• 대한산업공학회지
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.197-205
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• 2003

Many people get plenty of information from World Wide Web, and the study of the factors that affect on reading task on web browser is presenting important issue. But domestic studies on legibility of Korean on web environment were relatively poor and the study about suitable text layout for skimming wasn't carried out also. At this point, this study was performed to investigate the effects of two types of reading, three levels of line length, and three levels of interlinear spacing on comprehension and reading rate when subjects read the materials on web browser. Reading speed, error rate, subjective preference and SACL(Stress and Arousal Checklist) evaluation were measured to evaluate the effects. Eighteen volunteer subjects participated in eighteen web document sessions with two different reading types, three different line lengths, and three different interlinear spacings. Statistical results from objective and subjective evaluations indicate that 50 characters per line of line length and 100 percents of interlinear spacing improved reading rate, overall error rates were reduced when reading normally, and SACL measures were increased at fast reading type. Consequently, in order to design text layout to retrieve information in WWW environment effectively, just applying guidelines of traditional printed material is not proper. Therefore, it is effective to consider reading type, line length, and interlinear spacing. Implications of these results and suggestions for the further study are also addressed.