Information mapping
Encyclopedia
Information Mapping is a technique that divides and labels information
to facilitate comprehension, use, and recall. It was originally developed by Robert E. Horn.
Robert Horn and his colleagues identified dozens of common documentation types, then analyzed them into structural components called information blocks. They identified over 200 common block types. These were assembled into information types using information maps.
According to Horn and his colleagues, the six most common information types are:
The information mapping goal is measurable results that change the way people present information.
Horn's research-based, structured authoring methodology (The Method) forms the foundation of all of his company's (Information Mapping, Inc.) services: content development and management tools, professional services, and training. Institutions such as the University of Maryland's Human Computer Interaction (HCI) program and organizations such as the Parsons Institute for Information Mapping™ have extended this methodology to include greater graphic design, visualization, technology, and knowledge management capabilities into the process of mapping information.
Information Mapping has close ties to information visualization, information architecture, graphic design, information design, and data analysis. The field has responded to advances in Information Technology to also closely tie to: user experience design, graphic user interface design, and knowledge management systems.
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
to facilitate comprehension, use, and recall. It was originally developed by Robert E. Horn.
Overview
Information Mapping™ is a research-based approach for creating structured documents and communications. Its goal is to produce clear, concise, and user-focused communications. This is done by analyzing, organizing, and presenting information based on audience needs and the purpose of the information. The method is subject-matter and media independent.Robert Horn and his colleagues identified dozens of common documentation types, then analyzed them into structural components called information blocks. They identified over 200 common block types. These were assembled into information types using information maps.
According to Horn and his colleagues, the six most common information types are:
- Procedure
- Process
- Principle
- Concept
- Fact
- Structure
The information mapping goal is measurable results that change the way people present information.
Horn's research-based, structured authoring methodology (The Method) forms the foundation of all of his company's (Information Mapping, Inc.) services: content development and management tools, professional services, and training. Institutions such as the University of Maryland's Human Computer Interaction (HCI) program and organizations such as the Parsons Institute for Information Mapping™ have extended this methodology to include greater graphic design, visualization, technology, and knowledge management capabilities into the process of mapping information.
Information Mapping has close ties to information visualization, information architecture, graphic design, information design, and data analysis. The field has responded to advances in Information Technology to also closely tie to: user experience design, graphic user interface design, and knowledge management systems.
External links
- Parsons Institute for Information Mapping web site.
- University of Maryland, Human-Computer Interaction Lab web site.
- Robert Horn web site.
- Information Mapping web site.
Notable Experts
- Brian WillisonBrian WillisonBrian Willison is the Executive Director of the Parsons Institute for Information Mapping at The New School.-Early life:...
- Robert HornRobert E. HornRobert E. Horn is an American political scientist, who taught at Harvard, Columbia, and Sheffield universities. Currently he is a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Center for the Study of Language and Information...