Users and computers: A contextual approach to design of computer artifacts

Abstract

This note contains a presentation and overwiew of the papers that I have submitted for the degree doctor scientiarum (dr. scient.). Since the papers are written in English the official summary is in Danish. The summary is included at the end of this note. The introduction relates the subject matter of the submitted papers to current discussions in computer science. Section two gives a brief account of the research area in question, how it has developed over the last 25 years, and its current status. Section three presents and discusses the results structured according to the frame of reference given in section two. For each sub-area the central issues are introduced. Then the results obtained are presented; the practical as well as the theoretical. Finally, a short comparison and evaluation in relation to relevant literature is made. Section four contains a short discussion of the methods used, and section five presents ideas for future research.