6533b832fe1ef96bd129a208

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Graphical information models as interfaces for Web document repositories

subject

description

In interorganisational processes, documents are used to record information created during the processes. Legislative processes involving several legislative organisations, or manufacturing processes involving complicated networks of companies and officials are examples of such processes. In the contemporary computerised environments a great deal of the recorded information is scattered in different kinds of Web repositories with different kinds of interfaces. The repositories should serve as valuable knowledge assets but their use may be difficult and even the knowledge about the kinds of repositories available may be insufficient. The paper presents a method for improving information management in interorganisational processes. In the method, the interorganisational processes are first analysed and the metadata related to the production of documents in the processes is collected. Then the metadata is visualised as graphical models by which documents created in the processes can be accessed. To support a generic solution, an XML specification for the metadata is developed. The method has been used to create visual interfaces for European legal information repositories. The interfaces are currently under testing in the EULEGIS project, which belongs to the Telematics Application Programme of the European Commission.