Patterns of Hypertext-Augmented Sensemaking

The early days of HCI were marked by bold visions of hypertext as a transformative medium for augmented sensemaking, exemplified in systems like Memex, Xanadu, and NoteCards. Today, however, hypertext is often disconnected from discussions of the future of sensemaking. In this paper, we investigate how the recent resurgence in hypertext “tools for thought” might point to new directions for hypertext-augmented sensemaking. Drawing on detailed analyses of guided tours with 23 scholars, we describe hypertext-augmented use patterns for dealing with the core problem of revisiting and reusing existing/past ideas during scholarly sensemaking. We then discuss how these use patterns validate and extend existing knowledge of hypertext design patterns for sensemaking, and point to new design opportunities for augmented sensemaking.