Towards a hypertext reading/comprehension model

This paper reports on a study that is concerned with the cognitive aspects of reading in a hypertext environment. The study focuses on text based electronic documents. A cognitive model for hypertext document reading proposed in an earlier work is here developed and validated with the use of think aloud protocols. Navigational strategies that readers employ in hypertext reading and hypertext links' selection are also under study. The results indicate that 100% of the task related data correspond to the components of the cognitive model, allowing us to conclude that the proposed model sufficiently describes the cognitive processes involved in hypertext reading. In addition, three navigational strategies are revealed: linear, mixed, and mixed review. The quantitative data show no significant differences between different reading goals and comprehension