Classified - Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains answers to some common questions.

• What is a 'card-sort'?
• Is Classified available for Mac or Windows 3.1?
• How many categories can I test?
• How many items can there be in each category?
• Do I need to use special file formats?
• Where does Classified store evaluation results?
• Why do I need Windows 95 Version B or later?

What is a 'card-sort'?

Card sorting is a technique used both to create and evaluate structures.

One of the main benefits of using card sorting when creating structures is that no technical expertise is required. This means you can have representative users of your product carry out the exercise.

When it comes to testing, card sorting enables you to test a structure without actually building it. For example, you can test the structure of a web site without writing a single line of HTML. Instead, you hand participants cards with the names of items printed on them, and track their actions as they attempt to find the location of the item on a sheet of paper, booklet or the like.

Unfortunately, evaluations are labour intensive and error-prone, which is why Classified was written.

Is Classified available for Mac or Windows 3.1?

Currently, Classified is available for the following platforms only:

• Windows 95
• Windows 98
• Windows NT4 (level: Service Pack 3)

How many categories can I test?

With Classified, you can test structures containing up to 20 categories.

How many items can there be in each category?

There are no restrictions on the number of items in each category.

Do I need to use special file formats?

Classified reads the classification from a simple text file, which you can produce using a text editor or word processor.

Classified writes a comma-separated-values (CSV) file, which can be read by word processor and spreadsheet programs.

Where does Classified store evaluation results?

Classified always stores results in the Data directory. Usually, this directory is c:\program files\classified\data.

The file name is the same as your input (classisfication) file, but with a CSV extension. For example, if your input file is c:\test\example.txt, Classified saves the evaluation results in c:\program files\classified\data\example.csv.

Why do I need Windows 95 Version B or later?

When Classified is installed on very early version of Windows 95, an error message indicates that one or more DLL files have failed to register.

In our testing, we have not found that this causes any problems; Classified still runs correctly. However, we decided to err on the side of caution and recommend later versions of Windows.