How You Store Information Affects How You Can Retrieve It: A Fundamental Principle For Business Students Studying Information Systems And Technology

Abstract

During the current period of rapid technological change, business students need to emerge from their introductory course in Information Systems (IS) with a set of fundamental principles to help them “think about Information Technology (IT)” in future courses and the workplace.  Given the digital revolution, they also need to appreciate the role of information in business as well has how to meet the challenges involved in managing information effectively.  This paper addresses both those needs by presenting a fundamental principle concerning information management:  How you store information affects how you can retrieve it.  The paper commences by presenting the principle in a manner that can be used to introduce it to the class.  It continues by providing numerous concepts and examples that draw on the principle and that students are likely to encounter in the core IS course, subsequent courses, and their real-world use of technology.  The paper concludes by raising a set of issues suitable for class discussion or exam questions.