Why organize information?

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Information must be organized in order to permit analysis, synthesis, understanding and communication. Organizing information is important because it allows you to:

• Manage and retain the information more efficiently
• Communicate the information more effectively
• Recognize the need for further information and discard unneeded information
• Recognize trends, clusters, and other patterns in the information gathered
• Synthesize disparate pieces of information into new knowledge

The usefulness of organizing things can be illustrated in tasks such as arranging tools in a workshop, organizing your desktop, or writing down directions for others to follow.

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How do I organize information?

**content modified from the CSU Information Competence Project ©1997