User-Centered Technology in Participatory Culture: Two Decades “Beyond a Narrow Conception of Usability Testing”

Robert R. Johnson Walker (United States) ; Michael J. Salvo Purdue University West Lafayette ; Meredith W. Zoetewey University of South Florida

Abstract

Twenty years after the publication of Patricia Sullivan's ldquoBeyond a narrow conception of usability testingrdquo in the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, three scholars - all Sullivan's students - reflect on the history and development of usability testing and research. Following Sullivan, this article argues that usability bridges the divide between science and rhetoric and asserts that usability is most effective when it respects the knowledge-making practices of a variety of disciplines. By interrogating trends in usability method, the authors argue for a definition of usability that relies on multiple epistemologies to triangulate knowledge-making. The article opens with a brief history of the development of usability methods and argues that usability requires a balance between empirical observation and rhetoric. Usability interprets human action and is enriched by articulating context and accepting contingency. Usability relies on effective collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders in the design of technology. Ultimately, professional and technical communication scholars are best prepared to coin new knowledge with a long and wide view of usability.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2007-12-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2007.908730
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (22)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Communication Design Quarterly
  3. Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Show all 22 →
  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Communication Design Quarterly
  4. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  6. Technical Communication Quarterly
  7. Communication Design Quarterly
  8. Communication Design Quarterly
  9. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  10. Communication Design Quarterly
  11. Technical Communication Quarterly
  12. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  13. Communication Design Quarterly
  14. Technical Communication Quarterly
  15. Technical Communication Quarterly
  16. Computers and Composition
  17. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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