The Impact of Hyperlinks, Skim Reading and Perceived Importance when Reading on the Web, 2009-2019

Fitzsimmons, Gemma (2021). The Impact of Hyperlinks, Skim Reading and Perceived Importance when Reading on the Web, 2009-2019. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-855044

The centrality of the Web for scientific research and economic activity has not been matched by our understanding of its complex relationship with the embedding society. In part this is because of its Protean nature and ubiquity. It exists at a variety of scales, from engineering protocols to websites, small communities to giant e-government and e-commerce systems. It is engineered technology, and a network of overlapping social networks.Hence the Web's study is legitimate from many disciplinary perspectives. To engage with it as a first-order object requires an interdisciplinary overview, grounded by an understanding of its engineering principles, that currently few researchers can achieve. The aim of this Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) proposal is to create a cohort of researchers that (a) have appropriate research skills, (b) have a breadth of understanding of multidisciplinary approaches to the Web, and (c) are a coherent community.Such a cohort will enhance our understanding of the Web in a number of ways. They will carry out deep and committed research, which they will be able to situate in a wider context. The number of researchers will create a critical mass, able to promote Web Science in the academic community and help make it a hub for research investment over the medium term.The DTC aims to produce PhDs to fill the need, but who are also aware of each other's work and the work of relevant fields. This community awareness will be fostered in a number of ways. Students will: (i) begin with an MSc to equip them for the technical methods required for Web Science; (ii) have a base in the School of Electronics and Computer Science and the Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI) wherever their main location; (iii) share a core introduction to relevant disciplines, and to the protocols that make up the Web; (iv) be partly assessed on interdisciplinary group projects; and (v) attend joint research seminars. In this way the DTC will add value compared to a stream of isolated DTAs.The DTC will avoid introspection, and will be outward-looking. The Web is an international phenomenon, and WSRI is affiliated with other Web Science labs in a global network. All DTC funded students will be offered the opportunity to spend up to 3 months studying at one of these labs, or in an industrial placement. Furthermore, WSRI will host international scholars of all levels from other labs, and students will be able to attend their seminars and discuss their work.The creation of a cohort of researchers will be beneficial for the Web and our interactions with it. The continuing health of the Web is clearly a matter of interest for everyone, and this DTC will help develop a set of researchers able to understand the Web at varying scales, from varying points of view, and with a clear perception of the international dimension.A PhD in Web Science will be a valuable asset in many industries operating in the digital economy, including e-health, the media, finance or e-defence, where quality of service provided depends both on technological developments and the integration of technology into a social context. Issues such as security, privacy and collective intelligence matter just as much as methods of inference or the structure of the Web. The breadth of understanding that Web Science provides will also be vital in the software and hardware development companies which not only add value to the British economy but also support the Web itself.Finally, the Web is an important tool for government, in terms of communication and coordination within itself, and of delivery of services and supply of information to citizens. Once more, Web Science would enable an understanding of the technology and the social context for the next generation of government officials, allowing them (a) to apply current Web technology to existing problems, and (b) to engage with the future development of the Web in socially beneficial ways.

Data description (abstract)

It has previously been shown that readers spend a great deal of time skim reading on the Web and that this type of reading can affect comprehension of text. Across two experiments, we examine how hyperlinks influence perceived importance of sentences and how perceived importance in turn affects reading behaviour. In Experiment 1, participants rated the importance of sentences across passages of Wikipedia text, while in Experiment 2, participants read these passages, with the task being either reading for comprehension or skim reading. Reading times of sentences were analysed in relation to the type of task and the importance ratings from Experiment 1. Results from Experiment 1 show readers rated sentences without hyperlinks as being of less importance than sentences that did feature hyperlinks, and this effect is larger when sentences are lower on the page. It was also found that short sentences with more links were rated as more important, but only when they were presented at the top of the page. Long sentences with more links were rated as more important regardless of their position on the page. In Experiment 2, higher importance scores resulted in longer sentence reading times. When skim reading, however, importance ratings had a lesser impact on reading behaviour than when reading for comprehension. We suggest readers are less able to establish the importance of a sentence when skim reading, even though importance could have been assessed by information that would be fairly easy to extract (i.e. presence of hyperlinks, length of sentences, and position on the screen).

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