Structuring Spreadsheets With “Lish” Data Model (2022)

Review

Idea of a “Lish” data model in introducing formulae and templating language using the margins of the spreadsheet is introduced and the data representation for this model is discussed. It helps in capturing some common patterns user encounters in their daily life and helps them not repeat themselves when dealing with these structures.

Human-Spreadsheet Interaction (2013)

Review

The paper performs a Principal Component Analysis like study called the repertory grid study to understand the qualitative dimensions of a spreadsheet. Using this data, they suggest some potential interaction design opportunities that can be performed along the unearthed dimensions.

Tidy Data (2014)

Review

Describes a data standard for linking structure with semantics. There is a neat terminology of variables and observations described here that can be used to provide meaning for the datasets. While the underlying ontology of how the author conceives of objects/processes in the world is left implicit, there is something very interesting about taking variables/observations as the starting point. The format is said to be Codd’s Third Normal Form in database normalization stated in statistical language.

How do people learn to use spreadsheets? (2014)

Review

Provides a characterization of the users of spreadsheets according to their motivation. It categorizes users based on their intrinsic motivation and elicits how they differ across the three dimensions of discovery, expertise acquisition, and attention investment.

The Spreadsheet Interface: A basis for end-user programming (1990)

Review

Authors perform a user study on the factors that make the spreadsheet environment successful. They locate it to be combined factors of high attention-investment reward that shields users from the low-level programming aspects while its table-oriented interface allows them to readily model their problem.