research interests & projects

The Digital Storytelling Effects Lab

My current research is conducted through DiSEL: The Digital Storytelling Effects Lab, a research consortium I co-founded with Nora Paul from the Institute for New Media Studies at the University of Minnesota.

DiSEL’s goals are simple and straightforward: to conduct research studies that provide pertinent guidance for journalists making daily online storytelling decisions – and to get the results out to the industry in a timely, effective manner. It is the combination of eyetracking and other research methods that provide solid results, but it is our background in and understanding of newsroom practices that make these results practical and applicable.

Please visit the DiSEL Web site for more information.

eyetrack III

Eyetrack III was a collaborative effort with the Poynter Institute, the Estlow Center and Eyetools, Inc.

In late 2003, we took 51 Internet users and looked through their eyes -- utilizing sophisticated and non-intrusive "eyetracking" equipment -- as they each spent an hour reading news websites and multimedia news content.

We used the Eyetools Analysis Solution Suite to capture and process the data and looked to the company's experts to help us compile the findings. What we learned is the subject of this website.

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