Year of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Computer Science

Department or School/College

Department of Computer Science

Committee Chair

Yolanda Reimer

Commitee Members

Jesse Johnson, Richard Hughes

Keywords

e-books, e-readers, hypertexts, non-linear texts

Subject Categories

Reading and Language

Abstract

Non-linear books are published in print format as sequential text or digitally as collections of documents linked together via hyperlinks. These publication methods are problematic for readers and authors alike. Readers are often presented with unintuitive interfaces that do not indicate critical contextual information; authors struggle to order non-linear content into linear formats or to create and distribute their work in resource intensive digital mediums. While standard e-books might be a convenient format for non-linear books, current e-readers used to view them are severely limited; they mimic the format of physical books and fail to solve problems inherent in displaying non-linear content in a sequential order.

In this research, a novel e-reader prototype, called Adventurous Reader, was developed and tested. This e-reader displays e-books as a collection of linked documents as specified by the author while providing readers with crucial information about their position and progress. When e-books can be viewed in such an interface, they can serve as a solution to many of the problems authors and readers currently experience in the creation, distribution, and consumption of non-linear texts.

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© Copyright 2015 Emily Palmieri