Abstract
This essay contributes a meta-scientific account of human-computer interaction (HCI) research as problem-solving. We build on the philosophy of Larry Laudan, who develops problem and solution as the foundational concepts of science. We argue that most HCI research is about three main types of problem: empirical, conceptual, and constructive. We elaborate upon Laudan's concept of problem-solving capacity as a universal criterion for determining the progress of solutions (outcomes): Instead of asking whether research is 'valid' or follows the 'right' approach, it urges us to ask how its solutions advance our capacity to solve important problems in human use of computers. This offers a rich, generative, and 'discipline-free' view of HCI and resolves some existing debates about what HCI is or should be. It may also help unify efforts across nominally disparate traditions in empirical research, theory, design, and engineering.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Publisher | Association for Computing Machinery |
| Publication date | 7 May 2016 |
| Pages | 4956-4967 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-4503-3362-7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 7 May 2016 |
| Event | 34th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, United States Duration: 7 May 2016 → 12 May 2016 Conference number: 34 |
Conference
| Conference | 34th Annual CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |
|---|---|
| Number | 34 |
| Location | San Jose Convention Center |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | San Jose |
| Period | 07/05/2016 → 12/05/2016 |