The issues of information structuring are very popular in the modern world due to the fact that space is oversaturated with various information. That is why there is a need for the correct interpretation and structuring of large amounts of data. Without this, it is impossible to make important managerial and economic decisions based on any knowledge.
General information
There are many methods of structuring information. This is due to the fact that there are also a huge number of ways to represent and organize it. This should be remembered, because information can be very different in properties. An important role is played by what particular means or channels of perception are used when entering or outputting data, what level of structure information has initially, and whether it refers to a numerical, graphic, textual or other type. The ultimate goal, for which data must be structured, plays a critical role.
Goals
The analysis and structuring of information always pursues certain goals, and in fact there are quite a lot of them. The final result largely depends on the correct goal setting. Note the main classes of goals:
- Gaining new knowledge on a specific process.
- Checking information for incompleteness or inconsistency.
- The need to systematize and organize knowledge.
- Focusing on some aspects.
- Reduce information to get rid of glut.
- Presentation of information in a more visual and understandable form.
- Use of generalizations and abstractions in the description.
Depending on what goals we pursue, technologies and structuring methods are applied. But as we know, classification is not the final factor that determines the ordering method. That is why it is important to determine the type of information and how to present it.
Information classification
Consider the classification according to the nature and content of knowledge:
- About goals and values for planning and forecasting needs.
- About the functional features.
- About the structure.
- About dynamic changes.
- In general, about the condition.
- About the tasks.
This classification is presented in decreasing order of relevance. So, information about goals is the most important, because it is on the basis of it that the final needs of the user are determined. The remaining classes are relatively independent of each other, they only allow you to refine and supplement the existing data to reflect their completeness. Such placement is quite justified, because it makes it possible to solve quickly and effectively applied problems, but it is practically not used in solving complex problems requiring computer analysis.
The fundamentals of the classification and structuring of information are based on other features:
1. Information Related to Something
- To the object.
- To several objects.
- Medium.
2. Snapping to the time aspect
3. Class structural organization
- Structured.
- Unstructured.
- Ordered.
- Formalized.
Despite the apparent complexity of all classifications, I want to say that the structuring of information is a simple process that we implement every day. The problem of understanding this issue is only that we do not think about how this is a multifaceted and extensive question, we do everything automatically. If you plunge into the study of this topic from a professional point of view, it turns out that the structuring of information solves many problems, helping us build our own knowledge system and use it for further development or solving problems both at the household level and at the professional level.
What is a classification?
The collection and structuring of information is impossible without the concept of classification, which we partially considered in the previous paragraphs. But still it is worthwhile to understand this concept in more detail. Classification is a certain system of information elements that denotes real objects or processes and organizes them according to certain similar or different signs. Most often, this procedure is carried out in order to make the study more convenient.
There are two types of classifications. The first, artificial, is carried out according to certain external features that do not reflect the real essence of the object, and allows you to organize only surface data. The second type is a natural or natural classification, which is carried out according to the essential features that characterize the essence of objects and processes. It is natural classification that is a scientific tool that is used to study the laws of objects and processes. However, it cannot be said that artificial classification is absolutely useless. It allows you to solve a number of applied problems, but in itself is quite limited.
On how well the classification procedure was carried out, the further outcome of the study largely depends. This follows from the fact that the distinction according to characteristics is carried out in the early stages, and if mistakes are made on them, further research will go in the wrong direction.
Important principles
Techniques for structuring information require adherence to certain principles that allow you to be sure of the reliability of the results:
- The need to divide each operation into classes and use only one fundamental attribute. This allows you to filter out unnecessary information and focus on the main points.
- The resulting groups should be logically connected and arranged in a certain order on the basis of importance, time, intensity, and so on.
Miller's Rule
The pattern is called 7 ± 2. It was discovered by American scientist and psychologist George Miller after conducting a large number of experiments. Miller’s rule is that short-term human memory can, on average, remember 7 letters of the alphabet, 5 simple words, 9 numbers, consisting of 2 digits, and 8 decimal numbers. On average, this represents a group of 7 ± 2 elements. This rule is applicable in many areas, it is actively used to train human attention. But it is also used to structure information, based on how much the human brain can handle.
Edge principle
This effect is based on the fact that the human brain better remembers information at the beginning or at the end. The study of this principle was carried out by a German scientist German Ebbinghaus in the XIX century. It is he who is considered its discoverer. It is interesting that in our country they learned about this principle after the film about the adventures of Stirlitz, in which the main character used it to switch the attention of his opponent.
Restroff effect
In another way, this effect is called the effect of isolation, and it consists in the fact that when an object stands out from a number of similar ones, it is remembered much better than others. In other words, we can say that we remember the most that stands out most of all. Subconsciously, this effect is used by absolutely all people who want to be noticed. Each person noticed that this works when, in addition to his will, attention was attracted to bright clothes that stood out from the crowd, a fanciful architecture of a house looking out from a gray street, or a colorful cover from under a pile of identical ones.
Also, the principle is very applicable in advertising, where manufacturers do everything in order to maximize their product. And it works even for those who themselves know about this effect!
In structuring information, the Restroff effect is used so that different groups of information are not alike. This provides them a quicker easy understanding. Thus, if each element is ambiguous and interesting, then we will remember it much faster.
Information Structuring Methods
The process of studying the human brain is not in vain. Scientists have developed several techniques and methods for structuring information that make memorization much more convenient. We will talk about the main and most popular methods.
The Roman Room Method, or Cicero Chain, is a very simple but effective method for assimilating material. It consists in the fact that memorized objects must be mentally arranged in your room or one that you know very well. The main condition is that all items must be arranged in a strict order. After that, in order to recall the necessary information, it is enough to recall the room. That is exactly what Cicero did when he was preparing for the performance. He walked around his house, mentally setting accents in order to be able to return to an important moment in the course of his speech. You should not be limited to a room, you can try to place the desired information on a familiar street, desktop or other object that you are well aware of.
