Immersed in Structure: The Meaning and Function of Taxonomies

Immersed in Structure: The Meaning and Function of Taxonomies. Katherine C. Adams' article in Internetworking 3.2 (Aug. 2000) discusses taxonomies and their efficacy in supporting known-item searching and finding new information.

    Organizational structures within Web sites encourage emotional, fortuitous information-seeking behavior. Directories are value-laden tools of information organization that articulate a specific world-view. Because taxonomies lay out synonymous, associative and hierarchical relationships, they function like guides to information. They support the dynamic process of finding information and facilitate associative thought.

[ia/ – news for information architects]

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