Justin R Dopke, MSIS, Web and Technology Solutions Group, ORC Macro, 11420 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-770-5800, jdopke@shs.net

One of the greatest challenges of organizing any kind of information is making it easily accessible to those individuals who need the information. Starting with the online public access catalog (OPAC), librarians and information scientists have faced this challenge. With the advent of the World Wide Web, this problem has spilled out of the library and into the living room. Most large-scale Web sites have had to redesign/reorganize their information to make it searchable, and ALL government Web sites must make their collections accessible to persons with disabilities (Section 508). How is it possible to systematically reorganize a Web site so that the content is logically organized and easily retrieved? By understanding the needs of the audience and the goals of the organization, a comprehensive schema can be developed. Information architecture and usability engineering have proven to be effective methods in making Web sites easier to use while conserving project resources.

This poster session will demonstrate the process of information architecture and usability engineering in the redesign of a Federal initiative for addiction recovery Web site. In doing so, it will examine the challenges faced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Web site in support of the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month initiative and the methods used to overcome them. The poster will detail the strategies and evaluation of the information architecture and navigation schema for the Recovery Month 2004 Web site and the Recovery Month Portal.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)Understand the importance of an effectively designed information architecture and navigation schema for a Web site that is used as a primary resource for educating professionals as well as the general public on addiction recovery issues and information.
• 2)Identify and apply strategies for effectively organizing information on Web sites.
• 3)Understand how to evaluate information architecture and its correlation to usability.

Keywords: Internet, Health Information Systems

Related Web page: www.recoverymonth.gov

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.