Conquering the chaos of 'too much information'.

• Author: Wiler, Vicki
• Position: IN FOCUS: A Message from the Editor - Editorial

Although each of the articles in this issue is on a different topic, the common theme among them is the challenges that come from having too much information. This problem is only going to get worse, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), a global IT market intelligence provider.

In "The Digital Universe in 2020," IDC predicted that between now and 2020, the total amount of data created, replicated, and consumed globally is expected to double every two years and reach 40 trillion gigabytes!

Because of its ubiquity, social media use is a major contributor to information growth, and it presents unique challenges, particularly with e-discovery. In their cover article, attorneys Lauren Allen and Michael Wylie share four keys to managing social media for e-discovery. Readers will get a better understanding of the types of information generated by social media applications, where and how to access it, and how to monitor and collect it for discovery.

Too much inadequately managed information also complicates information audits. As a trio of authors from the University of North Dakota writes in "Exploring the Principles for Increasing Integrity, Objectivity in External Audits," implementing an information governance program based on the Generally Accepted Recordkeeping Principles[R] (Principles) will tame information chaos, ensuring the integrity and objectivity of the organization's information, which is vital to the quality of audit outcomes.

The Principles are already hard at work in the Regional Municipality of Niagara (Ontario, Canada), according to its information management coordinator, Clare Cameron, CIP. "They provide a structure, a framework for ensuring that ideals can be met," she told Julie Gable, who authored this Principles Series article. Cameron explains how each of the Principles influences her work. The...