BISM7202 Information
Systems for Management
Writing an Essay: A Lotus Notes
Assignment Example
SEMESTER 2 2020
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 2
Purpose
This document sets out a model approach to writing an essay for the subject BISM7202 in Semester
2, 2019. This is a model approach. The topic is different to that set in the course, but the base
principles still apply.
Audience
This document is intended for the reference of tutors and students in BISM7202.
Background
Students are required to write an 800-1200 word essay that considers the “Role of Lotus Notes in
Business Decision-Making”. This is an individual assignment – group work or any collaboration on
the written component is not permitted.
In this essay, you are therefore required to discuss:
1. How easy Lotus Notes was to learn and use.
2. The strengths (at least one) and weaknesses (at least one) of Lotus Notes in relation to one
only of the different types of tools for analysing and access vast quantities of data (discuss
ONE OF THE FOLLOWING only):
o Data warehousing OR
o Multidimensional data analysis OR
o Data mining, OR
o Utilizing Web interfaces to database
3. Overall, whether (and why) you consider Lotus Notes to be a useful tool
You are to refer to external sources (for example, journal articles) to support your observations. In this
case, these sources are to be cited using the Harvard referencing style.
The essay should have an abstract, an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction
should be short and identify the purpose, scope, and structure of the essay. The conclusions should
be short and summarise the points you have made in your essay.
Formatting and professionalism
Note the following:
? The essay is to be written to a professional standard.
? You should include a title page with identifying details (student number, full name, date, title,
and word count).
? The essay should be typed (in Times Roman 12-point font or larger, single-spaced) and it
should be in the range of 800 to 1,000 words in total length (excluding title page, abstract,
footnotes, tables and references). No appendices are to be provided. Tables in the essay
should not exceed one page. The word limit must be observed.
? You are expected to use the Harvard referencing style in this instance.
? You must be consistent with the reference style, and include for journal papers author, title,
journal name, volume, number, pages. For all other sources, provide as much as information
(conference dates and location) as possible. You are to provide a written list of sources
referred to in your essay after the conclusion under the heading “References”.
? The UQ Library provides “How To” guides for writing that you can use. Here is the UQ guide
to Harvard referencing:
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 3

http://web.library.uq.edu.au/research-tools-techniques/referencing/referencing-style-guides
Scope
The pages that follow set out an initial outline, with some comments on how to proceed. The essay
develops into a final draft.
Working Drafts
First Draft: Initial outline
The following is a working ‘notes to self’ discussion of an initial outline of how I would address the
essay. This outline then gets edited in the second draft. Highlighted items (in yellow) are general
notes to consider. Keywords of particular note identified in the requirements are presented in bold
text.
Simple opportunities to find research references (for a 1200-word assignment I probably need 5 to 15
good references) are highlighted in blue. Note that exceeding the word limit will result in a lower mark;
writing more does not mean more marks, it’s about the content. The website scholar.google.com will
probably help a lot here. If I follow the plan below, I will have 9 references, which sounds like
between 5 and 15 references to me.
Abstract
[COMMENT: Note that an abstract is a brief summary of the overall essay, and a reader uses an
abstract to quickly ascertain the purpose of the paper. The abstract should cover the whole paper
and reports what the paper is for, what you did, and the conclusion.
An abstract is different to the introduction in that an introduction provides the rationale for the
paper and be a forward-looking statement as to what you intend to achieve in the paper, whereas the
abstract reports what was achieved. Note that an introduction supports its statements with citations
whereas an abstract does not.
An abstract also differs from the executive summary in that an executive summary is intended to
communicate the key points of a document (usually, a report rather than an essay). The executive
summary can be read on its own and acted upon.
An abstract does NOT introduce new ideas, it only summarises the ideas in the essay to come. It
should allow the reader to work out if they wish to read the whole paper. As it is a summary, the
abstract should not include references (exceptions may be made for fundamental papers, but they are
to be avoided). The abstract can therefore only be written once the assignment is done, so leave it for
now. As a rule of thumb, an abstract should be around 10% of the total pages in the complete essay,
and no more than 10 pages in length (though of course that shouldn’t apply here). So I need an
abstract roughly 80 -120 words in length – since it’s not part of the word count I’ll be a bit relaxed
about that.]
