INFORMATION ACCESS FOR DECISION-MAKERS

In this paper the nature and value of information in the decision-making process is discussed, leading on to consideration of the factors of importance in providing usable access to computer-based information. Currently, structured databases are used as the main store of data in many situations, and the issues relating to their use, particularly in the context of management information systems, are considered. The ability to manage and access information stored in unstructured textual form is becoming of increasing importance, and the two main approaches, querying and browsing, are described, with particular emphasis on the use of hypertext.