USER-CENTRED DESIGN VS. 'GOOD' DATABASE DESIGN PRINCIPLES: A CASE STUDY, CREATING KNOWLEDGE REPOSITORIES FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS.

摘要

In 2006-07, the author was involved in redesigning andatabase storing traditional knowledge of AustraliannAboriginal clans. The project raised issues relating tonthe design of repositories for indigenous knowledge,nincluding theoretical approaches taken to ontologyn(knowledge structures, classification systems) andnmetadata creation. This paper describes the designnprocess undertaken, in which user-centred designnprinciples accommodated an emergent contrastnbetween traditional knowledge customs and "good"ndatabase design principles. Theoretical approachesntaken to ontology are presented, and the format ofnthe restructured database is discussed in generalnterms. Assembling evidence from usability testingnand qualitative research, the paper concludes thatna flexible ontological system was needed to providenthe customisability required by indigenous users - ansystem whose iterations and applications may usefullynrepresent widely differing aboriginal cultures.