This dissertation contributes to the research-based understanding of the scholarly journal as an artefact by studying the document structures of open access e-journals published by editors or small, independent publishers. The study focuses on the properties of the documents, taking its point of departure in a sociotechnical document perspective. This perspective is ope rationalised through a number of aspects from document architecture and information architecture: logical structures, layout structures, content structures, fi le structures, organisation systems, navigation, and labelling. The data collection took the form of a survey of 265 journal web sites, randomly selected, and qualitative readings of four journal web sites. The results of the study are presented based on choice of format and modes of representation; visual design; markup; metadata and paratexts; and document organisation and navigation. Two approaches were used to analyse the study fi ndings. To begin with, the remediation strategies of the scholarly journals were discussed; how does this document type, which has a long tradition in the print medium, take possession of the web medium? The ties to the print journal are still strong, and a majority of the journals treat the web medium mainly as a way to distribute journal articles to be printed and read as hard-copies. Many journals do, however, take advantage of such features as hypertext and full-text searching, and some use the fl exibility of the web medium to provide their users with alternative views. A small number of e-journals also refashion the print journal by including modes of representation not possible in print, such as audio or video, to illustrate and support the arguments made in their articles. Furthermore, interactive features are used to increase communication between different groups, but this type of communicative situation has not yet become an integral part of the scholarly journal. An electronic document is often viewed as more fl exible, but also less constant, than documents on paper. This sometimes means that the e-only journal is seen as a less dependable source for scholarly publishing than print. A second analytical approach showed how the architectures are used to indicate aspects that can enhance a journal’s chances of being regard ed as a credible source: a cognitive authority. Four strategies have been identifi ed as used by the journals: they employ architectural features to draw on the cognitive authority of people or organisations associated with the journal, on the cognitive authority of other documents, and on the professional use of the conventions of print journals and web sites respectively. By considering how document properties are used to indicate cognitive authority potential, a better understanding of how texts function as cognitive authorities is achieved. / <p>Akademisk avhandling som med tillstånd av samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten</p><p>vid Göteborgs universitet för vinnande av doktorsexamen framläggs till</p><p>offentlig granskning kl. 13.15 måndagen den 28 april i hörsalen Sappören,</p><p>Göteborgs universitet, Sprängkullsgatan 25.</p>

This item is not the definitive copy. Please use the following citation when referencing this material: Dillon and Vaughan (1997) It's the journey and the destination: Shape and the emergent property of genre in digital documents. New Review of Multimedia and Hypermedia, 3, 91-106. Introduction: To anyone versed in the literature on hypermedia, it is clear that the last 10 yearsâ worth of research on usability since Conklinâ s (1987) seminal article has largely been ignored by web designers. Surfing web sites even casually will likely expose a user to screens of badly formatted text, superfluous graphics, mixed fonts, unreadable color combinations, and dangling or dead links. While the issue of knowledge transfer between research disciplines and design practice is fraught with problems and is a fascinating topic in and of itself (see e.g., Klein and Eason, 1993), this is not the focus of the present paper. Instead we wish to extend work that started with the birth of hypertext systems and continues to demand attention in these days of free-for-all web design: the evaluation of user behaviour in electronic space. Specifically, this paper will extend the analysis of â user navigationâ to the evaluation of user behaviour in web environments.

Websites have a significant impact on the competitiveness of organizations. Therefore it is necessary to deal with aspects that affect their success. At least it is worth to detect weaknesses which can be repaired with minimal effort and which baffle effective use of the site. It is possible to use quite a number of audit methods and tools but the global approach to this issue is missing. The aim of this thesis is to create audit methodology and its implementation into the online tool, to allow automatic audit performance. I first describe aspects of success of a website such as search engine optimization, accessibility, usability, information architecture and information value. Then I analyzed the methods and tools for webpages audit and explored the possibilities of their system integration. This enabled me to design the optimal process of audit and realize the tool which is the main output of the thesis and is enclosed on the CD. The benefit of this tool lies primarily in the comprehensive conception which focuses not only on a certain area, but tries to evaluate all possible facts within a single analysis. The advantage of the tool is its mass utilization. It allows detection of possible errors and solutions proposition with minimal costs and without the need of special knowledge. The tool contains several unique algorithms that check some aspects of sites and eliminate manual verification.

