Information Overload

10/16/2012 · No Responses

A unique approach to information overload, combining theory and practical solutions

Written and edited by an international group of experts from academia and industry, Information Overload clearly links academic theory to real-world practice, providing a truly global and interdisciplinary treatment of this important topic.

Emphasizing the role of engineers and technical communicators, the book discusses the root causes and costs of information overload within organizations and introduces strategies and proven techniques for reducing information overload and minimizing its negative impact. It offers a theoretical framework and ideas for future research, and features special chapter ‘insight boxes’ that recount different approaches to problems from various multinational corporations.

Information Overload:

Focuses on key definitions and challenges of information overload for both communicators and organizations
Details a variety of technical and human-centered strategies for addressing the deluge of data
Presents effective solutions tried at IBM, Xerox, and Harris Corporation
Examines the effects of culture as well as that of color, visual form, text, and end-user documentation
Offers an engineering perspective on the technologies available for dealing with information overload

Information Overload also serves as a first-rate survival manual for researchers in academia, practicing engineers, technical communicators, and managers and professionals at all levels of profit and nonprofit organizations.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Information Overload

Section I: Causes and Costs of Information Overload
Chapter 2. Of Time Magazine, 24/7 Media, and Data Deluge
Chapter 3. The Challenge of Information Balance in the Age of Affluent Communication
Chapter 4. From Cave Wall to Twitter
Chapter 5. The Influence of Culture on Information Overload
Chapter 6. Effect of Color, Visual form, and Textual Information on Information Overload
Chapter 7. Cost of Information Overload in End-User Documentation

Section II: Control and Reduction of Information Overload: Empirical Evidence
Chapter 8. Taming the Terabytes
Chapter 9. Technologies for Dealing With Information Overload
Chapter 10. Visualizing Instead of Overloading
Chapter 11. Drowning in Data
Chapter 12. Blindfolded Through the Information Hurricane?