Copyright on this material is held by the authors. New technologies in this field are potentially very important for co-operation and exchange of information within and between organisations and communities. The development and introduction of new technologies would progress more adequately if they could be evaluated systematically from a users point of view. In Europe interest in this area is fostered by European Community research programs such as the Telematics Applications Program, which requires systematic attention to user involvement, validation and field trials. The interaction between user and a technical tool.
Relevant issues are mental effort and perceived usability.
The interaction between user and a database at a distance. The interaction between users, mediated by a tool. Many ideas, principles, techniques and assessment instruments can be encountered. The question is whether a comprehensive methodology can be developed, and what research paradigms are relevant. This is important for designers and users of new systems.