In the spirit of "look for the right question, not the right answer", what are the big questions around global IA? Here are a few to get started.

• Which locales should we use?
• What content/functionality should we translate?
• What should be the balance between local control over content, presentation and structure, and central control?
• How can we find out if just translating a site into language X will be acceptable?
• What aspects of the IA should be different for local sites?
• Can we just translate a taxonomy?
• When should a taxonomy not just be translated, but adjusted to local circumstances?
• What are useful concepts to understand cultural differences between locales that matter for IA?
• Do different cultures have different information needs?
• Is IT the great cultural equalizer?
• Does work culture override local (national) culture in regards to information use?
• Do different cultures have different information preferences?
• How is information usage evolving worldwide? Are poorer countries "behind", and going through evolution in internet/information use that's simply a few years behind of richer countries?
• Are Hofstede's dimensions useful for global IA?
• What do we know about multilingual information needs and preferences? Do people prefer access to the original, for example? In what cases?
• Culture is a subtle thing, often invisible. What are some good ways to research cultural differences related to IA?
• Apart from differences in information needs and preferences, what other cultural aspects might influence IA?
• Do we know enough about IA tout court to start worrying about global IA? In what areas don't we?
• How does search behaviour differ between cultures, if at all?
• What are the big questions, and what are the small questions?
• Apart from their nationality, what other aspects determine someone's culture in regards to global IA?
• What are cost-effective ways to do research, and what research should be done?
• What kind of local involvement in your IA research should you get?

And so on. Lou has more.

# Jun 3, 2005

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