A resurgence of interest in Information Architecture

Abstract

Information Architecture is a part of Information Technology Architecture, and has attracted interest through e-business and e-government initiatives as well as through the general popularity of Service Oriented Architecture. In many ways there is nothing new about Information Technology Architecture; however both public and private sector organisations are becoming freshly receptive to talking about the strategic shaping of Information Technology using the language of Architecture. Information Architecture is a core responsibility of Information Technology management, and is as much organisational as technical, drawing on the breadth of the Information Systems field. This paper reviews the literature on Information Architecture to bring together a number of key issues within an overarching architectural perspective. It argues that its current topicality offers Information Systems practitioners a renewed opportunity and mandate to pursue an Information Architecture strategy, and offers academics a renewed incentive to research this area.