An analysis framework for information comprehension and access management

Given the uncoordinated proliferation of electronic information available to the public, how can effective access best be facilitated and coordinated among information consumers and information producers? With this paper we iden.tify a new field that deals with the issues of information comprehension and access management (ICAM). We present a two-dimensional framework for considering the representation, extraction and distribution tasks involved in efective information access from technological, managenal and policy points of view. We provide an example and discuss the framework’s implications. ICAM’s conceptual contribution is that it provides a comprehensive and integrative vantage point for researchers, managers and practitioners to consider access issues as a whole.