Methodology

The methodology for the study combines both software development and testing methodologies and usability studies. The study was conducted in four phases:

1. development of a logical structure for a comment classification system

2. development of an automatic parsing system including:
   1. a parser to break incoming mail files into individual mail notes, naming and locating them for CASCADE

   2. a parser to identify comments within mail notes and to name and store them as individual linkable files

   3. a document mapping system to identify the location and sequencing of individual source files along with section mapping to identify the location within source files of the beginnings of sections

   4. a page and line mapping system to identify the mapping of pages and lines of final form documents to source file offsets of sections

   5. a link placement system to position comment links at the appropriate places in the source files -- based on comment parsing and source file mapping

3. development of a comment review system including:
   1. an interface that allows editors to locate, review and modify the logical classification of comments

   2. a record system to maintain information about comments at aggregate levels

   3. a series of reports that provide statistical analysis and information about the status and disposal of comments.

4. conduct a usability study of CASCADE to assess both the overall interface and those particular aspects related to the editorial process to determine:
   1. how comment review is changed by in situ placement of comments and how the various browser tools (i.e. graphical tree access to particular comments, review of sibling comments via directory tools, review of related comments via display page links) are used to examine and access comments

   2. how report usage targets comment review and editing

• Development of a Logical Structure for Comment Review
• Development of a Parsing System
• Development of the Comment Review System
  • Navigation by Mural
  • Comment Review Forms
  • Comment Report System
• Usability Studies
  • Activity Analysis System
  • Preliminary Study of the Interface
  • Usability study of the editorial process