Introduction
[COMMENT: In this essay the requirements say, “overall do you consider Lotus Notes to be a useful
tool?”. This has an implication for me – it means that I will choose to write in the first person (as in, “I
found it to be a useful tool but one fraught with dangers if used in appropriately.” Although this essay
does not have to be in the first person, first person does make it a bit easier to write as a personal
reflection]
[COMMENT: Some basic ground rules I probably need to remind myself of here. A paragraph does
not have several ideas in it – a paragraph is focussed on a single idea. By extension this means that
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 4
a paragraph has at least three sentences in it – if it was less than three sentences I would probably
combine it with the earlier paragraph. ]
[COMMENT: Oh and it’s probably important that as it is a structured formal essay I have some
bridging going on – that is, the introduction says what is going to happen in the rest of the essay, and
whenever I come to an idea that requires multiple paragraphs, the first paragraph ends with a
sentence that basically says, “I will now discuss X, Y and then Z”, followed by three paragraphs (X, Y
and then Z). This is essentially what is described as ‘signposting’ – see
http://www.business.uq.edu.au/sites/default/files/brochures/assign-uqbs-student-writing-guide.pdf]
[FIRST PARAGRAPH: An introduction ‘sets the scene’ for the rest of the essay. This allows the
reader to know whether this essay will interest them or not. It also defines what the benchmark for
success in this essay – does it do its job? So, in the first paragraph I will answer questions such as
‘What is the purpose of this essay?’ (through simple sentences such as, ‘The purpose of this essay is
to…’). I will also include why I was motivated to write this essay (usually, it’s not a great idea to say
‘to get a mark back so I can pass the course’).]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Say this might be a good place to find a reference that refers the reader
to a good summary of what Lotus Notes is – otherwise I need to explain what it is for my reader.]
[SECOND PARAGRAPH: In the second paragraph I will discuss ‘How I address this purpose (i.e.
what is the structure of the essay?). This structure will affect how you write the body of the essay that
comes next.]
Evaluation of Lotus Notes
[COMMENT: In the requirements there are three points noted that you have to discuss, but in these
points are several elements. For example, “How easy Lotus Notes was to learn and use” is two
points: (1) how easy to learn and (2) how easy to use. It would be useful to have a paragraph on
each. In the notes below I have outlined my likely approach to each paragraph. Note that I have
decided to look at the strengths and weaknesses of Lotus Notes as a Utilizing Web Interface tool.
Note also that I have used ‘Evaluation of Lotus Notes’ here to describe the ‘body’ section of the
essay. Section headings in an essay are optional (essays rarely have sub-headings, though). If I do
have section headings then they should be meaningful and relate very much to the structure I set out
in the introduction. If no headings are used then I need to have a more explicit bridging sentence at
the opening of the paragraphs. Meh. In this case, a heading is easier.]
[Paragraph: How easy was Lotus Notes to learn? With the next paragraph, this aims to address
Point 1 of the noted requirements for the discussion in the assessment overview.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Find a reference that says how easy Lotus Notes is to learn perhaps?
Does the reference support my experience?]
[Paragraph: How easy was Lotus Notes to use? With the preceding paragraph, this aims to address
Point 2 of the noted requirements for the discussion in the assessment overview.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Find a reference that says how easy Lotus Notes is to use perhaps?
Does the reference support my experience? As an example, I note that
http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?as_ylo=2012&q=%22Lotus+notes%22+%22easy+to+use%22&
hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
has 436 results just since 2012]
[Paragraph: Identify that there were four choices to be made. Which tool did I choose? Why did I
choose it? Is Lotus Notes popularly used this way? End with a bridging sentence that links to the
following two paragraphs that talk about Lotus Notes’s strengths and weaknesses when used as this
tool.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Ooh, I’m getting the hang of this now – find a reference (maybe two?)
that discuss Lotus Notes being used as this type of tool. Yes, two references I think at once might be
in order in this case.]
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 5
[Paragraph: Discuss strengths of Lotus Notes as a Web Interface tool. I want a good mark, so I’ll
talk about two strengths. I’ve heard the lecturer is pedantic about the ‘s’ –strengths is plural so that
means at least two strengths need to be included.]
[Paragraph: Discuss weaknesses of Lotus Notes as a Web Interface tool. Again, I want a good
mark, so I’ll talk about two weaknesses.]
