Browsing Within a Multidimensional and Bidirectional Environment by Using a Hypergraph

This paper discusses the navigation efficiency and per- ceived usability of a multidimensional search browser com- pared to a one-dimensional search browser. The central question to be examined in this paper is if data can be browsed more time efficient with the former browser than with the latter and if the former browsing method has a higher rating of usability than the latter. Performing this study involved implementing two similar, but yet different kinds of browsing systems. This paper is contributing to the topic of a possible application of a xanalogical data structure within the process of online search and the ac- ceptance of multidimensional usage within browsers. To compare the systems, 14 (former) students participated in a within-subject experiment. The majority of these par- ticipants preferred the use of less dimensions within the implementation. On the other hand, the same system was rated higher for its functionality, which was due to the advanced usage of the xanalogical structure.