1. MAKINGDatabasesUsable Forusers Ritu Khare . July 8 2010. 1

2. Order of Presentation Topics of Interest Databases Forms Making Databases Usable First Generation Applications Second Generation Applications Third Generation – my topic Experiments Future 2

3. Topics of Interest - Databases What Why What is a database? An organized collection of information (data) which is arranged in individual records. What are the primary uses of a databases? Data collection and Data searching. Used everywhere to manage individual items of importance Grocery stores Banks Phone companies School systems Hospitals 3

4. Topics of Interest - Databases High School Database How Student Any tools to design databases? Microsoft Access, Oracle, Knowledge/ Skills needed to design databases Understanding needs of users DB concepts Data Modeling Design guidelines Database programming language Course StudentCourse 4

5. Topics of Interest - Forms Forms Example Globally used for data collection All users(irrespective of their technical knowledge) are familiar Scenarios: Survey data collection Craigslist ad posting Gmail, yahoo, facebook account Sign Up 5

6. Research Focus To make DATABASES more useful for those USERS who have no background in databases who still want to use databases for DATA COLLECTION. In this study, I explore how FORMs can be used to accomplish this. 6

7. User-Database Equation First Generation Examples: MS Access Patient Accomplishment: Users can collect data into databases on their own. Shortcoming: Users depend on the database expert to specify their data collection needs. collect data Expert Designed DB design design Expert Designed Form (Front End) Clinician Data collection needs DB Expert 7

8. User-Database Equation Second Generation Examples: Google Forms FormAssembly Zohocreator Patient collect data Accomplishment: Users can design databases based on customized data collection needs without depending on the database experts. Shortcoming: Unfit for dynamic /critical environments (like healthcare) – where data collection needs keep evolving and changing. design VitalSigns Clinician User-Designed Form (Front End) User Designed DB 8

9. User-Database Equation Third Generation (My Precise Topic) Patient How to merge a form to an existing database? ? VitalSigns design How to integrate new needs with existing ones such that the information represented in database in minimal. Clinician New User Designed Form Form to Database Mapping 9 New Needs Existing Database Evolved Database Why this is IMPORTANT? Solves healthcare issues: Dependence on experts Inconsistency between needs and databases Inflexibility of systems Why this is INTERESTING? It uses forms and databases.

10. Experiments (in healthcare domain) B Efficiency Existing Database Form to Database Mapping New User Designed Form C A Effectiveness: Is the evolved database of high quality w.r.t data collection needs of user ? Correctness, Completeness, Normalization, Minimalism. Can clinians use system to specify their data collection needs in terms of forms? (Usability Study) 10

11. Future This Research helps… Understand the Technical Details of Forms and Databases. Understand the issues in healthcare; Interaction with users to understand their problems and design real-world solutions for them. grow as a researcher After my graduation I plan to … work as a Researcher in a Laboratory (addressing the issues of healthcare and several other industries) 11

12. Questions? Thank you 12