End-user data-centric interactions over linked data

The ability to build tools that support gathering and querying information from distributed sources on the Web rests on the availability of structured data. Linked Data, as a way for publishing and linking distributed structured data sources on the Web, provides an opportunity to create this kind of tools. Currently, however, the ability to complete such tasks over Linked Data sources is limited to users with advanced technical skills, resulting in an online information space largely inaccessible to non-technical end users. This thesis explores the challenges of designing user interfaces for end users, those without technical skills, to use Linked Data to solve information tasks that require combining information from multiple sources. The thesis explores the design space around interfaces that support access to Linked Data on demand, suggests potential use cases and stakeholders, and proposes several direct manipulation tools for end users with diverse needs and skills. User studies indicate that the tools built offer solutions to various challenges in accessing Linked Data that are identified in this thesis