This study aims to answer the questions whether Content Management Systems follow basic information architecture principles whilst designing and developing its systems. The study outlines the three basic areas within information architecture; labeling, information structure and organization, and navigation systems and establishes hypothesis based on the theory surrounding these areas. The hypothesis were also used to define the information architecture principles that we used to test the Content Management Systems WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal on. The study shows a couple of interesting things in its analysis of the Content Management Systems. Firstly that Content management systems follow basic information architecture principles. But they do so in different ways, but also in ways that are similar to each other. The use of labels, types of navigation systems and information structure were similar between the systems. The differences showed in the underlying systems where more local navigation systems changed and the information schemes used to categorize information differed. The study concluded that Content Management Systems information architecture are designed based on established principles.

O advento das tecnologias digitais e a difusão da "world wide web" (www) expandiram as atividades de comunicação pública em direção a um amplo leque de novos agentes publicadores, muito além do setor midiático tradicional. Nesse contexto, embora exista uma literatura numerosa e recente de estudos diagnosticando o uso dos recursos da nova mídia pelo setor midiático tradicional, tais estudos ainda inexistem para os novos agentes publicadores recém-surgidos, entre os quais o setor bancário brasileiro ocupa uma posição de destaque proporcionada por sua vocação, historicamente demonstrada, para o uso de tecnologia. Dessa forma, a dissertação se propõe a estudar como os bancos no Brasil – e em especial os que operam no mercado de varejo – se desempenham enquanto agentes publicadores de conteúdos na nova mídia. / The advent of digital technologies and the diffusion of the world wide web (www) have expanded the boundaries of massive communication activities towards a wide range of new players, much beyond the traditional media sector. Within this context, despite the existence of a recent, prolific literature diagnosing the use of new media resources by the traditional media sector, such analyses have not been developed yet for the range of newly appeared players, among which the Brazilian banking sector occupies a position of prominence due to its historically demonstrated technological vocation. Therefore, the dissertation is focused on studying how the banking institutions in Brazil, and especially those operating in the retail banking segment, perform their tasks as new media publishers.

O design é abordado neste trabalho desde a sua criação com a Bauhaus, passando por suas definições e conceituações, assim como também aponta os avanços tecnológicos da informática em especial à computação gráfica como ferramenta salutar ao designer gráfico. O mundo digital traz ao designer novas segmentações de atuação como o interface designer e o Web designer. O design, mesmo que historicamente exista há muito mais tempo do que a sua institucionalização como profissão independente no Brasil, firma-se na modernidade e ganha-se força neste momento contemporâneo, até definindo, em algumas situações e questões econômicas de mercado. Há uma singularidade no design que aglutina virtualmente duas características: facilitação da leitura e informação - que é o Web design, pois ao mesmo tempo em que informa o conteúdo de um Web site, demonstra o caminho a ser navegado e toda a sua interatividade. Com a disposição das novas mídias digitais¹, é salutar acompanhar o crescimento vertiginoso e preponderante que as informações permeiam com mais amplitude, permitindo a cada instante ganhar o aperfeiçoamento e a descoberta de novos meios de explicitar a mensagem com rapidez e objetividade oriundos num mundo moderno e globalizado em que vivemos. As universidades e faculdades, como facilitadoras de aprendizagem, investem em novas tecnologias para disseminar seus cursos, seus produtos, sua infraestrutura, e também utiliza dos recursos da Web para oferecer cursos on-line². Nessa linha de raciocínio, sobre o que é funcional, eficaz e ao mesmo tempo audacioso em um Web site, é analisado neste trabalho 80 instituições de ensino superior brasileiras, objetivando uma inovação no que diz respeito a usabilidade, baseado numa arquitetura de informação estruturada. A metodologia adotada baseia-se numa sequência de ítens de maior relevância, do ponto de vista técnico e operacional de usabilidade, juntamente com assuntos de interesse comuns apontados pelo público alvo. A análise remete a um diagrama de ordem quantitativa e, posteriormente, qualitativa, que evidencia aspectos inerentes ao interface design. / The design is approached in this paper work since its criation with Bauhaus, having its definitions and concepts , this way it also shows technological advances in the field of information technology in special to the graphic information technology as an important salutary tool to the graphic designer. The digital world brings to the designer new segments of perfomance such as interface designer and the web designer. The design, even existing such a long time before its intitutionalisation as an independent profession in Brazil, it gets strengh in both modern time and at this contemporary moment, and also in some situations and economic points in the market. There is such singularity in design that joins virtually two features: an easy way of reading and information - which is the web design field, though at the same time it informs all there is in a web site , shows the way to browse and all its interactivity. With all the display of new media , it is necessary to be aquainted with the growth and the manner that the information broadens with an opening way, allowing the user at every moment gain improvement and the discovery of new forms to set out the message fast and originating goals in this present and globalised world in which we live. The universities and colleges, places for getting knowledgement, invest in technology to broaden their courses, products, structure, they also make use of resources from the web to offer on line courses. In this line of approach what is functional, effective in a web site, in this paper work is analysed 80 institutions such as universities and colleges, getting the point of inovation about the use based on an structered information architecture. The metodology adopted is based on a sequence of items of important points of technical views and operational use, together with subjects of interest pointed by the target audience. The analysis sends to a quantitative diagram and further to a qualifying diagram that displays inherent aspects to the interface design.

