Databases on CDROM are one of the more complex types of facility that
will be accessed by the general public, either in their home, in airpo
rt lounges and other public arenas or in libraries. These databases ex
tend over a wide range of different media types including bibliographi
c, full-text and multimedia. Interfaces include DOS-based and GUI-base
d products. This paper reviews the literature on the design and evalua
tion of user interfaces on CDROM, with the objective of distilling gui
delines for these activities. More specifically the article defines in
terfaces, dialogues and interaction, and explores the diversity in and
issues associated with standardisation in interface design for CDROMs
. Current criteria and guidelines for the evaluation of CDROM interfac
es include those of the Special Interest Group on CDROM Applications a
nd Technology (SIGCAT) and guidelines proposed by other authors. Using
this earlier work as a basis an alternative set of guidelines is prop
osed.