[Paragraph: Now, although it is not specifically noted in the requirements, any time we talk about
strengths and weaknesses it would make sense to compare those strengths and the weaknesses
together. Otherwise why did I discuss them? So, in this paragraph, I am focussing on Lotus Notes as
the type of tool we chose (one of the four) and this is distinct from the final requirement, which is
'overall do you consider Lotus Notes useful?’ So, I think I’d better discuss whether the strengths
outweigh the weaknesses when using it as this type of tool, and if I do that I need to come to a
conclusion – in this case, is it a good tool to use as a Web Interface tool?]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: I wonder if I can find a reference that talks about strengths and
weaknesses of Lotus Notes as this tool? If I can, great – find one source for strength, one source for
weakness.]
[Paragraph: Now we come to the final requirement, which is whether, overall, do I consider Lotus
Notes useful? Hold on a second though – what’s the overall context here? Useful for what? Ah, this
essay is to address the topic ‘Role of Lotus Notes in Business Decision Making’ – so I better
focus this final overall discussion on that topic. So I had better answer that question – either ‘Yes I do
think it is useful’ or ‘No it isn’t useful’. Now, it might be legitimate to say, ‘I’m not sure, it’ll depend on
the context’. And the requirements need me to justify my position (the requirements say ‘(and why)’).
So, I need to give reasons as to why I think that. Well, this might be best considered again in terms of
a strengths and weaknesses assessment. In which case, if I still have words left in my assignment I’ll
do another bridging sentence to the next two paragraphs – one paragraph identifying what I consider
strengths, one on weaknesses, and then a final concluding paragraph that says why I think it is or is
not a useful tool (or, I suppose, why I can’t make my mind up. Note that bridging sentences are
important to demonstrate the logic and flow of my essay.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Hmm – I’m performing an evaluation. Let’s find a reference (maybe
two?) that discuss whether Lotus Notes is a good tool. Yes, two references I think. Paper count must
be going OK by now.]
[Paragraph: Discuss strengths of Lotus Notes as an overall useful tool. I want a good mark, so I’ll
talk about two strengths.]
[Paragraph: Discuss weaknesses of Lotus Notes as an overall useful tool. I want a good mark, so I’ll
talk about two weaknesses.]
[Paragraph: I think I’d better discuss how I came to my assessment of it as a useful tool – do the
strengths outweigh the weaknesses? Since it’s a conclusion I’m drawing from these reasons, I will
end the paragraph with a statement like ‘For these reasons I consider Lotus Notes a useful tool.]
Conclusion
[Hooray, my essay is nearly done! Oh wait – I have to write it yet. OK – so I will summarise what I
said above. I might do one sentence for each of the three requirements I had to do: (1) Was it easy
to learn and use? (2) Is it good as the type of tool I nominated? And (3) Is it overall a useful tool?). It’s
fairly like that I probably some sort of concluding sentence (e.g. ‘In conclusion, in this essay I have
reflected upon the use of the Lotus Notes tool and I consider it useful/not useful/a complete load of
horse-hockey.’)]
References
[COMMENT: Alphabetical list; see the guide referenced above. I can copy and paste in the citations
from Google Scholar in Harvard style (click cite). That should do OK. Make sure I don’t miss any or
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Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 6
add any that I don’t use. Perhaps I should download Mendeley and put these papers in there if I’m
going to be doing a lot of this sort of writing in my degree.]
Second draft: Fleshing it all out
How might my essay start to look in a second draft where I try to address these points? The new
parts of the essay that implement the PARAGRAPH statements are shown in green highlighter. You
should be able to see how each highlighted paragraph implements the requirements of the
PARAGRAPH statements.
Abstract
[COMMENT: Note that an abstract is a brief summary of the overall essay, and a reader uses an
abstract to quickly ascertain the purpose of the paper. The abstract should cover the whole paper
and reports what the paper is for, what you did, and the conclusion.
An abstract is different to the introduction in that an introduction provides the rationale for the
paper and be a forward-looking statement as to what you intend to achieve in the paper, whereas the
abstract reports what was achieved. Note that an introduction supports its statements with citations
whereas an abstract does not.
An abstract also differs from the executive summary in that an executive summary is intended to
communicate the key points of a document (usually, a report rather than an essay). The executive
summary can be read on its own and acted upon.
