At this point, several possible extraneous variables that could possibly affect the interaction between independent and dependent variables have been evaluated as participants' preexisting feelings towards electronic texts, reading, the Sherlock Holmes collection, or technologies present in the experiment setting. In an attempt to understand any influence of these variables on the dependent variable, participants will be surveyed prior to the start of the experiment for demographic information as well as information specifically relating to the above points. Further, to limit the effect of possible extraneous variables such as differences in environment or product differences other than those formed by the independent variable, all participants will receive the same treatment in regards to the allotment of time to read the material, testing environments will remain constant, and product look and feel will be kept the same.

Relative stability of the dependent variable is also hoped to be achieved by delivering the same instructions to all participants and to avoid any ambiguous or leading statements that could introduce either the Hawthorne or experimenter effects into the interaction between variables. Survey questions will be screened in advance so that they are understandable and unbiased.

The experiment itself will be conducted in accordance with a within-subjects design. Participants randomly selected and assigned to two groups, with both groups eventually receiving both treatments. Group A will begin with the control condition and will receive a non-interactive (but in all other regards, exactly the same) version of the electronic text at the same time that Group B will receive the interactive version of the text. Both will be given a short survey about their experience then receive the other treatment and subsequent survey. Results will then be compared against the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between interactivity and entertainment and that adding interactivity will not also increase user satisfaction with the product.

This new innovation is especially relevant for electronic literature. The iPad already lends users the ability to turn pages much like they would a real book (the user can drag their finger across the screen and the corner of the page will follow the same path), but what would happen if we blended the rest of its capabilities with that same piece of literature?

Alice for the iPad was the first eBook to explore this option. Released April, 2010, this curious app takes the Lewis Carroll original and adds physics to some of the original illustrations, bringing Alice's peculiar adventures to life. Though other interactive media has since been released, Alice was the first of its kind.

Naturally, we were curious. After reading blog entry after blog entry about how awesome Alice was, we decided to download the app for ourselves and try it out. We have to admit, we were a little disappointed. However, this disappointment soon led to excitement, because of the many opportunities we saw in Alice's failings. First of all, we must admit that the app was impressive. It was fun to play with, and a creative idea. However, we noticed something: we didn't bother reading the text. We would simply flip through the pages until we found one we could interact with. This led us to another discovery: the type of interaction was the same across the text. Every item could be moved by tilting the iPad or swiping at it with your finger. There was also an abundance of floating objects throughout the piece that would float around over the text.

We propose that by introducing a different type of interactivity to a piece of literature, we can better mesh classic literature and its modern counterpart. This is based on several research findings that visual elements properly related to the available text will increase the reader's involvement with the material. The interactive elements in this new eBook will relate the reader to specific actions within the text by having them complete several actions performed by the characters, as well as aiding in the visualization of scenes and characters, therefore increasing his interest in the story and its perceived entertainment value.