An information indexing taxonomy and the image data type

The potential for using imaging technology in business applications is great. Factors besides hardware technology affect the implementation of image-based information systems; poor structural organization and retrieval mechanisms also contribute. The paper proposes a taxonomy as a comparison framework for the development of indexing technologies. It is proposed that image data represent a new fundamental data type domain, distinct from traditional numeric and character data types. The differentiation capability inherent to each of the three data types are developed in relation to their extrinsic descriptive characteristics to describe indexing methodologies. The advantages and limitations of these methodologies are investigated using this taxonomy, and directions for future research are proposed