An abstract does NOT introduce new ideas, it only summarises the ideas in the essay to come. It
should allow the reader to work out if they wish to read the whole paper. As it is a summary, the
abstract should not include references (exceptions may be made for fundamental papers, but they are
to be avoided). The abstract can therefore only be written once the assignment is done, so leave it for
now. As a rule of thumb, an abstract should be around 10% of the total pages in the complete essay,
and no more than 10 pages in length (though of course that shouldn’t apply here). So I need an
abstract roughly 80 -120 words in length – since it’s not part of the word count I’ll be a bit relaxed
about that.]
In this essay I consider the role of Lotus Notes in business decision-making. I reflect upon the ease of
learning and using Lotus Notes, and I consider its usefulness as a web interface database. I find
Lotus Notes not easy to learn due to its technical interface and the difficulty of identifying mistakes. I
also find it not easy to use as its interface is unique and unorthodox. Furthermore, although it can
operate as a web interface database it is apparent that better solutions exist as Lotus Notes is
generally considered to be obsolete and not secure. Nevertheless, due to Lotus Notes’ ability to
automate processes and manage structured text well, I find Lotus Notes to be a useful tool for
business decision-making.
Introduction
[COMMENT: In this essay the requirements say, “overall do you consider Lotus Notes to be a useful
tool?”. This has an implication for me – it means that I will choose to write in the first person (as in, “I
found it to be a useful tool but one fraught with dangers if used in appropriately.” Although this essay
does not have to be in the first person, first person does make it a bit easier to write as a personal
reflection]
[COMMENT: Some basic ground rules I probably need to remind myself of here. A paragraph does
not have several ideas in it – a paragraph is focussed on a single idea. By extension this means that
a paragraph has at least three sentences in it – if it was less than three sentences I would probably
combine it with the earlier paragraph. ]
[COMMENT: Oh and it’s probably important that as it is a structured formal essay I have some
bridging going on – that is, the introduction says what is going to happen in the rest of the essay, and
whenever I come to an idea that requires multiple paragraphs, the first paragraph ends with a
sentence that basically says, “I will now discuss X, Y and then Z”, followed by three paragraphs (X, Y
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 7
and then Z). This is essentially what is described as ‘signposting’ – see
http://www.business.uq.edu.au/sites/default/files/brochures/assign-uqbs-student-writing-guide.pdf]
[FIRST PARAGRAPH: An introduction ‘sets the scene’ for the rest of the essay. This allows the
reader to know whether this essay will interest them or not. It also defines what the benchmark for
success in this essay – does it do its job? So, in the first paragraph I will answer questions such as
‘What is the purpose of this essay?’ (through simple sentences such as, ‘The purpose of this essay is
to…’). I will also include why I was motivated to write this essay (usually, it’s not a great idea to say
‘to get a mark back so I can pass the course’).]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Say this might be a good place to find a reference that refers the reader
to a good summary of what Lotus Notes is – otherwise I need to explain what it is for my reader.]
Lotus Notes is a desktop database that is popularly used in business today (Sanocki and Targett
2013). Often, Notes is used in inappropriate ways (O’Leary 2016). The purpose of this essay is to
evaluate whether Notes is a useful tool in business decision-making.
[SECOND PARAGRAPH: In the second paragraph I will discuss ‘How I address this purpose (i.e.
what is the structure of the essay?). This structure will affect how you write the body of the essay that
comes next.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Say this might be a good place to find a reference that refers the reader
to a good summary of what Lotus Notes is – otherwise I need to explain that.]
[SECOND PARAGRAPH: In the second paragraph I will discuss ‘How I address this purpose (i.e.
what is the structure of the essay?). This structure will affect how you write the body of the essay that
comes next.]
In this essay I therefore consider the role of Lotus Notes in business decision-making, and particularly
with a focus on its role as a web interface tool. I adopt the following structure. First, I consider how
easy Notes is to learn and use. Second, I consider the role of Notes as a web interface tool, and
finally I present my evaluation of Notes as a useful tool in business decision-making.
Evaluation of Lotus Notes
[COMMENT: In the requirements there are three points noted that you have to discuss, but in these
points are several elements. For example, “How easy Lotus Notes was to learn and use” is two
points: (1) how easy to learn and (2) how easy to use. It would be useful to have a paragraph on
each. In the notes below I have outlined my likely approach to each paragraph. Note that I have
decided to look at the strengths and weaknesses of Lotus Notes as a Utilizing Web Interface tool.
