Information mapping
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Information mapping is a technique of dividing and labeling information for easy comprehension, use and recall.
It was developed by Robert E. Horn.
Information Mapping is a structured approach to creating clear, concise and highly usable information focused on the target audience. It does this through analyzing, organising and presenting the information based on audience needs and the purpose of the information. Information Mapping is both subject matter and media independent.
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.
The seven most common information types were concept, procedure, process, principle, fact, structure, and classification.
These types are loosely related to the three basic information types in Darwin Information Typing Architecture - concept, task, and reference. An Information Mapping procedure is a set of steps for a person. A process is a set of steps for a system. Both resemble the DITA task.
DITA topics (concept, task, and reference) are assembled into documents using DITA maps.
[edit] References
- Robert E. Horn. Mapping Hypertext: The Analysis, Organization, and Display of Knowledge for the Next Generation of On-Line Text and Graphics. ISBN 0-9625565-0-5
- Robert E. Horn. How High Can it Fly? Examining the Evidence on Information Mapping's Method of High-Performance Communication. Note: This publication is available for download on Horn's website
- The Information Mapping Method - 30 Years of Research - Research Paper & Notes [1]
[edit] External links
- Robert Horn's website http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/
- Parsons Institute for Information Mapping http://piim.newschool.edu
- Information Mapping's website is http://www.infomap.com
- The UK's Information Mapping website is http://www.pacificblue.co.uk
- Canada's Information Mapping website is http://www.infomap.ca
- France's Information Mapping website is : http://www.informationmapping.fr
- Ireland's Information Mapping website is : http://www.redact.ie
- Hungary's Information Mapping website is : http://dokumentacio.hu