In this article, we propose that remote, internet-based studies of real users interacting with real websites on their own computers at a time and place convenient for them will provide a solid empirical base from which researchers can extrapolate reliable and valid web-design guidelines. After a discussion of research methods that have been used to support the principles that underlie web-design guidelines, we review some of the methodological issues associated with internet-based research and tools for supporting such work. Given advances in technology, the multitude of users online, and emerging technologies with new interfaces, the time has come for technical communication researchers to enter the arena of internet-based research and conduct remote experiments to support the web-design guidelines that they espouse.

When document designers localize documents for readers in other cultures, they should consider what text organization will best suit those readers. The study presented examines American and Japanese readers' comprehension of and preference for expository text that contains a thesis and is organized either inductively or deductively. The results revealed that while Americans performed equally well with either organizational structure, Japanese readers recalled more information from inductively organized text. The implications for document designers in English and Japanese speaking countries are discussed.

When document designers in English-speaking countries localize documents for readers in other cultures, they should consider what text organization will best suit those readers. This study examines the effect of inductive versus deductive organizational patterns on Japanese readers so as to identify what pattern may best suit them. The study assessed Japanese readers' comprehension of and preference for expository text that contains a thesis and is organized either inductively or deductively. The results reveal that readers recall more information from inductively organized text. Preference results were less clear. The implications for native English speaking document designers are discussed at length.

When document designers localize documents for readers in another country, they often assume that the organization of the material used with its original audience will be effective for readers in another country. Whether this assumption is sound depends on what organizational structure readers in other countries are accustomed to seeing. The study examines the organizational structure of 17 Japanese expository texts with the goal of determining what expository structure Japanese readers are most accustomed to reading. The results lead to implications for document designers and readers in both Japan and native English speaking countries.

The paper reports the results of a study that tested the translatability of a restricted language, called Simplified English (SE), as used in maintenance procedures in the airline industry. The study examined the effect of document type (SE versus non-SE) and procedure (procedure A versus procedure B) on the quality and ease of translation for native speakers of Spanish, Chinese, or Japanese. The results reveal that SE may be more effectively translated by native Spanish speakers than by Chinese speakers. The paper concludes with a discussion of methodological issues that researchers should consider when running such translation studies.

It is pointed out that writers and editors have powerful formatting and typographical tools available in word processing and desktop publishing software that can be applied to headings to visually reveal or signal the structure of text, and thus the author's perspective. Results of studies are presented which suggest that (1) visual discriminations among headings are easier for a reader to make when headings vary on fewer rather than more formatting and typographical dimensions, (2) size is the most powerful visual cue to a heading's hierarchical position, (3) relative size differences among different levels of headings of about 20% are more discriminable than are absolute size differences, and (4) formatting cues are perceived by readers consistently but not necessarily conventionally.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

It is noted that computer users often do not take advantage of system shortcuts; instead they rely on familiar but less efficient methods for getting their work done. The authors examine a system that incorporates system-initiated online help to advise users of shortcuts for menu navigation. Subjects received either no advice messages or one of three advice message types, varying in timing and specificity, and subjects were assessed on their subsequent use of shortcuts. Results revealed that users who receive system-initiated advice take greater advantage of shortcuts and are able to complete their work more quickly than users who receive no system-initiated advice messages. Further, a majority of users reacted positively to the messages, finding them helpful in introducing shortcuts.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The authors argue that while usability testers have drawn on demonstrated practices from a variety of the social and clinical sciences in developing their methods, they have not concerned themselves with the reliability and validity of the data produced. The authors suggest that the concepts of reliability and validity are relevant to usability testing and that a concern for reliability and validity will enhance the credibility and effectiveness of usability testers.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>