Note also that I have used ‘Evaluation of Lotus Notes’ here to describe the ‘body’ section of the
essay. Section headings in an essay are optional (essays rarely have sub-headings, though). If I do
have section headings then they should be meaningful and relate very much to the structure I set out
in the introduction. If no headings are used then I need to have a more explicit bridging sentence at
the opening of the paragraphs. Meh. In this case, a heading is easier.]
[Paragraph: How easy was Lotus Notes to learn? With the next paragraph, this aims to address
Point 1 of the noted requirements for the discussion in the assessment overview.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Find a reference that says how easy Lotus Notes is to learn perhaps?
Does the reference support my experience?]
In my experience Lotus Notes was very difficult to learn. The interface is very technical and mistakes
are not easily identified by a novice user. In this way my experiences mirror that of Harrison (2015)
who considers Lotus Notes an older technology that is out of step with today’s design environments.
[Paragraph: How easy was Lotus Notes to use? With the preceding paragraph, this aims to address
Point 2 of the noted requirements for the discussion in the assessment overview.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Find a reference that says how easy Lotus Notes is to use perhaps?
Does the reference support my experience? As an example, I note that
http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?as_ylo=2012&q=%22Lotus+notes%22+%22easy+to+use%22&
hl=en&as_sdt=0,5
has 436 results just since 2012]
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Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 8
I similarly found Lotus Notes difficult to use. Although it has been updated, the tool remains difficult
and with a unique and unorthodox interface. These issues are documented well by Wright and Erkes
(2012).
[Paragraph: Identify that there were four choices to be made. Which tool did I choose? Why did I
choose it? Is Lotus Notes popularly used this way? End with a bridging sentence that links to the
following two paragraphs that talk about Lotus Notes’s strengths and weaknesses when used as this
tool.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Ooh, I’m getting the hang of this now – find a reference (maybe two?)
that discuss Lotus Notes being used as this type of tool. Yes, two references I think at once might be
in order in this case.]
In the specific context of Lotus Notes’s role in business decision-making, there are four key roles that
Lotus Notes can fulfil. These roles include data warehousing, multidimensional data analysis, data
mining, and utilizing web interfaces to database (Chaabouni & Yahia 2014). In this essay I focus on
Lotus Notes’s role as a database in web interfaces as it fulfils this role in many electronic commerce
systems for small businesses (Prescott & Miree 2015). In my analysis there are both strengths and
weaknesses in adopting Lotus Notes for this purpose.
[Paragraph: Discuss strengths of Lotus Notes as a Web Interface tool. I want a good mark, so I’ll
talk about two strengths. I’ve heard the lecturer is pedantic about the ‘s’ –strengths is plural so that
means at least two strengths need to be included.]
I note two key strengths that Lotus Notes provides as a web interface database. There are many
people qualified to develop in Lotus Notes (Grewal 2014), so it is an accessible solution to larger
businesses. Furthermore, the database is relatively quick and useful for low-traffic websites (Usher
2012).
[Paragraph: Discuss weaknesses of Lotus Notes as a Web Interface tool. Again, I want a good
mark, so I’ll talk about two weaknesses.]
However, there are weaknesses as well. I note that Lotus Notes requires significant development on
the part of its vendor, as it is fundamentally obsolete (Ganesh, Mohapatra & Nagarajan 2014). It is
also insecure as its design was for a different time and has several documented security flaws
(Birman 2012).
[Paragraph: Now, although it is not specifically noted in the requirements, any time we talk about
strengths and weaknesses it would make sense to compare those strengths and the weaknesses
together. Otherwise why did I discuss them? So, in this paragraph, I am focussing on Lotus Notes as
the type of tool we chose (one of the four) and this is distinct from the final requirement, which is
'overall do you consider Lotus Notes useful?’ So, I think I’d better discuss whether the strengths
outweigh the weaknesses when using it as this type of tool, and if I do that I need to come to a
conclusion – in this case, is it a good tool to use as a Web Interface tool?]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: I wonder if I can find a reference that talks about strengths and
weaknesses of Lotus Notes as this tool? If I can, great – find one source for strength, one source for
weakness.]
Overall, on the basis of this analysis it appears that Lotus Notes is able to be used as a web interface
database (Prescott & Miree 2015). However although it has key strengths (Grewal 2014; Usher 2012),
there are also weaknesses due to obsolescence and insecurity (Birman 2012; Ganesh, Mohapatra &
Nagarajan 2014). The apparent conclusion is that it is not a good tool to use as a web interface tool.
