Encyclopedia of Multimedia Technology and Networking (2 Vols)

Citation

Calvert, P. (2005), "Encyclopedia of Multimedia Technology and Networking (2 Vols)", Online Information Review, Vol. 29 No. 5, pp. 563-564. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520510628954

The Idea Group have embarked upon a publishing project of some magnitude – they have started to produce a series of print encyclopaedias for information scientists and information managers, and here is a two‐volume work devoted to the emerging multimedia digital market. More than 220 researchers from over 32 countries contributed over 150 articles to this work. The chapters include more than 1,350 technical and managerial terms with definitions, and there are more than 3,200 bibliographical references.

The Preface states that this encyclopaedia:

… will be of particular interest to teachers, researchers, scholars and professionals of the discipline, who require access to the most current information about the concepts, issues, trends and technologies in this emerging field. The encyclopedia also serves as a reference for managers, engineers, consultants, and others interested in the latest knowledge related to multimedia technology and networking.

This seems an ambitious objective, but in my judgement it has been achieved. For my own classes with graduate students in information management I know that several chapters in this work will suit their needs very well indeed. They are intelligent students who need to improve their knowledge of current multimedia and networking practices, and here the chapters provide just the right level of information about the technologies, and the trends that can be expected, to give the students enough knowledge to move on confidently to the next level. It is also worth stating that most academics will find something new here, for in such a fast‐moving discipline it is almost impossible to keep up to date with the constant arrival of new technologies.

If you have already seen the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology published by the Idea Group, then you will know what to expect from this two‐volume set. Each article is four or five pages long, just long enough for an introductory reading. The chapter starts with a section setting out the context of the topic and its importance in the wider discipline. The next few pages are devoted to content, usually with plenty of bibliographic references. Each chapter ends with a section on trends (an unusual feature, this one) and a conclusion. Key terms are defined, and there are more references in the bibliography than might be expected for relatively concise pieces of writing.

These are just some of the branches of multimedia technology covered in this work: broadband infrastructure and applications, distance education technologies, electronic commerce and mobile commerce technologies and management, information security management, using virtual communities, multimedia television technology and applications, network optimisation, open source software, and a great deal of general telecommunications topics.

The range of topics is diverse, so finding exactly what you want might be a little imprecise. There is a lot of content here, but obviously not everything on any particular topic. I found the chapters on information security management very informative, detailed and readable; even so, you will not find much mention of the actual responsibilities of management in security systems. As another small aggravation, the index could be better. In “Open source intellectual property rights” by Fleming there is a reference to Table 1, but there is no Table 1 to be found. These are minor quibbles compared to the value of the work as a whole. Your organisation needs a copy.