DEPARTMENT OF LIBRARY AND

INFORMATION SCIENCE
PAPER-[MLIS-105] : (MARKETING OF
INFORMATION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TOPIC – INFORMATION PRODUCTS :
DESIGN & TYPES WITH EXAMPLE

PRESENTED BY – SUBMITTED BY - DR. S .K . SONKAR

SHIVANI SIR
M.LISc
INFORMATION PRODUCTS :
DESIGN & TYPES WITH
EXAMPLE
WHAT IS INFORMATION?
 Information is data that has been
organized, processed, and presented in a
meaningful way. Unlike raw data, which
might be unprocessed or random,
information is structured to provide
insight, answers, or context. Information
can be used for making decisions, solving
problems, or increasing understanding.
 Examples include reports, analysis
results, and summaries.3
WHAT IS PRODUCT?
 A product is any good or service that is
created, manufactured, or developed to
satisfy a need or want. Products can be
tangible (physical items like electronics
or clothing) or intangible (such as
software, services, or experiences).
Products are usually created to address
consumer demands or solve specific
problems.
INFORMATION PRODUCT
 Information Products are prepared by selecting,
acquiring, evaluating, analyzing, synthesizing,
restructuring, packaging and repackaging information
gathered carefully from various sources.
 These products provide information on various attributes of the
product and also promote their use and sale. The information
products are issued by industrial, commercial, public service, or
similar organisations, as promotional material for the target
audience.
 These products are newsletters, house journals, and trade
and product bulletins.
 These publications inform the public about the performance of an
organisation, its latest activities and its products and services.
The basic purpose of these information products is to enhance the
image of the organisation and promote its products and services.
ASPECTS OF INFORMATION
PRODUCT

In order to create an information product, the product

developer needs to know the following aspects in
their right context:
• Demand: There is need to know the demand, and
create the product that people want to use.
• Quality: People believe that there is only one kind
of product, and it is high quality product.
• Presentation: The presentation of the product does
matter to the customers.
• Follow-ups: Information product should not be very
expensive. Therefore, create an information product
that can be upgraded and follow-ups can be offered.
Types of Information
Product
REVIEWS

REPORTS
REQUEST

CRITICAL TYPES OF INFORMATION DATA

STUDIES PRODUCTS

HANDBOOK
DATABASE

TECHNICAL WRITING
Cont’d…..
The following types of information products:
• Reviews: These include critical and state-of-
the-art reports.
• Reports: These include assessment, technical
reports, market reports, alerting bulletins,
newsletters, and house journals.
• Data: This category includes data compilations
and tables, statistical abstracts, correlations,
composites, and critical data.
• Databases: These include expert databases
and subject knowledge bases.
Cont’d…..
• Technical Writings: This type has in its fold guides, manuals,
instruction sheets, explanations on a complex subject provided
in a style and language geared toward a given audience level,
popular articles on a scientific or technical topic.
• Handbooks: These include compilations of essential data, and
information on a subject.
• Critical Studies: This type includes comparison of different
practices or policies, or studies, and impact and future studies.
• Requests: These include briefings, evaluative on-demand
studies, and compilations. It may be pertinent to mention that
each of the above mentioned products has its own
requirements, criteria, procedures, etc. For example, criteria and
practices for reviews are quite different from those for technical
writings.
Newsletter
 Seetharama defines a newsletter “as a serial consisting of one or
few pages, usually printed, and containing nascent information or
news which is of interest to a special or particular group of users
and which is published periodically.”
 Newsletters are, therefore, periodical publications issued by
various organizations, institutions, government departments,
professional societies, trade and industry associations, etc. for
providing speedy information to their members and subscribers.
These are also issued by commercial and research organizations
to make their users aware of the new products. Some
organizations publish newsletters as a substitute to journals, and
contain limited pages.
 According to online Encyclopaedia Britannica, a newsletter may
be an “informal publication, often simple in format and crisp in
style that provides special information, advice, opinions, and
forecasts for a defined audience.”
Types of Newsletters
Based on the publishing organizations,
newsletters may be categorized as follows:
a. Research and Development
Organizations
b. Associations
c. Government Organizations
d. Public Sector Undertakings
e. Private Institutions
f. Academic Institutions g. International
Organizations.
Objectives
 To publicise and promote products and
services of the publishing organisations and
institutions.
 To announce current and forthcoming events
like conferences, seminars, workshops etc.
 To communicate information about social and
cultural activities, appointments, promotions,
transfers, retirements, obituaries etc. of the
members of concerned organizations.
 To publish timely and relevant activities of
current interest
Electronic Newsletters (E-Newsletter)

