Www.sims.monash.edu.au Course introduction Introduction to information science Information in contemporary organizations IMS9300 INFORMATION SYSTEMS/ INFORMATION

www.sims.monash.edu.au

Course introductionIntroduction to information science Information in contemporary organizations

IMS9300 INFORMATION SYSTEMS/ INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS

www.sims.monash.edu.au/subjects/ims93002

• Use Allocate + for tutorial allocation – no exceptions

• If you have a problem with tutorial allocation, contact - Tyna Arnold

Ph: 9903 2696email – [email protected]

No tutorials Week One


Teaching Staff

• Lecturer: Barry AtkinsonRoom S4.01 – Fourth Floor, Tower email – [email protected] - 9903 2416Consultation hours: Wednesday 3:00 – 4:00pm

other times by appointment

• Tutor: Robin WilsonRoom S4.01 – Fourth Floor, Tower email – [email protected] hours:

make sure you exchange contact details with your tutor


Unit Information

• All unit materials:lecture notes, tutorials, assignments, notices at


or navigate to:

www.sims.monash.edu.au/

Unit pages

Undergraduate

IMS9300


Recommended texts

Highly Recommended texts:• Turban, E., Rainer, R.K.Jr., and Potter, R.E.

(2003) Introduction to Information Systems, 2nd ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

• AND• Middleton, M. (2002) Information Management: a

consolidation of operations, analysis and strategy. Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University


Assessment

• exam - 50%, assignment - 50%• a pass requires a final mark of 50% or more• hurdle - you must earn a minimum of 40% for

the exam AND a minimum of 40% for the assignments

• Eg.– Practical mark = 45/50 = 90.0%

– Exam mark = 15/50 = 30%

– Total mark = 60/100 = FAIL !!

– If either hurdle is not met, a result of 44% will be recorded even if the total mark is > 50%


Assignment work requirements

• Assignments must be submitted according to the School of Information Management and Systems’ assignment submission requirements. These are available at:www.sims.monash.edu.au/resources/assessment.html

The School’s style guide for printed assignments is available at:www.sims.monash.edu.au/resources/style.html


IMS9300

• The nature of Information as an organisational resource

• The role of Information and Information Systems in supporting and enabling core organisational processes

• Fundamental concepts and ideas applied in todays’ information systems and their management

• Key issues in Information provisioning today• Foundation unit in the revised Master of Information

Management and Systems degree: MIMS


Caveat

• Terminology confusion between IS/IM• Roots of IM in Librarianship studies• Roots of IS in Business studies• Eg. Document/Information; Process; • One aspect of this course will be to flag these

inconsistencies


Introduction to Information Management


Information Sciences

Information Managers are concerned with things like:

• Why organisations collect and create information, and how it is done

• Who should have access to the information (and who should not)

• How is the information organised• Is it “good information” – timeliness,

accuracy, authority


Information Sciences ctd.

Information Managers are concerned with things like:

• how we distribute information• how we store it• understanding the context of units (eg.

single document) of information• managing concerns like these in

changing business and technological environments


What are the dimensions of this commonplace and ‘low-tech’ document?


And this one?


A document:

• a representation of knowledge or

• recorded evidence of an action or

• a captured communication

As valuable in business as it is in personal life


Document Intent:

• to inform• to communicate• to entertain• to convey knowledge• to authorise• to control or regulate relationships between

people• to represent an action or deed• to provide evidence


Examples of “Natural” or “Accidental” Documents

• tree rings

• fossils

• forensic evidence

• performances (plays, music, dance etc.)

• ceremonies and rituals


Intentional documents

1. Information Products:• intended for publication:

– Books - music CDs– Signs - published photographs– commercial films - websites – etc.

2. Information By-products:• created as records or evidence:

– letters & diaries - receipts & statements– official records– etc.


Document Habitats:

• The office or workplace• The home• The Internet• The Library• The Archives – Births, Deaths & Marriages

• The Gallery• The Museum


Document dimensions

• FORM – text, moving/still image, recorded sound

• FORMAT – brochure, still photograph, movie

• STRUCTURE – elements, organisational features eg. sonnet, documentary film

• MEDIUM – marks, signs, images on vinyl, film, paper

• CONTEXT – why? By whom? Under what circumstances?


Document dimensions ctd.

• AUTHORITY- author, by whose permission, on behalf of..

• CONTENT- information unique to this document

• PURPOSE – for which it was created

• TECHNOLOGIES – used to create or access it

• ACCESSIBILITY – intended audience, access regulation, security



Examples of Documentary Analysis:

Knock,KnockWho’s there?

RabbitRabbit who?

Rabbit now, I want to take it away(Groan!!!)

• 1. A Knock Knock Joke:– Medium - spoken word– Technology -language– Structure - 3 part Q&A– Purpose - to amuse– Content - a play on words

*****


Examples of Documentary Analysis:

• 2. Exam Timetable:– Medium - paper, electronic– Technology - printing, computer– Structure - by day,date, time etc.– Purpose - to inform students etc.– Content - times, dates, venues , subject

names etc.


What is Information?

• phenomenon (human knowledge)

• construct (an object which is informative: something which embodies knowledge)

• process (activity which allows transfer of knowledge)


Information v. data

• data - consists of raw or unstructured facts (text, pictures, sound)eg. Student number, date

• information - data that has been refined for a particular purpose: a collection of facts organised so that they have meaning and use to a particular recipient in a particular context. It has additional value beyond the value of the facts themselves.

• knowledge

• wisdom


Information delivery technologies

• sign - prehistory• speech – dawn of civilization• tally – clay tablet, economic information• writing – pictograph, sound symbols

Information as power• paper, books – mass access to other people’s knowledge• printing – ideograms (1041) moveable type (1450)

mass media – book as paradigm for information media• telegraph/telephone/radio/television (c1900-1930)

letter as paradigm for communication media


Information delivery technologies- the computer age

• electronic media (1945-today) – publishing and communication technologies combined

• personal computer (1980) • word processing/ self-publishing • networking – local, wide-area• e-mail – information exchange• hypermedia – new paradigms – global village• integrated communications – information and

communication


Information as economic asset

• “the knowledge economy”• business information – tally to communication• competitive advantage - industrial knowledge,

“business sense”• the “value-chain” - workers applying

information/knowledge to products and processes


Information in Contemporary Organisations


Information in contemporary organizations

Traditional – • payroll • purchasing • manufacture reporting • accounting • sales records • inventory

New - support business strategy, support management, support staff productivity

Changing – improved transaction processing, new transactions, system integration, strategic information systems


Information in contemporary organizations ctd.

• TPS – Transaction Processing Systems: ATM, Cash Register, Metcard – mission critical/vital,

legacy systems • MIS – Management Information Systems:

Sales reporting, Business Directory, weather forecast – business health, aggregate data, not mission critical

• EIS – Executive Information Systems: business strategy – general business/industry news/trends, competitor activity - long-term goals

• DSS – Decision Support Systems: support decision-makers, analyse data, predict/estimate – tailored for a single user/ intimate group


Building and maintainingInformation Systems

• identifying business information problems

• analysing and describing information needs

• designing solutions to meet those needs

• acquiring/building new systems

• implementing new systems


Typical Business Information Problems

• changing information needs

• business expansion

• cost pressure

• competitive pressure

• staff dependency


Our job as IS/IM professionals:

• Exactly what is the information required• What jobs are being done with it• Where is the information stored• Is it good information• Is it being used effectively


Readings

Introduction to IM

• Middleton Introductory chapters

Introduction to IS

• Turban et al. Sections 1.3 and 2.1