Dealing with an information overload of health science data

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2006;124:549-54

Authors: Hoelzer S, Schweiger RK, Rieger J, Meyer M

The organizational structures of web contents and electronic information resources must adapt to the demands of a growing volume of information and user requirements. Otherwise the information society will be threatened by disinformation. The biomedical sciences are especially vulnerable in this regard, since they are strongly oriented toward text-based knowledge sources. Here sustainable improvement can only be achieved by using a comprehensive, integrated approach that not only includes data management but also specifically incorporates the editorial processes, including structuring information sources and publication. The technical resources needed to effectively master these tasks are already available in the form of the data standards and tools of the Semantic Web. They include Rich Site Summaries (RSS), which have become an established means of distributing and syndicating conventional news messages and blogs. They can also provide access to the contents of the previously mentioned information sources, which are conventionally classified as ‚deep web‘ content.

PMID: 17108575 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]