What does hypertext offer the information scientist?

Abstract

Hypertext should transform the work of information scien tists, who describe, model and interpret information entities and events. Traditional reporting relies on static, finite presen tation in the form of files or finished texts and many models fail to capture volatile environments: hypertext presents docu ments as aggregates of textual fragments, which can be assem bled and replaced as required, and can reflect fluctuations in real-time (the principle of dynamic instantiation). It also offers new approaches to information retrieval (maps of browsers will complement metonyms), and evaluation, as value-in-use (re vealed in links to texts) can replace current quantitative instru ments like citation indexing. Hypertext provides intimate in sight into individual textual habits, which makes it an im portant tool for collaborative work and research into cognitive style.