Steven Buchanan

A framework for business continuity management

An enterprise is exposed to risks-such as acts of terrorism, natural disasters and utility failure-which may disrupt operations, disaffect customers and compromise business credibility and revenue streams. Risk can also be introduced to an enterprise through changes-such as automation, down-sizing, process re-engineering or outsourcing of processes and services-each of which may also bring changes in the type of risk. This paper proposes a framework for the design, implementation and monitoring of a business continuity management programme within the context of an information strategy.

The information audit: An integrated strategic approach

Fundamental to the development of an effective information strategy is the recognition of information as a key organisational resource. The role of the information audit is to provide a method for identifying, evaluating, and managing information resources in order to fully exploit the strategic potential of information. In consideration of this strategic role the information audit should provide strategic direction and guidelines for the management of an organisations information resources. However, a review of existing methods concludes that none provide a comprehensive information auditing solution or completely fulfill this strategic role. Therefore a universal methodology is proposed.

The information audit: Role and scope

The information audit (IA) is central to the effective organisational management of information, however, there is evidence from the field that the IA is neither fully accepted nor commonly practiced. This paper highlights and discusses three challenges to current practice: limited guidance on management of scope; ambiguous linkage to related ICT development processes; and the lack of a standard methodological approach. In response to these challenges, the role and scope of the IA is re-examined, key relationships to information strategy and information system architecture (ISA) are defined and mapped, and a two-dimensional matrix is proposed to manage scope.

An integrated approach to process and service management

Any enterprise exists to create and capture value, and much of this value is created through processes and services. Given the heavy dependency of processes on information and IT, the chief information officer (CIO) has a key role to play in ensuring that the enterprise has the appropriate tools to identify, design, implement, monitor and measure the processes and services which will deliver an enterprises strategic goals and objectives. This paper looks at the nature of processes and services, proposes a toolbox for their management and looks at the implications for information strategy and effective information management regimes.

Evaluating the usability and usefulness of a digital library

Purpose – System usability and system usefulness are interdependent properties of system interaction, which in combination, determine system satisfaction and usage. Often approached separately, or in the case of digital libraries, often focused upon usability, there is emerging consensus among the research community for their unified treatment and research attention. However, a key challenge is to identify, both respectively and relatively, what to measure and how, compounded by concerns regarding common understanding of usability measures, and associated calls for more valid and complete measures within integrated and comprehensive models. The purpose of this paper is to address this challenge.Design/methodology/approach – Identified key usability and usefulness attributes and associated measures, compiled an integrated measurement framework, identified a suitable methodological approach for application of the framework, and conducted a pilot study on an interactive search system developed by a Health Se...

The information audit: Methodology selection

This paper considers the comprehensiveness, applicability, and usability of four commonly cited information audit methodologies. Comprehensiveness considers the conceptual, logical, and structural completeness of each methodological approach. Applicability considers the scope of each approach, and the ability to tailor the approach to individual organisational requirements. Usability considers the perceived ease with which each approach can be adopted and applied. A methodological baseline has also been established, which provides a reusable framework to guide future methodology selection, and for developing an individual or tailored approach to the information audit.

Using internet groups in situations of information poverty: topics and information needs

This study explores the use of online newsgroups and discussion groups by people in situations of information poverty. Through a qualitative content analysis of 200 posts across Internet groups, we identify topics and information needs expressed by people who feel they have no other sources of support available to them. We uncover various health, well‐being, social, and identity issues that are not only crucial to the lives of the people posting but which they are unwilling to risk revealing elsewhere—offering evidence that these online environments provide an outlet for the expression of critical and hidden information needs. To enable this analysis, we first describe our method for reliably identifying situations of information poverty in messages posted to these groups and outline our coding approach. Our work contributes to the study of both information seeking within the context of information poverty and the use of Internet groups as sources of information and support, bridging the two by exploring the manifestation of information poverty in this particular online setting.

Digital service analysis and design : the role of process modelling

Abstract Digital libraries are evolving from content-centric systems to person-centric systems. Emergent digital services are interactive and multidimensional, associated systems multi-tiered and distributed. A holistic perspective is essential to their effective analysis and design, for beyond technical considerations, there are complex social, economic, organisational, and ergonomic requirements and relationships to consider. Such a perspective cannot be gained without direct user involvement, yet evidence suggests that development teams may be failing to effectively engage with users, relying on requirements derived from anecdotal evidence or prior experience. In such instances, there is a risk that services might be well designed, but functionally useless. This paper highlights the role of process modelling in gaining such perspective. Process modelling challenges, approaches, and success factors are considered, discussed with reference to a recent evaluation of usability and usefulness of a UK National Health Service (NHS) digital library. Reflecting on lessons learnt, recommendations are made regarding appropriate process modelling approach and application.

The everyday life information seeking behaviours of first-time mothers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the everyday life information seeking behaviours of first-time mothers, as they encounter new, significant and pressing information needs which arise alongside their new responsibilities. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach combined narrative interviews with participatory methods to facilitate engagement and remain sensitive to the social context. Findings – Mothers particularly valued the experiential nature of information received from peers or family members. However, fear of judgement influenced their use of interpersonal sources, both on- and off-line. Their accounts of information seeking contained instances of confusion, tension, conflict and information overload. Feeling under pressure to be “good mothers”, they withheld information needs from others, including healthcare professionals. Research limitations/implications – There was a notable absence of younger ( < 20 year old) and/or less educated mothers in the study. This cor...

The information audit: Theory versus practice

This paper presents and discusses five information audit (IA) case studies, which tested the application and usability of an IA methodology. The studies also trialled an IA scope matrix and incorporated process modelling. The main strengths of the IA methodology were found to be the logical structuring of stages, provision of a comprehensive toolkit, and the flexibility to remove stages not relevant to the client brief. A limitation of the methodology was found to be its lack of instructional depth. The IA scope matrix was successfully trialled, and process modelling proved extremely valuable, encouraging participant involvement by focusing on readily understandable aspects of day-to-day work, and providing an organisational model of information flow.