 Recent advances in computer and telecommunication

technology have led to the development and
application of computer networks. These, in turn, have
helped in the development of electronic 8 newsletters
which are in use since the 1990s. Electronic
newsletters are distributed through e-mail to those
users who would willingly subscribe to them online.
This method of sending the e-Newsletter is regarded as
fast and cost effective. The e-Newsletters have gained
rapid acceptance over printed format. The use of e-
Newsletters is becoming quite popular for advertising
the products and services in business and industry
because no printing and mailing costs are involved.
Advantages of E-
Newsletters
Some of the advantages of e-Newsletters are identified as follows:
a. These are convenient and delivered to the users at their work
desk without delay.
b. E-Newsletters have timely information and real-time delivery.
c. These are informative and keep the users up-to-date.
d. Sometimes users forward e-Newsletters, if found useful, to friends
and/ or colleagues.
Examples
• CSIR News. It is a fortnightly newsletter published by the National
Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources
(NISCAIR), CSIR, New Delhi.
• Financial Times Business Reports. These provide current market
and industry news covering the areas of business and finance,
energy, media and technology. These are accessible via FT
PROFILE and DataStar
House Journals
 A house journal is defined as an internal publication
produced by an organization in order to inform and
entertain its employees and to generate better
internal communication and relationships.
 House journals are serial publications like the
newsletters, published by industrial and
commercial organizations, corporations, business
houses, public sector undertakings, and similar
other organizations. These are meant for circulation
among their customers, shareholders, employees,
dealers, retailers, etc. to inform them about their
products, performance, and other activities
Types of House Journals
All house journals can be categorized as follows:

