Finding Decisions Through Artefacts
Alan John Dix, Devina Ramduny-Ellis, Paul Rayson, Victor Onditi, Ian Sommerville, A. R. MacKenzie · 2003
This paper addresses the use of artefacts as a resource for analysis. Artefacts are particularly useful in situations where direct observation is ineffective, in particular for infrequent activities. We discuss two classes of techniques: focusing on the 'artefact as designed' as a means of recovering designers' explicit and implicit knowledge and 'artefacts as used' as a means of uncovering the trail left by currently inactive processes. These techniques have been applied using a meeting capture system and meeting minutes as the artefact resources. This is part of a wider study to understand the nature of decisions and so reduce rework.