Information on the web: How end users make use of data

In this paper I briefly review my preliminary studies of end users´ understanding and expectations of online information activities. I consider some features of current tools that might be useful to such users and describe how this preliminary work has led to a set of research questions that will be used to guide the next phase of my work. I have summarized some of my initial steps towards understanding and supporting Web EUP, specifically support for end-user mashups. One possibility for making Web information tasks more flexible and efficient for end users may be Web mashups hybrid Web applications that integrate multiple information sources into a single interface. Mashups can provide users with a new view of information that is readily available online. While the mashup integration technique allows programmers to generate novel or unanticipated ways to collect and work with online information, average Web users do not have the skills necessary to find and incorporate the many available online data sources. Most Web development tools assume at least some programming background, although tools aimed at end users are beginning to emerge.