Orientador: Vânia Cristina Pires Nogueira Valente / Banca: Humberto Ferasoli Filho / Banca: Dariel de Carvalho / Resumo: A televisão, como indústria audiovisual, passa nesta era de convergência digital por um processo de hibridização através das novas tecnologias da informação e comunicação. Essa convergência de dispositivos e linguagens transmidiáticos vem agregar a este meio de comunicação o recurso da interatividade, constituindo uma interface de mediação entre o meio e a audiência interagente. O processo criativo de concepção e desenvolvimento de um modelo de aplicação interativa para Televisão Digital sobre a plataforma do middleware Ginga, do SBTVD, caracteriza-se como um projeto de investigação centrado na inovação tecnológica educacional em mídia audiovisual e na consequente transformação social, produzindo um modelo de Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem para Educação a Distância inserido no contexto de convergência de linguagens e mídias da contemporaneidade. Empregando na pesquisa um quadro teórico-metodológico interdisciplinar, tem como objetivo gerar um modelo conceitual de aplicação interativa destinado a servir de plataforma para a criação de conteúdos instrucionais focados em EaD através da mídia TV Digital / Abstract: Television, as an audiovisual industry, is passing, in this era of digital convergence, by a hybridization process due to new information and communication technologies. This convergence of transmedia devices and languages has come to add to this medium the property of interactive communication, providing an interface through mediation between the audience and the mass media. The creative process of designing and developing a model for interactive Digital Television appliction, on the platform of middleware Ginga and SBTVD, has been characterized as a research project focused on educational innovation in the audiovisual media and the consequent social transformation, producing a model of the Virtual Learning Environment for Distance Education within the context of convergence of languages and media in these contemporary times. Employing in this research an interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological framework, the project aims to generate a conceptual model of interactive application designed to serve as a platform for creating instructional content focused on distance education through the medium knowed as Digital TV / Mestre

Business Process Management (BPM) [4] é uma forma sistemática e estruturada para analisar, melhorar, controlar e gerenciar processos com a meta de melhorar a qualidade de produtos e serviços [2]. No decorrer da última década, diversos estudos têm apontado para a importância da integração entre modelos de negócios e arquitetura de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) na busca de uma fundação para execução efetiva dos objetivos de negócios [1]. A proposta desta dissertação consiste num método estruturado de modelagem de Arquitetura Corporativa, baseado em perfis UML para modelagem de fluxos de processo de negócio [3], aplicações, dados e infra-estrutura de TI. O método proposto é validado com um estudo de caso no qual é detalhada toda a interdependência entre um processo de negócio e a arquitetura de TI que o suporta, ou seja, a Arquitetura Corporativa[1] do processo de negócio. / Business Process Management (BPM) [4] is a systematic and structured approach to analyze, improve, control and, manage processes with the goal of enhancing quality of products and services [2]. In the past decade, several studies indicate the importance of integrating business models and Information Technology (IT) Architecture, aiming an effective foundation for execution of business objectives [2]. This work proposal consists of a structured method to document Enterprise Architecture, based on UML Profiles for Business Process Modeling [3] and IT Infrastructure. The proposed method is validated using a case study in which all the interdependence of a Business Process and the necessary IT architecture to support it is detailed, i.e, the Enterprise Architecture [1] for that Business Process.

