[Sigia-l] IA research?

[Marcel van Mackelenbergh]

Anne,

> My point was that as a consequence of using HCI
> methods in analysis, design and evaluation HCI inevitably winds up hitting
> IA problems. We then attempt to figure out solutions in somewhat hit and
> miss ways - sometimes we are successful often less so. In this way we are
> taking over IA's turf by default and often badly reinventing the IA wheel.

I think the reason why HCI and IA haven't really met is because of the way
we look at it. You may look at IA as "the discipline of the classification
of information". I think HCI has little to say about that. But once we see
IA as "the communication on where to find useful information", HCI has a
whole lot to say. Once we see IA as a communication discipline, all the work
on user centred design becomes relevant. I see IA as creating signposts:
people who know tell other people where to look for useful information.

Defining target audiences, performing needs analysis, doing contextual
inquiry, usability testing of a classification are all much more powerful
techniques to create a classification than asking a target audience to do
card sorting. Card sorting is only one of the many ways to observe your
target audience. 

I think that's why Karen Shriver says that IA is the next area for technical
communication.

Marcel