Making database systems usable

Database researchers have striven to improve the capability of a database in terms of both performance and functionality. We assert that the usability of a database is as important as its capability. In this paper, we study why database systems today are so difficult to use. We identify a set of five pain points and propose a research agenda to address these. In particular, we introduce a presentation data model and recommend direct data manipulation with a schema later approach. We also stress the importance of provenance and of consistency across presentation models. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.2.0 [General]; H.5.0 [General] General Terms Design, Human Factors Keywords Database, Usability, User Interface

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: SIGMOD
• Authors: H. V. Jagadish, Adriane Chapman, Aaron Elkiss, Magesh Jayapandian, Yunyao Li, Arnab Nandi, Cong Yu
• Keywords: Database, General Terms Design, Presentation Data Model, Schema Later Approach, SIGMOD 2007