How Useful is On-line Help?: An Observational Study.

This paper reports results from an empirical study on On-line help usage conducted with a group of computer users who are professionals in their own areas, with variable experience in the applications examined. The study reveals that even experienced users find some aspects of existing On-line Help Systems difficult to use, and current versions are not well received. We identify three problems with On-line help - Ontology, Compartmentalisation, and the lack of an Integrated Base, and suggest possible solutions.