A Semiotic Information Quality Framework: Development and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

An organization depends on quality information for effective operations and decisionmaking. However, there is still no agreement as to how quality should be defined in terms of specific quality categories and criteria. Proposed information quality frameworks have limitations with respect to either consistency, resulting from a non-theoretical approach to framework development, or scope, considering only objective but not subjective information quality perspectives. In this paper, we describe a unique research approach to framework development that addresses these problems and compare it to those used previously for other frameworks. Semiotic theory, the philosophical theory of signs, is used to ensure rigor and scope. It provides a theoretical basis for framework structure - quality categories and their criteria - and for integrating objective and subjective quality views. Empirical refinement based on academic, practitioner, and end-user focus groups is then used to ensure relevance.