Twenty-nine years of the BIR Annual Survey part 1: Technological change

Abstract

This article is the first part of a review of the Business Information Review Annual Survey, which has been published annually since 1991. The article explores technological change as it has been revealed by the surveys. It uses a combination of content and thematic analysis to develop six key themes, which are discussed by reference to the original surveys: the telling case of CD-ROMs; the Internet and the World Wide Web; changing information formats; the impact of digital technologies on information work; intranets and knowledge management (KM); and newer technologies. The article aims to summarise and consolidate longitudinal trends revealed by the survey, act as a guide to the rich data contained within the surveys themselves and provide a testament to the wealth of professional experience captured in the BIR Annual Surveys. Its findings relate to the nature of technological change and the incorporation of new technologies by the information and KM profession.