1. Internal House Journals : These are published for

employees and members of the organization. These
are primarily meant for internal circulation, and they
inform about the welfare measures taken by the
management for the employees.
2. External House Journals : An external house
journal may be in the form of a standard technical
journal, or a magazine, or a periodical catalogue.
These journals are brought out for customers or
potential customers of the organization and are meant
for external circulation.
Objectives and Functions
Some of the objectives and functions of house journals
are as follows:
• To promote and enhance the image of the
organization as well as that of management among
its customers and employees,
• To improve business and industrial relations,
• To keep employees and customers in the picture,
and • To provide an objective news service
Examples
• Vimanika. A monthly house journal published by Air
India, Mumbai.
• DRDO Newsletter. A monthly house bulletin
published by DRDO, DESIDOC, New Delhi
Trade and Product Bulletins
 Trade and product bulletins are information products
brought out by the publishers, manufacturers and
distributors of various types of materials, products
or services. The trade and product bulletins virtually
cover every kind of material, product or service
ranging from books, drugs, chemicals, household
goods to extremely complicated machinery and
equipment used in research and industry. The basic
purpose of this type of trade literature is to describe
various attributes of the product, material or service
and promote its sale to the potential customers.
They are also known as trade catalogues.
Features of Trade Bulletins
Some of the features common to all types of trade/product
bulletins, trade catalogues, etc. may be as follows:
a.They provide such valuable information about a product,
equipment, a process, or a service that does not appear
elsewhere.
b. The amount of information provided varies considerably, so
much so that it may range from a single page to several
hundred pages.
c. The information provided is generally supported by various
types of illustrations, diagrams, charts, etc.
d. Since new products, processes and services are being
developed on continuous basis, these bulletins and
catalogues become outdated soon, and need to be updated
regularly.
e. Trade literature is generally available without any charges.
Sources of Trade Literature
Trade literature is available in wide range of sources.
The basic sources are as follows:
1) Advertisements and announcements in technical
journals and trade magazines.
2) Special issues and supplements of journals.
3) Manufacturers’ catalogues, house journals and
newsletters.
4) Product descriptions supplied at trade exhibitions.
5) Directories of industries, products and companies.
6) Companies’ websites and trade portals on the
Internet.
Handbooks
 A handbook is a book giving information such as facts on a
particular subject, or instructions for operating a machine. It is a
comprehensive and handy work on a particular topic for
practitioners, structured for quick reference. The term ‘handbook’
is derived from the German word ‘handbach’ meaning a small
book or a treatise giving useful facts. It is called handbook
because it is usually convenient to be held in the hands of the
users. It is a ready reference source the relevant portions of which
are consulted at the time of need.
 Louis Shores defined a handbook as: “A reference book of
miscellaneous facts and figures on one or many subjects
assembled for ready use, in response to popular interest or to a
specific need for concise, handy information”.
 William Katz defined a handbook as “a collection of a
miscellaneous group of facts centred on one theme or subject
area.”
Purpose of Handbooks
According to Katz, the basic purpose of handbooks is to serve as ready
reference source for a given field of knowledge. Handbooks lay emphasis
on established knowledge rather than on recent advances, although in the
field of science, handbooks that are more than a few years old may not be
of much use. They primarily give information about facts to know and
instructions to do.
 Scope and Coverage
Most handbooks have limited scope. However, they may include the following
in their scope and coverage.
a. Provide facts, figures and themes of a specific area.
b. No emphasis on newer ideas and current developments.
c. Help in understanding the subject.
d. Prepared with the assumption that users have some background knowledge
about the subject covered.
e. Provide sources for the facts and figures included.
f. Give instructions on how to serve as guides to occupations, hobbies, art
forms, etc
Types of Handbooks
There are a large number of handbooks being published on
different subjects. However, these can be categorized in the
following types:
1.General Handbooks: General handbooks include
information to satisfy the interests of people at large. These
handbooks are arranged subject wise with a detailed index
for easy location of various topics and sub-topics.
Examples: Guinness World Records.
2. Statistical Handbooks: Statistical handbooks are
generally published by government departments of various
countries. These provide information on every aspect in
statistical form, hence useful source of information for
social scientists, researchers, and academicians.
Examples: Statistical Yearbook of the United Nations.
Types of Handbooks
3. Historical Handbooks : These types of handbooks
are useful in answering queries regarding events, dates,
discoveries, etc. in history. These also provide
information regarding achievements in literature, music,
art, science and technology, etc. during a particular
year.
Examples: The People’s Chronology: A Year by Year
Record of Human Events form Pre-History to the Present
4. Literary Handbooks: These handbooks are useful in
getting information of ready reference queries about
literature, literary works, literary characters, etc.
Examples: The Oxford Companion to American
Literature.
Types of Handbooks
5. Subject Handbooks : Subject handbooks have been
prepared on almost all the subjects for the use of
researchers and academicians.
Examples: Third World Economic Handbook.
6. Practical Handbooks: These handbooks provide
information about specific instructions to make, to
operate, to perform, etc. These are also known as
instruction manuals.
These handbooks are of various types as given below:
a. Family Health, First Aid Handbooks
b. Home Maintenance Handbooks
c. Etiquette and Manners Handbooks
d. Cooking Recipes Handbook
Manuals
 A manual is a brief reference book dealing with a
particular process, operation, mechanism, job
instruction, etc. It is regarded as a comprehensive
step-by-step guide to a particular topic both for
beginners and practitioners. It is essentially an
instruction book which instructs how to do
something with clear directions. It usually
accompanies a technical device and explains how to
install or operate it. Therefore, it means how a
certain thing happens, or how a particular job
should be done. However, sometimes it is difficult to
distinguish it from an average handbook, as
observed by Katz.
Uses of Manual
Some of the uses of a typical manual are as under:
a. It provides instructions to users on the uses of
equipment, or appliances, or software, etc.
b. It gives directions to users’ representatives on how
to instruct their employees about the use of various
machines and other equipment.
c. It provides instructions to management, supporting
or helping staff on the use of equipment, or
procedures.
d. It gives instructions to other departments or
organizations on how to liaise their operations with
yours.
Types of Manuals
In the present day world many types of manuals are available. They
can be grouped according to the various jobs they are meant to
perform.
1.Technical Manuals : A technical manual describes equipment, or
a process, or software, or a mechanical device. It contains
instructions for its installation, about its operation, maintenance,
or repair of any technical device.
2 Procedural Manuals: This category of manuals deals with
established procedures and working practices in an organization.
The procedural manuals are helpful to the managers in carrying
out their work in methodical manner.
3. Laboratory Manuals: The category of laboratory manuals
describes how the users can perform experiments and give
information about the concerned equipment, procedures,
installing software, testing techniques, etc.
Examples : Haynes Owner’s Workshop Manuals.
What is product design?

 “Product design is about the relationship

that the designed product has with the
user, but also addresses its competitive
context,” says Nikolas Klein, Product
Designer at Figma. “That includes user
experience design, product strategy, and
go-to-market planning.”
The product design process

1. Goal setting: Defining your goal ensures your

product objectives align with your organization.
2. Research: Gathering information and data-driven
insights help inform the design process.
3. Analysis: By turning data into insights, designers
can better understand their user base.
4. Product strategy and planning: The product team
proposes a design strategy to achieve business goals.
5. Execution and post-launch: Tracking efforts
toward the long-term goal of bringing the product to
market is the final decision process stage.
In Summary
 Information products are resources created
to share knowledge, insights, or skills in
various formats, such as e-books, online
courses, webinars, or white papers. These
products aim to educate, inform, and provide
value to specific audiences, often addressing
particular problems or needs. Successful
information products are typically well-
researched, user-focused, and accessible,
making them valuable for both personal and
professional development.
References……
 Paper No : 04 Information Sources,
Systems and Services Module : 26
Information Products
 https
://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/epgpdata/uploads/e
pgp_content/s000021li/p000099/m00194
1/et/1483076068p04_m-26.pdf

 Information products
 Link-https://
www.lkouniv.ac.in/site/writereaddata/siteC
THANK
YOU!