Orientador: Silvana Aparecida Borsetti Gregorio Vidotti / Banca: Plácida Leopoldina Ventura Amorin da Costa Santos / Banca: Edberto Ferneda / Resumo: A recuperação e disseminação de informações no ambiente Web são dificuldades que existem atualmente, pois podem estar de forma desestruturada e desorganizada segundo um padrão aceito na área de organização, armazenamento e recuperação da informação. Alguns recursos que podem minimizar essas dificuldades são tanto bibliotecas digitais, que possuem acesso simultâneo e remoto às informações de forma eficiente, quanto serviço de personalização, que permite ao usuário uma interação personalizada baseada no seu perfil. O problema de prover esses recursos se encontra na onerosidade e dificuldade do processo de desenvolvimento desse tipo de biblioteca devido à grande quantidade de processos e elementos envolvidos em sua construção. Nesse contexto é proposta uma arquitetura da informação para bibliotecas digitais personalizáveis, que visa tratar dos seguintes problemas: escassez de literatura especializada sobre arquitetura da informação para bibliotecas digitais; falta de elementos tecnológicos e informacionais que possibilitem um acesso rápido e preciso à informação requerida; e pouca utilização de serviços de personalização de conteúdo e de interface para diversos tipos de usuários. Essa arquitetura é constituída de processos e elementos oriundos da área de Ciência da Informação e Ciência da Computação que são compartilhados pela maioria das bibliotecas digitais. Além disso, essa arquitetura contém elementos genéricos, que permitem flexibilidade para serem adaptados e modificados de acordo com as características de cada biblioteca digital. O objetivo da arquitetura proposta é auxiliar o desenvolvedor/projetista na construção de WebSites, principalmente em bibliotecas digitais personalizáveis de forma a satisfazer as necessidades dos usuários. Foi realizada uma análise dos processos e elementos que são mais utilizados e comuns a esse...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The recovery and dissemination of unstructured information of the Web environment are difficulties existing nowadays. Some resources which can minimize these difficulties are as digital libraries, which can have simultaneous and remote access to information in an efficient way, as personalization services, which provide a user personalized interaction based on its profile. The problem in providing such resources is the difficulty in developing digital libraries because of the number of elements and processes involved in its building. In this context, is proposed a information architecture for customizable digital libraries, which aims deals with the following problems: lack of specialized literature on information architectures for digital libraries; lack of technological elements and elements of information which allow a fast and accurate access to required information; and the lack of personalization services of content and interface for different kinds of users. This architecture is composed by processes and elements, from Information Science and Computer Science fields, that are share by most of digital libraries. Besides, this architecture contains generic elements, which allow flexibility to be adapted and modified according to the characteristics of each digital library. The aim of the proposed architecture is to help the developer in building Web sites and customizable digital libraries as well. To supplement the project, it was performed an evaluation of the processes and elements more used and common in this type of information unit, in this case: digital libraries. The results of this evaluation showed that the majority of the elements are used by digital libraries and are relevant to its build. This study is a descriptive research with theoretical and methodological approach of the Information Science field, performed by means of a study of bibliographical data... (Complete abstract, access undermentioned eletronic address) / Mestre

This thesis is focused on analysis of web pages of chosen universities. In the first part theoretical aspects about communication, web pages, their history and technical specification are characterized. Characteristics of communication through web is described. Features of current situation and future development are also covered. In the next part the aspects such as information architecture, availability and design are described in more detail. The following part deals with availability testing. The next chapter defines selection criteria. Three universities were chosen, introduced and analysed according to previously defined criteria. The end part of the paper provides the summary and conlusion about web pages analysis and proposal for possible modifications of the web pages of the University of economics in Prague.