Information Architecture for Information Professionals

Citation

Milne, C. (2008), "Information Architecture for Information Professionals", Records Management Journal, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 95-97. https://doi.org/10.1108/09565690810858569

In many quarters, the term information architecture remains cloaked in confusion, particularly as a broad range of skills emanating from a wide range of professional fields are required to build, develop and maintain information architectures. A review of the literature, and a passing examination of job descriptions allied to information architecture, can shed some light on the contribution, which information professionals can make. However, cursory use of generalised terms such as indexing, classification, information retrieval etc. which are frequently encountered when exploring this discipline, raises more questions than answers. Subsequently, it was most welcoming to hear of this dedicated text by Sue Batley, a Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University.

The scope of the text is clearly set‐out within the preface, and this position is consistently adhered to throughout the work i.e. to “examine the field of information architecture from the perspective of the information professional” within the “context of traditional librarianship and partially within the context of systems design.”

In terms of readership, and accessibility the exploration of information retrieval draws (as the preface indicated) heavily upon librarianship perspectives, both in the exemplars offered and the language used, to the extent that without a suitable grounding, readers from other disciplines (including records management) may find it difficult to immediately relate to the material. In exploring key issues surrounding search and taxonomy development (post and pre‐coordination) while coverage is given to the theories underpinning classification, the narrative frequently jumps into areas where there is an assumed knowledge or prior experience. As a librarian the text was a joy to read, rekindling memories of the exploration of information retrieval theory encountered as an undergraduate. However, reflecting on my recent experience of reading for a Masters in records management, if I had to rely solely on the knowledge gained from this particular discipline, I would have struggled to fully engage with, and appreciate, the descriptions and arguments offered.

The extent to which the author draws upon librarianship traditions is perhaps best illustrated throughout the exploration of “searching and finding”, arguably the kernel of any information architecture development, and a key chapter in the book. Unfortunately, this element of the discussion is devoid of any treatment of the potential of records management to offer solutions capable of contributing towards information architecture development. Subsequently, neither are there any exemplars offered to which information professionals drawing solely on a records management background can directly relate to. Discussions on taxonomy building and development could have been enhanced by considering the processes surrounding the classification of records within Business Classification Schemes. Particularly, as the records management traditions of classifying to preserve the context and evidential value of an item varies from the subject approach to information, and thus have the potential to offer solutions where there are limitations in the subject approach. On a side note, the lack of recognition of records management as a discipline, which is also concerned with classification to support information retrieval, could suggest that there is scope for records managers and academics to explore more fully, where approaches to information management from this arena could be applied successfully elsewhere, particularly in the development of information architectures. Where consideration is given to the role of records management in developing information architectures, this is essentially confined to document description and content analysis (chapter 4).

The text is organised into seven chapters, and covers the following key areas.

1. 1.

   Introduction: definitions of information architecture, examination of core concepts (indexing, classification, user centred design).

2. 2.

   Preliminaries: building information systems from an understanding of user needs and organisational requirements.

3. 3.

   Search and finding: exploration of information retrieval based on librarianship traditions.

4. 4.

   Document and document description: techniques for managing content and improving information retrieval – content analysis, metadata, thesauri, ontology.

5. 5.

   Interface and display design: exploring how “good design allows users to focus on content”.

6. 6.

   Management and maintenance: exploring post implementation issues with a view to preserving the integrity and value of information architecture, focusing on content management.

7. 7.

   Evaluation: summary of the key concepts covered, exploring the role of the information architect.

The discussions offered on the role of faceted classification within chapters 3 and 4, and the relationships between thesauri and ontology are particularly useful. Although interesting, the introduction to interface and display design (chapter 5) is likely to have limited impact on the work of information professionals, unless they are tasked with improving or influencing the improvement of human‐computer interfaces.

Despite the text being likely to be of more immediate appeal to librarians, overall, this work is to be welcomed, as it provides a useful grounding (notably chapters 3 and 4) illustrating where information retrieval approaches can be utilised to develop and build information architectures, where in other instances the depth of treatment of this subject is often shallow. Where the reader requires additional information each chapter is supported by suggested further reading, and is comprehensively referenced. Perhaps, by considering and reflecting on the librarianship traditions utilised to develop and build information architectures, parallels could also be identified suggesting where records management could also make significant contribution to this emerging field, or where additional research could be focused. Hopefully, this text will extend the debate on the role of the information professional in developing information architectures.