors in Computer and hformation Systems. BEN SCHNEIDERMAN. Winthrop
Publishers, Cambridge, Mass. 1980. 320 pp. $24.95 This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter 1 is a reasonable discussion of definitions, scope, and motivation for utilizing experimental methods to study human factors in computer systems. Chapter 2 is a very brief treatment of experimental design and statistical analysis. Chapter 3 discusses computer programmers, as opposed to users of programs, in terms of a qualitative model of programming behavior. Chapter 4, in this reviewer’s opinion one of the best chapters in the book, discusses a wide variety of experimental results concerning the value of commenting, using meaningful mnemonics, indenting, and various language-specific features. Chapter 5 considers various measures of software quality or complexity proposed by Halstead, McCabe, and others. Chapter 6 briefly surveys a variety of methods for managing groups of programmers. Chapter 7 reviews hierarchical, network, and relational data base structures while Chapter 8 reviews data base query and manipulation languages. Chapter 9 considers the possibility of human-computer communication via natural language. Chapter 10 discusses hardware alternatives for designing the human-computer interface. The chapter could have equalled the quality of Chapter 4, but the author chose not to present the wealth of experimental results available in this area. Chapter 11 provides a brief set of guidelines for designing interactive systems. Chapter 12 concludes the book with a discussion of computers as tools and people as individuals. Each chapter ends with a practitioners summary, which is usually quite reasonable, and a researcher’s summary, which is typically quite general. The bibliography includes several hundred references, but approximately one-third of them are never cited in the text.
Book Reviews
165
This reviewer has difficulty accepting this book as being on software psychology. With the exception of Chapters 4 and 10, and perhaps two or three others, this book is mainly an introduction to computer science for layman. The discussion of research methods is far too sketchy and the presentation of quantitative research results far too infrequent. While the latter deficiency may reflect the field more than the author’s preferences, at least Chapter 10 could have been more meaty. Thus, as a psychology text, this book is severely lacking. However, the book is quite good for managers, administrators, and general interest readers. The reading is quite easy and little background is needed. As a textbook, it would not be suitable for engineering, computer science, or experimental psychology. However, it might be useful in the softer of the social sciences and schools of management.
Center for Man-Machine Research School of Industrial and System Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
WILLIAMB. ROUSE
LISTINGS Management Idormation: Where to lind it. MARILYN TAYLORTHOMPSON, Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New
Jersey 1981. 272 pp. $15. Bibliography of sources of information useful in business. Includes dictionaries, directories, bibliographies, atlases, etc. Items organized by subject, for example, general reference, statistical sources, marketing sources, health care, tee., with a title-author index.
Book Reviews
authors in the context of an alphabetical library catalog organized around the concept of authorship” (p. 6). In order to do this he looks first at the history of catalogue code revision and then, finding no single adequate explanation of corporate authorship, he turns to a philosophical analysis of the concept of authorship finally proposing a “corporate utterance theory” as an explanation of corporate authorship. The primary significance of his work is the fact that he attempts to provide a logical explanation for one aspect of the authorship principle that has long proven problematical. His discussion of “The Development of the Concept of Corporate Authorship” (pp. 7-114)-which, in terms of pages, represents 53.5% of the work-is a lengthy and valuable contribution to the study of code revision. His sources include both published works and the minutes of several different committees. Such material is neither widely distributed nor easily analyzed when found. However, since his purpose is to seek out the recognized explanations of a single concept, “corporate authorship,” the history, though lengthy and detailed, is necessarily one sided. Such side issues as the question of entry for collections or the use of title entry for serials are mentioned but not pursued. Hence, students will find this part of his work a useful but limited introduction to the past. The more significant part of his work is the analysis of two different concepts of authorship-“Authorship by Origination” and “Authorship by Assumption of Responsibility.” Neither of these concepts is fully satisfactory. Authorship by origination requires that authors at least be represented “ . . . as having made up the content