Chapter 8 Information Modeling

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Chapter 8Information Modeling
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Overview

• Once you have identified opportunities to reuse
  content, you need to model the content you plan
  to reuse
• Information modeling takes place after the
  analysis and recommendations are completed and
  signed off
• Models formalize the structure of your content in
  guidelines, templates, and structured frameworks,
  such as DTDs or schemas
• Through information modeling, you identify and
  document the framework upon which your reuse
  strategy is based

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Understanding Information Architecture (Model)

• Information architecture is the blueprint that
  defines how content will be organized and
  structured to make up the various information
  products in your organization
• An effective information architecture helps
  people find, manage, and continue to add to the
  existing information consistently, following
  defined rules for structure and semantics

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Understanding Information Architecture (Model)
(Cont.)

• The goal of information modeling is a complete
  specification outlining how content is used and
  reused
• Information models identify all the required
  content elements and illustrate how to structure
  and reuse them
• During information modeling, you form a strategy
  for unifying the product descriptions so that
  wherever they appear, they are consistent,
  contain the same types of information, and are
  structured and written the same

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Benefits of Information Architecture

• An effective information model serves to identify
  all the knowledge within an organization, and to
  capture and reuse it effectively
• The information modeling forces you to consider
  all information requirements and to assess what
  information is available to fulfill those
  requirements
• In UCS, the information model becomes the catalog
  of all the information products, and it outlines
  the necessary information elements for each,
  based on thorough analysis of your audiences and
  their information needs

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Understanding Structure

• Models reflect the structure of information
  product
• Information products have a recognizable
  structure that is repeated every time the
  information product is created
• Example the structure of a letter
• The body is harder to break down (paragraphs
  ordered lists unordered lists headings)
• Structure is critical because it unifies the
  content, regardless of who is writing it
• Use DTDs to define structure authors can only
  create documents according to the structure
  defined in the DTD
• Style tags, areas within a form, templates

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The Structure of a Letter
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Understanding Structure (Cont.)

• The degree to which you break down the structure
  of your content depends on the granularity of
  your material and your desire for consistency

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Understanding Granularity

• An information model reflects all the components
  that make up each information product
• The level of detail in the model depends on the
  granularity
• Granularity determines the smallest pieces of
  information that is reusable
• Although granularity must be reflected in the
  information model, the level of granularity can
  change throughout your content for different use
  and reuse purposes
• You may have different levels of granularity for
  authoring, for reuse, and for delivery

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Understanding Granularity (Cont.)

• Trade-off
• The more granular the content, the greater the
  complexity of modeling, authoring, and managing
  the content
• Yet if the content is not granular enough, you
  compromise your ability to easily reuse
  information
• After a reuse strategy is implemented, it may be
  difficult to increase the level of granularity
  later on
• Model very granular information at first, then
  before implementing it, review the model in the
  context of how information will actually be
  authored

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Understanding Granularity (Cont.)

• Regardless of the level of granularity, authors
  still write complete documents, not elements
• Authors write documents, assigning the required
  granularity to elements (as defined by the
  information model) as they write
• The main difference for authors is in following
  the assigned structure and in assigning or
  selecting metadata
• The granularity defines how the completed
  document is broken down, tagged, and stored for
  reuse. It does not define the authoring process

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Information Product and Element Models
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Overview

• Two levels of modeling required information
  product level and information element level
• Information product level determine the
  framework of a house
• Which rooms comprise the house
• Information element level determine everything
  that goes into the house the rooms as well as
  all the elements within the rooms
• How each room is constructed and which elements
  are reused from room to room
• Architects and builders follow the model to
  ensure the house is built according to
  specifications, and that wherever an element is
  reused, it is reused consistently and not
  redesigned from scratch

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Mandatory and Optional Elements

• Kitchen
• Windows
• Sink
• Butcher's block island (optional)
• Cabinets
• Countertop
• Door

• Bedroom
• Closest
• Windows
• En suite bathroom (optional)
• Door

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Information Product Models

• The product model defines the content's elements,
  attributes and metadata, as well as the
  relationship among elements
• The product model also provides information on
  what type of information should be included in a
  particular information product
• Press release ? Subject, Date, Contact, Body, Web
  site address
• Authors follow the model to create and compile
  information products consistently

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Element Models

• The element model breaks the information product
  down even further, describing the components that
  are assembled to create information product
• The body element of the press release might
  include
• Corporate description (short)
• Announcement
• Product description
• Features
• Benefits
• Quote
• Availability
• Corporate description (longer)

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Elements as Containers

• Elements are containers of information
• Date Month Day Year
• Contact (First Name Last Name) (Area Code
  Local Number)
• An information product model is a container for
  its elements and each element may also a
  container for subelements

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Press Release Elements
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Components of Models
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Overview

• An information model comprises a number of
  components, which describes the
• Semantic information
• Base information
• Metadata
• Architectural information
• Product information for each element

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Semantic Information

• Semantic information uses semantic tags to
  describe what goes into each element
• Semantic tags tags that have a specific meaning
• ltWeb Site Addressgt
• Generic tag
• ltparagraphgt
• Semantic information is extremely valuable in
  guiding authors as they create content
• Semantic information explicitly defines the
  structure of the information

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Base Information

• Base information describes the common naming of
  each element within a container and uses generic
  tags or "base elements"
• Base elements guide information technologists as
  they implement the models
• Help to understand what underlying structure the
  elements should include
• Indicate what generic tag the elements should use
  if you choose not to use semantic tags
• If you use a traditional authoring tool, base
  elements guide authors in selecting the correct
  tag for the model

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Semantic Elements and Base Elements for the Press
Release
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Metadata

• Need to specify what metadata applies to which
  elements
• Metadata data about data
• Metadata provides search criteria, similar to
  index entries
• Metadata is required to uniquely identify
  content, so that authors can find it, reuse it,
  and move it
• Chapter 9 Defining metadata

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Architectural Information

• Details on the type of reuse (systematic,
  opportunistic, derivative, locked, or nested)
• Guidelines for how you want the content
  formalized in your DTD or templates (ex. Use
  semantic tags or not)
• Where content is reused, and how it is reused
  (L/D)

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Architectural Information for the Press Release
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Production Information

• Production information guides the information
  technologist in creating the stylesheets or
  templates, auto-populating an element with
  pre-defined data

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Production Information for the Press Release
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Complete Press Release Model
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How are models used?

• Authors use information models to determine what
  information is included in which information
  product, as well as how to structure each element
• Element structure of element hints or rules
  (writing notes)
• Depending on the type of reuse,
• Authors may select elements from CM based on what
  the model tells them they have to include
• Systematic reuse may automatically populate a
  document with some elements, guide authors on how
  to write or structure the other elements, and
  show them in what order elements appear

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How are models used? (Cont.)

• Content reviewers use models to review authors
  drafts
• Compare drafts against the information model to
  ensure that they contain all the necessary
  elements
• Review the models to ensure they contain all the
  necessary element for each information product
• Information technologists use models to guide
  them in creating authoring templates or DTDs,
  implementing CM and developing delivery stylesheet