[Paragraph: Now we come to the final requirement, which is whether, overall, do I consider Lotus
Notes useful? Hold on a second though – what’s the overall context here? Useful for what? Ah, this
essay is to address the topic ‘Role of Lotus Notes in Business Decision Making’ – so I better
focus this final overall discussion on that topic. So I had better answer that question – either ‘Yes I do
think it is useful’ or ‘No it isn’t useful’. Now, it might be legitimate to say, ‘I’m not sure, it’ll depend on
the context’. And the requirements need me to justify my position (the requirements say ‘(and why)’).
So, I need to give reasons as to why I think that. Well, this might be best considered again in terms of
a strengths and weaknesses assessment. In which case, if I still have words left in my assignment I’ll
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 9
do another bridging sentence to the next two paragraphs – one paragraph identifying what I consider
strengths, one on weaknesses, and then a final concluding paragraph that says why I think it is or is
not a useful tool (or, I suppose, why I can’t make my mind up. Note that bridging sentences are
important to demonstrate the logic and flow of my essay.]
[RESEARCH REFERENCE: Hmm – I’m performing an evaluation. Let’s find a reference (maybe
two?) that discuss whether Lotus Notes is a good tool. Yes, two references I think. Paper count must
be going OK by now.]
In overall terms, however, I find Lotus Notes to be useful in business decision making. This is
because its role is best considered as a knowledge management system to provide support for
decision-making rather than as a data analysis tool. I base my assessment on Lotus Notes’
acknowledged strengths and weaknesses.
[Paragraph: Discuss strengths of Lotus Notes as an overall useful tool. I want a good mark, so I’ll
talk about two strengths.]
The first strength Lotus Notes has is its ability as a free-form database for disseminating unstructured
information (Rao 2012). Lotus Notes has an unrivalled capability in routing and storing unstructured
text data, and distributing this around global networks in a secure client/server arrangement. Second,
it provides its own simple programming language that provides an opportunity to develop automated
decision support systems that are customised to the business (Zikos 2013).
[Paragraph: Discuss weaknesses of Lotus Notes as an overall useful tool. I want a good mark, so I’ll
talk about two weaknesses.]
There are of course weaknesses, and these are mirrored in my assessment above. Lotus Notes is
generally considered obsolete, and it is also considered insecure (Birman 2012; Ganesh, Mohapatra
& Nagarajan 2014). Furthermore, Lotus Notes expertise is not common and its implementation can be
expensive (Zikos 2013).
[Paragraph: I think I’d better discuss how I came to my assessment of it as a useful tool – do the
strengths outweigh the weaknesses? Since it’s a conclusion I’m drawing from these reasons, I will
end the paragraph with a statement like ‘For these reasons I consider Lotus Notes a useful tool.]
My overall assessment is that Lotus Notes is a useful tool in the right context. Its ability to automate
processes and manage structured text well (Rao 2012; Zikos 2013) outweighs the weaknesses of
obsolescence, insecurity, and expense (Birman 2012; Ganesh, Mohapatra & Nagarajan 2014; Zikos
2013). For these reasons I consider Lotus Notes overall to be a useful tool in business decision-
making.
Conclusion
[Hooray, my essay is nearly done! Oh wait – I have to write it yet. OK – so I will summarise what I
said above. I might do one sentence for each of the three requirements I had to do: (1) Was it easy
to learn and use? (2) Is it good as the type of tool I nominated? And (3) Is it overall a useful tool?). It’s
fairly like that I probably some sort of concluding sentence (e.g. ‘In conclusion, in this essay I have
reflected upon the use of the Lotus Notes tool and I consider it useful/not useful/a complete load of
horse-hockey.’)]
In conclusion, in this essay I have considered the role of Lotus Notes in business decision-making. I
have reflected upon the ease of learning and using Lotus Notes, and I have considered its usefulness
as a web interface database in that role. In my view, Lotus Notes is not easy to learn, and it is not
easy to use. Furthermore, although it can operate as a web interface database it is apparent that
better solutions exist. Nevertheless, due to Lotus Notes’ ability to automate processes and manage
structured text well, I find Lotus Notes to be a useful tool in business decision-making.
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 10
References
Birman, K.P., 2012. Remote Procedure Calls and the Client/Server Model. In Guide to Reliable
Distributed Systems (pp. 185-247). Springer London.
Chaabouni, A. and Ben Yahia, I., 2014. Contribution of ERP to the decision-making process through
knowledge management. Journal of Decision Systems, 23(3), pp.303-317.
