Unifying the Shift and Narrow Strategies in Focus+Context Exploratory Search

Overview & Synopsis

In this paper we discuss two existing exploration strategies – Shift and Narrow – employed by Focus+Context techniques, and how they are supported in the user interface of Saffron, a web-based system enabling exploration of academic topics, authors, and publications. The Shift strategy enables the user to shift focus between different resources while the Narrow strategy enables the user to narrow the focus. Current systems typically support only one of these approaches or include them as separate interaction modes. Saffron supports both strategies in a unified user interface. An initial user study indicates that participants use and appreciate both strategies being supported simultaneously.