Element 2: Purpose Statement

"The statement of purpose serves as the driving force throughout the web weaving process." (December et al, 1995, pp822)

The purpose statement may be defined as "this is what the web will do", and is a very useful element within the development of a web. It helps developers choose what information about the audience must be gathered and maintained and it enables web analysts to evaluate whether or not the web is operating effectively. Without a clear purpose statement, the user will wonder "What is this for?", and have no answer.

When composing a purpose statement, planners need to identify the following elements;

• Subject Area. What area of knowledge serves as the context for what the web conveys? A more specific subject may be of more use than a general subject.
• The audience. Who is this aimed at? This is useful because so much of the "What are we doing?" question revolves around the target audience.
• The level of detail. At what level of detail will the information be presented? This might be as general as "an overview of vegetarian cooking", or it might be much more specific, such as "the nutritional content of green vegetables".
• The users expected benefit. What will the users gain from the web? This is a useful part of the purpose statement, as it allows planners to determine the purpose of the web as seen from the users point of view. For example, the users expected benefit could be "to teach users how to prepare a number of vegetarian dishes".

"The purpose of this center [Computer-Mediated Communication Studies Center] is to serve the needs of researchers, students, teachers, and practitioners interested in computer-mediated communication (CMC). This center helps people share resources, make contacts, collaborate, and learn about developments and events." (http://www.december.com/cmc/study/center.html) (December et al, 1995, pp823)