One project about fundamental principles which had reached an important point is about the basis of people's use of hypertext. Many researchers have noted that people who score highly on certain tests of spatial reasoning tend to use hypertext successfully (that is quickly and accurately) and vice versa. However when hypertext interfaces are redesigned to the benefit of people with lower scores on spatial ability tests, there is an inversion in success. It is not clear if the two groups completely swap positions however.
H.A.I.K.U.'s research in this area had been to explore the role of domain expertise in comprehending hypertext versions of scholarly publications. The particular importance of this work is that it could lead to new interfaces for presenting the WWW and to new ways of teaching people to use the WWW.