Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
6660 terms — page 255 of 333
- Semantic Transcoding (Annotation-driven Transcoding, Ontology-based Transcoding)
- Semantic transcoding is the transformation of web content using explicit semantic information about the structure, role, or meaning of page elements — typically supplied through external annotations, …
- Semantic Web (Web of Data, Linked Data)
- An extension of the World Wide Web in which information is given well-defined meaning through standardized formats and technologies (such as RDFa, OWL, and ontologies), enabling machines to interpret …
- Semantic decomposition
- An analysis method that models a system as a hierarchy of ontological dependencies based on meaning and conceptual relationships, rather than breaking it down by functional tasks. In user interface de…
- Semantic distance (Semantic similarity, Word embedding distance)
- A computational measure of how different two words are in meaning, typically derived from word embedding models like word2vec that represent words as vectors in a high-dimensional space. In caption ev…
- Semantic feature (Environmental feature, Landmark annotation)
- A meaningful environmental attribute associated with a specific location in a navigation system, such as a doorway, floor surface change, point of interest, or tactile ground indicator. In accessible …
- Semantically Unpredictable Sentences (SUS, SUS Test)
- A standardised method for evaluating speech intelligibility in which listeners are presented with sentences that are grammatically correct but semantically meaningless, such as "A polite art jumps ben…
- Semi-Automatic Evaluation (Semi-Automated Testing, Guided Manual Evaluation)
- An approach to accessibility evaluation that combines automated checks with human expert judgment. Semi-automatic tools run algorithmic tests to detect issues that can be identified programmatically —…
- Semi-Automatic Wizard-of-Oz (Semi-Automatic WoZ)
- A hybrid Wizard-of-Oz study methodology in which part of a prototype system is implemented with real automation while a human researcher (the 'wizard') intervenes only for components that are not yet …
- Semi-structured Interview (Semi-structured Interviewing)
- A semi-structured interview is a qualitative research method in which the interviewer works from a guide of open-ended topics or questions but adapts the order, wording, and depth of probing to the fl…
- Semiotic Engineering (Semiotics of HCI)
- A theoretical framework developed by Clarisse Siqueira de Souza that views human-computer interaction as a form of designer-to-user communication mediated by the interface. In this model, the interfac…
- Semiotic Inspection Method (SIM, MIS)
- An evaluation method from Semiotic Engineering theory that systematically assesses the communicability of an interactive system by examining how well the designer's intended message is conveyed throug…
- Sense of Agency (User Agency, Personal Agency)
- The subjective experience of being in control of one's own actions and their effects on the external world. In accessible design, supporting sense of agency means ensuring users feel empowered to make…
- Sense of Control (Perceived control, Locus of control (task-level))
- A psychological construct describing a user's subjective feeling of agency over what a system does, distinct from objective control measures such as available options or task-completion rates. In acce…
- Sense of Presence (Virtual Presence, Spatial Presence)
- The subjective feeling of "being there" in a virtual environment, encompassing spatial presence (feeling physically located in the virtual space), involvement (attention directed at the virtual world)…
- SenseCam (Microsoft SenseCam, Vicon Revue)
- A wearable digital camera originally developed by Microsoft Research that automatically captures photos throughout the day without requiring the wearer to actively take pictures. SenseCam is worn arou…
- Sensemaking (Sense-making)
- The cognitive and social process of giving structure to ambiguous, incomplete, or unfamiliar information so that one can act on it. In HCI and information science, sensemaking is studied as iterative …
- Sensitivity (Recall, Thoroughness, Completeness)
- In the context of accessibility evaluation, sensitivity (also called recall or thoroughness) is the proportion of true accessibility problems that are successfully identified and reported by an evalua…
- Sensorimotor (Sensorimotor System, Sensorimotor Control)
- Relating to the integration of sensory input (proprioception, vision, touch) with motor output (muscle activation and coordinated movement). Sensorimotor processes let people plan, execute, and correc…
- Sensorimotor Rhythm (SMR, Sensorimotor Cortical Rhythm)
- Oscillatory electrical brain activity recorded over the sensorimotor cortex, the brain region responsible for planning and executing voluntary movements. Sensorimotor rhythms include mu rhythms (8-12 …
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL, Nerve Deafness)
- Sensorineural hearing loss is hearing loss caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve, in contrast to conductive hearing loss, which involves the outer or midd…