Short-Type: A Behavioral Analysis of Typing and Text Entry

Abstract

This study evaluated a typing task which incorporated an encoding operation. This technique, called “short-type,” takes advantage of word repetition to reduce the number of keystrokes required to transcribe documents. Four typists were taught a list of abbreviations for frequently occurring words. Their subsequent task was to enter documents into a computer via a standard keyboard. Each time a word from the training list was detected, the corresponding abbreviation was to be typed in its place. It was found that: (1) over 93% of the to-be-abbreviated words were detected by the typists; (2) the error rate in selecting and typing abbreviations was no greater than the error rate in typing words which were not abbreviated; and (3) the substitution process did not adversely affect the keystroke rate. It was concluded that short-type is a practical technique in improving typing performance.