HCI Research: Future Directions that Matter

Abstract

In this essay, I briefly review the dominant perspective in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research and its underlying research questions as currently pursued in the field of Information Systems (IS). I discuss its strengths and weaknesses and conclude that it is reaching the state of a decreasing rate of returns due to significant changes in computing environments and computer use. Three emerging themes are noted to address this challenge: 1) concern for environmental validity, 2) richer notions of cognition, and 3) growth and access to new sets of data. I suggest that these themes will shape the research in HCI in this decade, and, if addressed properly, will improve the relevance (and rigor) of future research.