Principles of Information Systems and Data Management - Assignment Example

Running Head: INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND DATA MANAGEMENT Information systems and data management and Section # of Information systems and data management 1. Informatics is a generally newer field; it is considered to be the art, science and human dimensions of information technology (School of Informatics, Indiana University). With the increasing importance of information retention, storage and timely delivery, informatics is becoming a hot topic and research projects are being carried out all over the world. With the information technology age booming and making irreversible changes on our lifestyles, informatics is making our way of living easier and comforting. There has been immense research going on in the field of informatics all over the world. This research is particularly evident in the developed countries; not so visible in the underdeveloped nations. The reason is simple; lack of information technology information and importance. However, there is no doubt that information technology is changing our way of living, our thought processes, our social interaction and physical and mental development; informatics is the study of these changes that are taking place all over the world. One of the areas that have been chosen to discuss is the south eastern asia area; the research taking place related to environment; biodiversity in plants. There are a number of species in the jungles of Indonesia that are still unexplored. Therefore, research is extensively taking place to discover more plant species and realize how they will help in the betterment of human life. Herb medicines are popular in that part of the world; this significant research would ultimately help to heal more people, save more lives. This botanical exploratory research is currently taking place in Indonesia (Campbell, 2010) The next region that is discussed is the Western Asian region. The Quran, the holy book of the Muslims, has been passed on to generations of Muslims all over the world. The manuscripts that are present are in different languages, in different manuscripts. These manuscripts tell a lot about the time that they were made in. Preservation of these scriptures is another aspect of informatics taking place (Ahmed, 2010) The use of informatics in the health industry in Nigeria has helped the government and concerned authorities to treat more patients and a proactive method of healing. The implementation of such programs helps the health ministry to efficiently handle the patients and cure them. According to research, the use of computer and internet is slowly increasing in that region, leading to a better system of information technology and usage in the health sector (Peter, 2008) The above examples show us how informatics research is taking place all over the world, with different programs being implemented to ensure a better flow of information, communication across the world. 2. The information system that has been developed for the teachers of Murdock University is a great tool for them to find the relevant information. While analyzing its usability and accessibility, one needs to get into the shoes of the teachers to understand what they require from such a system. The system that is implemented is not new and surprising; such systems are already in place in many universities all across the world. The faculty is giving prior training to ensure they are able to use this product with ease and to their advantage whenever needed. The database is reliable as it is being presented by the administration for the ease of faculty and there is a smaller chance for it to provide wrong information. The information presented in the database is monitored by professionals. The data will definitely be accurate due to the reasons provided above; since the database is monitored and updated by the people, there is a room for error, on the part of wrong data entry. The information provided to the teachers is relevant to them, as it will help them to schedule their appointments accordingly. The database provides information as soon as it is uploaded on the system; therefore, updated information will only be possible if the back end is updating the information regularly. When it comes to usability, some of the teachers would feel that they are not taking a full advantage of the system as it is bland and requires a perkier user interface. The data that is present, as of now, is not missing. The database that is being provided is quite simple as may be economical too. Flexibility to provide information in different manners is present in the system. One can see the results in a grid form or otherwise. The system is accessible too; whenever it is needed it can be accessed by the teachers. Verification would depend upon backend. In my opinion, the most important things that should be present in information products should be reliability, timeliness and accuracy. Without these three things, the information that is provided loses its weight in importance. For information to be effective, it is important it is right, in the right hands, at the right time. If a piece of strategic importance reaches your competitors before you do, the importance of that information reduces to minimal. Therefore, timeliness, accuracy and reliability are the three most important things for informatics products (Gammack, 2007). 3. Wikipedia is a web based encyclopaedia that has changes the face of research. There have been other encyclopaedias before but none of them were online and allowed admission free editing and hence are obsolete now. The idea behind Wikipedia is to attract information from all over the world, on all the topics which are present, so that the world can benefit from knowledge sharing. The computer and internet have become a common thing for developed countries since a while, and their increasing usage in the developing countries is signifying that its popularity will increase with time. Wikipedia allows information sharing without any costs, i.e. you don’t have to pay any fees or monetary value for the usage of its services. The model on which Wikipedia is operating has developed into a phenomena. In this information age, everyone knows about Wikipedia and the services that the encyclopaedia provides. The model on which Wikipedia was built is the best for information sharing and data management online. This would mean people do not need to go to libraries or go through heaps of encyclopaedias to extract the right information in the language that they prefer. Wikipedia is offered in more than 260 languages, which speaks volumes about its popularity, the ease of use and the fact that people use it to increase their knowledge. According to the links that have been presented, certain topics in Wikipedia have translation ease while other doesn’t. The pattern of these phenomena is such that only those topics which have international recognition and exposure are present in more than one language. The example provided is that of a central Asian instrument. This development leads us to think critically about the claim of Wikipedia as being the world’s encyclopaedia. By evaluating the example of the music instruments i can conclude many things; first being that language is a medium of communication and certain aspects of a phenomena gain importance in certain societies; therefore, to communicate the different moods and colors of that phenomena, more words are created for that language. For example, snow has a greater number of descriptions and names in the cultures where most of the year they have snow falls. On the other hand, these phenomena will not be present in the tropical regions. In the same manner, the translation of words will only take place only if that word has significant importance in the culture in question. This show how some musical instruments enjoy translation in a multitude of languages while others don’t even exist in the minds of some countries? Wikipedia can be considered a universal encyclopaedia, by the people who truly understand and can communicate in the English language. It is an encyclopaedia that is maintained by the people for the people. Therefore, another factor that comes in is education and exposure to internet and related services. Since the nations that are progressing have their medium of instruction and communication in English, a greater audience is present online to make changes and alterations to the knowledge that is present in the encyclopaedia. On the other hands, nations and areas which are under-developed do not enjoy such privileges and therefore, are not present on the encyclopaedia. Therefore, it is catering to the audience it is accessible to and not to the world; the world for Wikipedia is the world wide web, which in reality is not the whole world (Gammack. 2007). It should aim to be the encyclopedia for all audiences, where people can get information without having any language barriers. Employing translators for the sake of dissemination of information and information sharing should be done. Only this will help the encyclopedia gain its position as the encyclopedia for the whole world. Another issue is the automatic translation of articles that may be employed by Wikipedia to cater to a wider audience. However, this may not be the solution rather create further problems for the website. The linguistic cultural notations contrast in different cultures. White is considered holy in a marriage in the western culture, but considered the color of death in the eastern sub continental culture. The same rule applies for language in different cultures. A direct translation would mean that the communication will be fogged by the cultural barriers and connotations. References Gammack, J., Hobbs, V., Pigott, D. (2006). The book of informatics. Thomson Learning Nelson. Cornford, D., Idowo, P., Bastin, L. (2008). Health informatics deployment in Nigeria. Health informatics in developing countries. Volume 2, Retrieved September, 2, 2010 from http://jhidc.org/index.php/jhidc/article/viewFile/11/44 Ladhani, A. (2010). Detail Article: the Calligraphic Tradition in Islam. Retrieved September 2, 2010, from http://ahmadladhani.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/detail-article-the-calligraphic-tradition-in-islam/ Webb, C., Slik, J. (2010) Biodiversity inventory and informatics in south east asia. Retrieved September 2, 2010, from http://www.springerlink.com/content/n839u5h367702506/fulltext.html Read More