Navigation in Hypertext

Metrics

Metrics are a way of giving clear and precise values to objects being studied so that subjectivity is not involved [Botafogo]. Many metrics have been proposed to assess properties of hypertext systems. Some of them have been imported from other fields of study; some have been developed especially for hypertext. There are two types of metrics: global and node.

Global metrics are concerned with the hypertext as a whole, while node metrics focus on the structural properties of individual nodes, i.e., how each node relates to the others. Both metrics should be used during hypertext development. Some node metrics can indicate problems such as missing links that are hard to identify. Global metrics can identify strangely organized or very complex hypertext [Botafogo].

Although many metrics have been developed, Botafogo believe that further study will suggest new metrics that will capture other important properties of hypertext.

Last modified: 6 Nov 2002 by Kathy Nguyen Dang