Abstract

Information systems and decision support systems have traditionally provided quantitative interpretations of quantified data. Strictly speaking, information systems address structwed problems and decision support systems support semi-smctured and even unstructured problem, but b t h classes of information provision restrict their domain to data that has been transformed into &fabase enbes. Intrinsic meaning that may have been attached to the data in document form is losl. Traditionally, they ignore much potentially valuable information that resides in non-quantifiable form, such as memos, reports, pictures, anddrawings. TheyalsoignorethosefacetsofdecisionmakingthatdrawOEaheuristicapproachrather thanananalyticalone. Informationsystemscontinuetoexistwittiintheartificialconstraintsofmonolithic computer applications, restricting the information space to data that is “attached to that application. In this paper we propose a file management model that makes use of hypertext-type techniques to provide a user with the ability to store meanings and relationships as well as h e files themselves. We submit that the inclusion of this unifying hypertext facility can provide a commm interface that will extend the accessibility and utility of the user’s information base. This open hyperiixt environment can provide the mechanism by which we can bring nonquantified information into the domain of computer-based support for decision making. A prototype implementation is discussed, as well as observations resulting from initial studies.

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