The IP's guide to the galaxy of portal planning: Part II. Content management

This article is the second in a four‐part series that aims to illustrate the process involved in planning a portal and creating a portal definition document.

Based on a review of the academic and industry literature and using a case study, the authors share their experience in planning the Florida ExpertNet Research portal.

Portal development is a complex and costly endeavour that requires meticulous planning and design. As with any system development initiative, the time and energy spent in the planning process is reflected in the success or failure of the end product. Content management is the keystone of a portal. The components of a portal CM strategy include the content inventory and analysis, content acquisition, access structures, classifying content, content life cycle, CM software, and metadata standards.

This series will be useful to the information professional who is contemplating portal development and may be used as a model in developing a blueprint – the portal definition document. Whether the IP is considering doing development or outsourcing, it is important to understand the architectural requirements of a portal.