TRANSGENIC ANIMALS DIGITAL REPOSITORY: A PROPOSAL IN LIGHT OF THE INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Information Management. Information Architecture. Digital Repositories. Transgenic Animals.
Focusing on the technological dimension of Information Management (IM), this study emphasized the contribution of Information Architecture to structure a Digital Repository on Transgenic Animals, which aims to systematize information and experiences exchange between researchers to establish and to expand collaborations between research groups and to facilitate the transfer of valuable resources (i.e., transgenic animals) for research in Experimental Biology. Thus, this research aimed to establish guidelines to create a Digital Repository on Transgenic Animals, with emphasis on mice, based on Information Architecture methods and techniques, because there is no such Repository in Brazil. For this, a qualitative case study was carried out based on descriptive research. The choice for this type of research had as its main justification to diagnose information needs, based on the reality of the Brain Institute, to evaluate information technology to meet these needs and to project an appropriate information system. This research was developed in two stages. The first stage, a bibliographic type, aimed to collect data that supported the development of the theoretical framework and the second stage considered researchers perceptions about the creation of the Digital Repository on Transgenic Animals, through of interview and questionnaire application whose data were analyzed in light of the methodological aspects of Information Architecture. This research results were promising and will support the planning of actions for the implementation of the Repository because it allowed us to identify the guidelines concerning to organizational context, informational content and users.