NOTE: I have switched the session on information system structure and the user from that indicated in the tentative schedule to take advantage of an opportunity. That is, Mark Geisler of BIOSIS has offered to talk about the structure of BIOSIS' bibliographic information system product. The class will begin with his presentation. If you wish you can get more information on BIOSIS at http://www.biosis.org
Soergel, Dagobert. (1985). Organizing Information: Principles of Database and Retrieval System. Orlando, FL: Academic Press. Chapter 5: The structure of information systems.
This selection was chosen to get you to think about the various components of an information system. In reading the selection consider how each of the components contributes to the success of the system. In particular, consider how the "organizational"–representation, classification, display–components of the system are influenced by or contribute to other components.
Modell, M.E. (1992). Data analysis, data modeling, and classification. New York: McGraw-Hill. (pp. 85-90 & 167-170).
This selection is for those of you who have not previously encountered entity-relationship modeling or object oriented analysis and the result of this process, which Soergel refers to as a conceptual schema. That is, Soergel's exposition of the structure of an ISAR system uses an approach that at the time of the writing of the book was labeled entity-relationship modeling, and more recently has evolved into object-oriented analysis and object modeling. This approach is an important representational approach. We do not address it in its full glory in this class as it is a major topic in Systems Analysis (INLS 162) and Database Systems (INLS 256). However, it will be helpful if you have some basic notion of terminology (e.g., understand what entities/objects are).