A grounded theory of the practice of web information architecture in large organizations

Organizing and structuring online information becomes a mainstream activity within large organizations as increasing volumes of information are made available via the web. General methodologies, best practice, and guidelines for web information architecture ( IA ) have been developed and refined. This research paper extends the knowledge base for web IA by examining situated practice within large organizations and building theory to provide a deeper understanding of how large organizations construct information‐rich websites. A grounded theory, The Situated Practice of Web IA in Large Organizations , is proposed as an integrated theoretical framework for practice in this context. The theoretical framework is composed of 4 foundational constructs titled: owning, negotiating, enacting , and knowing web IA . Building on these foundations, an integrating central construct of practicing web IA is proposed. This theoretical framework will inform large organizations and practitioners as they approach web IA .