Communication of Complex Information: User Goals and Information Needs for Dynamic Web Information [Paperback]

Michael J. Albers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0805849939 | ISBN-13: 978-0805849936 | Publication Date: November 4, 2004

The amount of information available for any realistic complex situation is likely to overwhelm most users, as well as stymie any designer tasked with presenting the information. Providing large amounts of information in a coherent and usable format remains an unresolved problem. Choosing, structuring, formatting, and displaying information to allow easy access and to facilitate understanding are critical issues for effective design. To build an effective design that addresses complex information needs, one must look at research from psychology, sociology, human computer interaction, and technical communication, and develop a complete picture of the situation.

This book develops a foundation for analysis and design of the approaches to providing complex information in real-world situations. Author Michael Albers takes the view that the content of the information system is the most important component. As such, this volume presents the analysis that needs to be done before the interface is designed and before content is created. It strives to provide clear understanding of how the user thinks and what the user needs, so interface operation, content, and presentation can maximize their respective potentials in communicating with a user.

This volume is intended for technical communicators, human-computer interaction designers, and information designers. It will also be useful for system designers and researchers, and those studying adaptive hypertext and related topics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1526 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (November 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805849939
• ISBN-13: 978-0805849936
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,207,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Look past the typos, November 26, 2010

By 

Dr. Dave (UT) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Communication of Complex Information: User Goals and Information Needs for Dynamic Web Information (Paperback)

Yes, this book has unfortunate typos, but you should not let that distract you from its importance.

First, I address the typos. Typically, in a peer reviewed environment authors submit books that are blind reviewed by three scholars. The authors rewrite the entire book based on those reviews. Often there is a great deal of shifting texts from one segment (even chapter) to another. In this period, largely because turn around times are so quick, there are tremendous opportunities to create "computos" (errors made because of cut and pasting or deleating segments of text) -- worse, few authors can see all of their own errors; that's why there are copy editors.

After final submission, the authors will typically see the book one more time where they will respond to the questions and comments generated by the copy editors. This is a dangerous time, because if the authors assume the copy editors have found all of the errors, they might not carefully check the rest of the text. This appears to be an example of such a problem.

There is, however, a different path to errors such as these. I have had publishers publish my penultimate draft, missing all of the corrections made in the final draft.

Now about the book and its author.
If you recognize that complex information systems in digital media represent the future of digital communication and want to see where it will probably go, there is nowhere one else to look. I research this topic and own every book I know of (I know of five). Three of them are authored, co-authored, or co-edited by Michael Albers. He sets the curve in research for both theoretical and practical applications in this area. This one is both most complete and most accessible of the books on this topic that I know of. It is my go-to book when I want to prepare a class on complex information systems or springboard into a research project.

If you are among those who worry more about grammar than content, this book is not for you. If you are among those who need to come to grips with complex information systems, there is none better. My hope is the publisher will produce a new edition with the errors repaired, but with or without the repairs, this is a book that IT professionals and technical communicators need when looking into the future of the profession.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Impressed, June 27, 2005

By 

J. Whitmer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Communication of Complex Information: User Goals and Information Needs for Dynamic Web Information (Hardcover)

Although the author seems to have some good ideas, I have trouble taking the book seriously because of all the errors in writing. Didn't this guy have an editor? There are many examples, but here's just one, "Thus far in this chapter, it may should like I'm very negative....My negative feels are not against software...(p.161)" May should? Negative feels?