Considering Use and Design of Speech Recognition Systems: Investigating Users of Complex Socio-technical Systems

In this book, Ben Kraal has developed new approaches, informed by the sociology of Actor-Network Theory, for investigating users of complex socio-techicalsystems. These approaches are illustrated through aninvestigation of users of Desktop Speech Recognitionsystems. By examining current users of Desktop SpeechRecognition systems and a situation where SpeechRecognition could be used, it is shown how theseapproaches are equally applicable to understandingpresent use and to speculating about future use. These twin strengths can be applied to design novelfuture technologies, such as speech recognitionsystems, that are then more likely to be successfullyadapted for use in the workplace. A further strengthof the approach is that it can reveal which aspectsof a situation are most amenable to research, ordesign, intervention. This can support a more rapidmove from field work to analysis by showing where totarget research data collection or where to impose adesign process.