Ganesh, K., Mohapatra, S. and Nagarajan, S., 2014. Taxonomy and Technology Architecture for
Knowledge Management Solution Implementation. In Design and Development of Knowledge
Management for Manufacturing (pp. 57-80). Springer International Publishing.
Grewal, D.S., 2014. Entrepreneurship in Information Technology. Progress in Science in Engineering
Research (PISER) Journal, 2, pp.304-310.
Harrison, G., 2015. Document Databases. In Next Generation Databases (pp. 53-63). Apress.
O’Leary, D.E., 2016. Is knowledge management dead (or dying)?. Journal of Decision Systems,
25(sup1), pp.512-526.
Prescott, J.E. and Miree, C.E., 2015. Small business solutions: Building and leveraging a competitive
intelligence capability without going broke. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 9(2), pp.57-76.
Rao, M., 2012. Knowledge management tools and techniques. Routledge.
Sanocki, M. and Targett, D., 2013. 15 Experiences in using Lotus. IT in Business, p.239.
Usher, N., 2012. Going web-first at The Christian Science Monitor: A three-part study of change.
International Journal of Communication, 6, p.20.
Wright, S. and Erkes, C., 2012. User Training and Adoption. In Pro SharePoint 2010 Governance (pp.
55-76). Apress.
Zikos, D., 2013. Data Issues for Clinical-Administrative Decision Making in Healthcare. Phd Health
Informatics.
Third draft: Starting to bring it together
So at this point in its history, my essay exists in draft form. In the essay that follows, I have removed
all the text in square brackets ([example text]) above, but otherwise have not changed the essay. That
is, the below essay only shows those paragraphs above that are highlighted in green above.
I still need to review the essay for typos, check that my references are sound, remove long sentences,
and particularly look for problems with grammar (e.g. passive voice etc).
I also need to check that I’ve addressed the formatting requirements (title page and so on). However,
as I’ve written my assignment with a few days to spare, I’m going to let it sit for a bit and revise it in a
day or two. I also better spend some time making sure that I have addressed the requirements of the
marking rubric – better note those weightings!
So as it is, I’ll then give it a final read-through on the day it is due to catch those last-minute typos,
which are always a pain. In the end, there are 12 references cited here without too much mucking
about. Also, the main body of the assignment (i.e. excluding the ‘Abstract’ and ‘References’) is 792
words – I had better note that on the title page. I’m confident that my final revision will move it into the
required 800-1200 word range easily. Note though that the rubric states that exceeding the word limit
will result in a lower mark; writing more does not mean more marks, it’s about the content.
Looking good! Not bad for an afternoon’s work. Oh, and I have now given my essay a title.
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 11
Lotus Notes: How easy is it to Learn and use, and is it useful?
Abstract
In this essay I consider the role of Lotus Notes in business decision-making. I reflect upon the ease of
learning and using Lotus Notes, and I consider its usefulness as a web interface database. I find
Lotus Notes not easy to learn due to its technical interface and the difficulty of identifying mistakes. I
also find it not easy to use as its interface is unique and unorthodox. Furthermore, although it can
operate as a web interface database it is apparent that better solutions exist as Lotus Notes is
generally considered to be obsolete and not secure. Nevertheless, due to Lotus Notes’ ability to
automate processes and manage structured text well, I find Lotus Notes to be a useful tool for
business decision-making.
Introduction
Lotus Notes is a desktop database that is popularly used in business today (Sanocki and Targett
2013). Often, Notes is used in inappropriate ways (O’Leary 2016). The purpose of this essay is to
evaluate whether Notes is a useful tool in business decision-making.
In this essay I therefore consider the role of Lotus Notes in business decision-making, and particularly
with a focus on its role as a web interface tool. I adopt the following structure. First, I consider how
easy Notes is to learn and use. Second, I consider the role of Notes as a web interface tool, and
finally I present my evaluation of Notes as a useful tool in business decision-making.
Evaluation of Lotus Notes
In my experience Lotus Notes was very difficult to learn. The interface is very technical and mistakes
are not easily identified by a novice user. In this way my experiences mirror that of Harrison (2015)
who considers Lotus Notes an older technology that is out of step with today’s design environments.
I similarly found Lotus Notes difficult to use. Although it has been updated, the tool remains difficult
and with a unique and unorthodox interface. These issues are documented well by Wright and Erkes
(2012).
