Managing information - introduction

As the front page says, this guide is intended to help you determine the information you really need. It provides a few challenging thoughts, and practical advice. It is not intended as a rigorous academic paper but as an alternative to thick books on information theory. I have therefore written it in an informal way in the hope that it is easy to read.

We have never been subjected to so much information and yet I have not come across any clear, practical, concise guides as to how to handle it. Hence this web site guide, based on my experience in business systems (although thanks are due to my colleagues and friends for their comments). The site is set out as a short report with buttons at the bottom of each page to take you to the next, or back to the previous page. Read this way, it will take you about half-an-hour to read. However, if you are short of time, there is a summary.

Should you wish to print pages, I suggest you do not use your browser's print button, but click the "Print" button at the bottom of the page. This will take you to a screen giving the option of downloading the guide as a book.

I am happy if you wish to use any part of the guide, PROVIDED the extract includes a reference to the author (D M Griffiths) and the site address, and you do not make any money from its reproduction (otherwise I want some of it).

If you get lost in the site, click the little lifebelt at the top right by the title which will take you to the contents page.

If you want to base an internal audit on the principles detailed on this site, I have written an article for the Institute of Internal Auditors IT site.

Otherwise click the "Contents" button below to continue...