International Business Machines Corporation

Jianming Dong

John Martin Mullaly

Alan Richard Tannenbaum

Shirley Lynn Martin

Paul D Waldo

Craig Ardner Swearingen

John A Cook

Card-sorting exercises are used to understand how users would intuitively group or sort information topics, in order to better design an instrument that provides these topics, such as a website. When a user is not familiar with some of the topics, they are allowed to leave these items unsorted, in order that wild guesses do not skew the results. The algorithm verifies that the unsorted items are unfamiliar, then tracks instances of unsorted items so that these responses are mathematically removed from the calculations.

User interface and algorithm to handle 'unknown' data in card-sorting exercise and cluster analysis

A method and apparatus in a computer for processing voice messages. A voice message is recorded. Responsive to recording of the voice message, an identifying string is automatically inserted into a text message identifying a presence of a voice message. Responsive to recording the voice message, the voice message is automatically appended to a text message to form an appended voice message. The text message is sent with the appended voice message. When a message is received, the text in the received message is parsed to see if an identifying string is present indicating that the received message is a voice message. Responsive to a determination that the received message is a voice message, a graphical user interface including controls for presenting the voice message is displayed.

Method and apparatus for sending messages in a data processing system

A graphical user interface for use in a data processing system for facilitating data entry for cluster analysis. In a preferred embodiment, the graphical user interface includes a source card list area, a participants area, a first sort area, and a second sort area. The source card list area allows entry, display of, and direct manipulation access to all of a plurality of items to be sorted. The participants area allows entry and display of participant names. The first sort area includes a plurality of first sections that each can contain a set of items dragged from the source card list area and represents a first-level of grouping of the items from the source card list area. The second sort area includes a plurality of second sections. Each of the plurality of second sections may contain items dragged from at least one of the first sections and represents a second-level of grouping of the items from the source card list area.

System and method of data entry for a cluster analysis program

A method and apparatus in a computer for processing messages. A message is received. The message is stored. The message is parsed according to a policy. The message is selectively displayed in a graphical user interface based on the policy, wherein messages failing to meet the policy are undisplayed in the graphical user interface.

Method and apparatus for filtering messages in a data processing system

A method, system and program for performing remote automated usability testing of a software application utilizing a data processing system connected within a network. In accordance with the method, system and program of the present invention, a user is provided with an automated usability test for a particular software application, wherein the automated usability test is to be activated while the particular software application is running utilizing a data processing system connected within a network. The user is prompted to perform particular tasks, in response to activation of the automated usability test while the software application is running. Data indicating the usability of the software application is gathered through user responses to the promptings. The gathered data is automatically sent to a data collection location at a remote site within the network, such that usability test data from multiple data processing systems in multiple remote user environments is gathered at a location remote from the multiple data processing systems.

Method, system and program for performing remote usability testing

A method and system for dynamically representing cluster analysis results. In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, a hierarchical tree is graphically displayed. The hierarchical tree represents cluster analysis of relationships between multiple items utilizing an initial distance constraint value, wherein the graphical display includes a graphically alterable threshold indicator positioned within the hierarchical tree that graphically marks the distance constraint value. The presentation of the graphical display of the hierarchical tree is dynamically altered to reflect a user-determined distance constraint value, in response to user-controlled alteration of the graphical position of the threshold indicator, such that upon changing a distance constraint for a cluster analysis, the hierarchical tree which graphically represents the cluster analysis is dynamically altered.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Jianming Dong