The mental map method, or the Buzen method, is a simple way to graphically display information using diagrams. Often this method is called mind mapping because it is necessary to build associative maps. This way of remembering has become quite popular lately. Psychologists and various trainers recommend compiling such cards in order to correctly set goals and understand their true desires. But the initial goal of mental maps was precisely to memorize and structure information faster. In order to make a natal chart, you will need:
- The material you want to learn.
- A large sheet of paper.
- Colored pens and pencils.
After that, draw in the center of the sheet a symbol or drawing that is associated with the theme you want to remember, or displays its essence. After that, towards the center, draw various chains of bonds that reflect one or another side of the object being studied. As a result, in order to remember the necessary information, you do not have to look through lists or read a half-textbook. You can immediately remember the main idea by looking at it in the center of the sheet, and then, moving along the outgoing branches, remember exactly what you need.
Step-by-step structuring methods
Naturally, structuring digital information is a more complex process. Of particular difficulty are tasks that are characterized by different levels of uncertainty. In order to solve them, one should resort to a number of methods that can be combined into phased structuring methods and morphological methods. Both of these species are adapted so that they can be used in conditions of high uncertainty.
But in a significant way they differ in what method will be used. The first group aims to gradually reduce the uncertainty of the problem, while the second group aims to solve by creating models in one iteration.
It is worth noting that when using the morphological method, the uncertainty may not change at all, it will simply be transferred to a different level of description. Both methods begin by examining the level of formalization. But if the level can be any for the phased structuring methods, then for the morphological methods, a detailed decomposition and the subsequent generation of matrix models are important. In other words, we can say that morphological methods are most often used with powerful computer technology, because the human brain is not able to process such arrays of information.
Phased structuring methods are aimed at finding logical relationships, and morphological methods do not set themselves the task of finding a logical conclusion, but they conduct a thorough combinatorial analysis and sort the information more thoroughly and deeply.
However, work efficiency is to use both of these methods. Structuring digital information requires an integrated approach. It is for this reason that it is important not only to use the most affordable methods, but also to resort to planning, experiments, and other industry-specific methods.
The technology of structuring information in many respects depends on how detailed the work should be done. Thus, when structuring, the specifics of the industry are primarily taken into account.
Analysis and structuring of information is very beneficial to consider in the context of semiotics. This is an approach that interprets any way of presenting information as one of the varieties of text. Using a sign system allows you to simplify and facilitate the understanding of information. So, in the graphical representation, we use a number of methods that allow us to switch from tonality to contrast, from saturation to brightness, and so on. All this allows you to simplify data recognition and transmit it to other sign systems. But since graphical models are somewhat limited, it is often easier to extract information from them using the interpretation model.
Structuring information in the PC library and servers
We examined in detail the issues of structuring, but did not address the issue in the context of digital information. In the modern world, information computer technologies are being introduced into all spheres of life. Therefore, to ignore them is simply impossible. Recently, information media libraries, which are used in schools, higher educational institutions, and technical schools, have gained great development. Media libraries of PCs and servers combine methodological manuals, sound recordings, book funds, video files, computer presentations, as well as technical support necessary to display all the information listed. Today, each educational institution creates its own media library, regularly updated with new information recorded on various media. This allows students to develop independent work with telecommunications and electronic catalogs. The functions that the library performs are as follows:
- Structuring information using information models to store graduate works of students of essays, presentations, and so on.
- Full automation of the library.
- Updating and storing educational materials in electronic form.
- Storage of reference and informational aids.
- Unlimited access to network resources and electronic libraries.
- Storage and viewing of photo and video files of an educational institution.
- Search for the necessary information upon request.
- Operational work with any sources of information.
An important role is played by the structuring of information storage. To do this, institutions need to own powerful servers that guarantee the integrity and safety of data. That is why it is necessary to approach the issue competently and professionally, because in case of an error, lost data can not be returned.
Structuring information in a PC’s library requires powerful computer equipment, including mobile devices, laptops, chargers, and so on. Only high-quality equipment will ensure full-fledged work with materials at the same time for all users. It is also very important to have a central server on which data will be stored. Most often, servers are installed in libraries. Installing a wireless network allows each teacher or student to access all materials from a laptop without leaving home.
Structuring database information
A database is a collection of data that is shared by personnel of an enterprise, a region, university students, and so on. The task of databases is to be able to store a large amount of information and provide them upon first request.
A correctly designed database completely eliminates data redundancy, so the risk of storing conflicting information is minimized. Based on this, we can say that the creation of databases in the modern world has two main objectives - this is to increase the reliability of data and reduce their redundancy.
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Moreover, an understanding of the key differences between objects is based on the fact that we compare its values with the norm or with the object that we use for comparison. In order to learn how to quickly and efficiently structure information, it is important to understand that it is just a set of specific characteristics, properties and parameters. Having learned how to handle and classify them correctly, you can solve many domestic and professional problems.
It is also important to remember that information can always be recorded, displayed or presented in another way. In other words, if you do not understand something, it is necessary to break this topic down into detailed elements and understand their essence so that there is nothing left that could not be explained in simple language.
In everyday life, most people quite easily solve such problems by inventing smart cards and using the features of their brain discovered by scientists. But professionally, structuring information is still a rather difficult task, since its amount is growing daily and every minute.
In fact, the whole evolution of man is a process of accumulating knowledge. But at the same time, in order to work effectively, it is necessary to understand the basic principles of information structuring, which we also spoke about earlier. There are not many of them. However, understanding is the key to processing huge amounts of information and remembering them.