of their works . . . ” (p. 136) and this definition would not apply to many of the works commonly regarded as examples of works of corporate authorship. The authorship-by-assumption theory defines the author as “ . . . the one responsible for the work. . . ” Such responsibility is transferable and, when transferred, requires that indications of the originator of the work be “supplanted” (p. 172).This theory certainly permits a more satisfactory explanation of corporate authorship, but still there are problems. It is not always clear whether a sufficient number of signs of the originator have been supplanted nor what is necessary for the adoption of a work. Carpenter then proposes the “corporate utterance theory.” According to this theory a work is a work of corporate authorship when it is represented as a corporate utterance. This can happen only when a corporate body has some form of a describably consensus mechanism (p. 165). Will this theory prove an adequate basis for the continued development of an author catalogue? Given the practical nature of a cataloguer’s mind, Carpenter could have strengthened, or at least clarified, his argument if he had included an analysis of several specific publications illustrating different types of works. Such an analysis would clarify his argument by making the differences in application of these various theories explicit. However, in all fields, it is necessary first to propose a theory, and that is what Michael Carpenter has done. Now we can discuss its implications and investigate whether, or in what sense, the resultant catalogues will prove better than the ones we have. University of California, Irvine
D. KATHRYNWEINTRAUB
Software Psychology: Human Factors in Computer and hformation Systems. BEN SCHNEIDERMAN. Winthrop
Publishers, Cambridge, Mass. 1980. 320 pp. $24.95 This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter 1 is a reasonable discussion of definitions, scope, and motivation for utilizing experimental methods to study human factors in computer systems. Chapter 2 is a very brief treatment of experimental design and statistical analysis. Chapter 3 discusses computer programmers, as opposed to users of programs, in terms of a qualitative model of programming behavior. Chapter 4, in this reviewer’s opinion one of the best chapters in the book, discusses a wide variety of experimental results concerning the value of commenting, using meaningful mnemonics, indenting, and various language-specific features. Chapter 5 considers various measures of software quality or complexity proposed by Halstead, McCabe, and others. Chapter 6 briefly surveys a variety of methods for managing groups of programmers. Chapter 7 reviews hierarchical, network, and relational data base structures while Chapter 8 reviews data base query and manipulation languages. Chapter 9 considers the possibility of human-computer communication via natural language. Chapter 10 discusses hardware alternatives for designing the human-computer interface. The chapter could have equalled the quality of Chapter 4, but the author chose not to present the wealth of experimental results available in this area. Chapter 11 provides a brief set of guidelines for designing interactive systems. Chapter 12 concludes the book with a discussion of computers as tools and people as individuals. Each chapter ends with a practitioners summary, which is usually quite reasonable, and a researcher’s summary, which is typically quite general. The bibliography includes several hundred references, but approximately one-third of them are never cited in the text.
Book Reviews
165
This reviewer has difficulty accepting this book as being on software psychology. With the exception of Chapters 4 and 10, and perhaps two or three others, this book is mainly an introduction to computer science for layman. The discussion of research methods is far too sketchy and the presentation of quantitative research results far too infrequent. While the latter deficiency may reflect the field more than the author’s preferences, at least Chapter 10 could have been more meaty. Thus, as a psychology text, this book is severely lacking. However, the book is quite good for managers, administrators, and general interest readers. The reading is quite easy and little background is needed. As a textbook, it would not be suitable for engineering, computer science, or experimental psychology. However, it might be useful in the softer of the social sciences and schools of management.
Center for Man-Machine Research School of Industrial and System Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
WILLIAMB. ROUSE
LISTINGS Management Idormation: Where to lind it. MARILYN TAYLORTHOMPSON, Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New
Jersey 1981. 272 pp. $15. Bibliography of sources of information useful in business. Includes dictionaries, directories, bibliographies, atlases, etc. Items organized by subject, for example, general reference, statistical sources, marketing sources, health care, tee., with a title-author index.