In the specific context of Lotus Notes’s role in business decision-making, there are four key roles that
Lotus Notes can fulfil. These roles include data warehousing, multidimensional data analysis, data
mining, and utilizing web interfaces to database (Chaabouni & Yahia 2014). In this essay I focus on
Lotus Notes’s role as a database in web interfaces as it fulfils this role in many electronic commerce
systems for small businesses (Prescott & Miree 2015). In my analysis there are both strengths and
weaknesses in adopting Lotus Notes for this purpose.
I note two key strengths that Lotus Notes provides as a web interface database. There are many
people qualified to develop in Lotus Notes (Grewal 2014), so it is an accessible solution to larger
businesses. Furthermore, the database is relatively quick and useful for low-traffic websites (Usher
2012).
However, there are weaknesses as well. I note that Lotus Notes requires significant development on
the part of its vendor, as it is fundamentally obsolete (Ganesh, Mohapatra & Nagarajan 2014). It is
also insecure as its design was for a different time and has several documented security flaws
(Birman 2012).
Overall, on the basis of this analysis it appears that Lotus Notes is able to be used as a web interface
database (Prescott & Miree 2015). However although it has key strengths (Grewal 2014; Usher 2012),
there are also weaknesses due to obsolescence and insecurity (Birman 2012; Ganesh, Mohapatra &
Nagarajan 2014). The apparent conclusion is that it is not a good tool to use as a web interface tool.
In overall terms, however, I find Lotus Notes to be useful in business decision making. This is
because its role is best considered as a knowledge management system to provide support for
decision-making rather than as a data analysis tool. I base my assessment on Lotus Notes’
acknowledged strengths and weaknesses.
BISM7202 – Information Systems for Management
Dr Micheal Axelsen/Dr Morteza Namvar Page | 12
The first strength Lotus Notes has is its ability as a free-form database for disseminating unstructured
information (Rao 2012). Lotus Notes has an unrivalled capability in routing and storing unstructured
text data, and distributing this around global networks in a secure client/server arrangement. Second,
it provides its own simple programming language that provides an opportunity to develop automated
decision support systems that are customised to the business (Zikos 2013).
There are of course weaknesses, and these are mirrored in my assessment above. Lotus Notes is
generally considered obsolete, and it is also considered insecure (Birman 2012; Ganesh, Mohapatra
& Nagarajan 2014). Furthermore, Lotus Notes expertise is not common and its implementation can be
expensive (Zikos 2013).
My overall assessment is that Lotus Notes is a useful tool in the right context. Its ability to automate
processes and manage structured text well (Rao 2012; Zikos 2013) outweighs the weaknesses of
obsolescence, insecurity, and expense (Birman 2012; Ganesh, Mohapatra & Nagarajan 2014; Zikos
2013). For these reasons I consider Lotus Notes overall to be a useful tool in business decision-
making.
Conclusion
In conclusion, in this essay I have considered the role of Lotus Notes in business decision-making. I
have reflected upon the ease of learning and using Lotus Notes, and I have considered its usefulness
as a web interface database in that role. In my view, Lotus Notes is not easy to learn, and it is not
easy to use. Furthermore, although it can operate as a web interface database it is apparent that
better solutions exist. Nevertheless, due to Lotus Notes’ ability to automate processes and manage
structured text well, I find Lotus Notes to be a useful tool in business decision-making.
References
Birman, K.P., 2012. Remote Procedure Calls and the Client/Server Model. In Guide to Reliable
Distributed Systems (pp. 185-247). Springer London.
Chaabouni, A. and Ben Yahia, I., 2014. Contribution of ERP to the decision-making process through
knowledge management. Journal of Decision Systems, 23(3), pp.303-317.
Ganesh, K., Mohapatra, S. and Nagarajan, S., 2014. Taxonomy and Technology Architecture for
Knowledge Management Solution Implementation. In Design and Development of Knowledge
Management for Manufacturing (pp. 57-80). Springer International Publishing.
Grewal, D.S., 2014. Entrepreneurship in Information Technology. Progress in Science in Engineering
Research (PISER) Journal, 2, pp.304-310.
Harrison, G., 2015. Document Databases. In Next Generation Databases (pp. 53-63). Apress.
O’Leary, D.E., 2016. Is knowledge management dead (or dying)?. Journal of Decision Systems,
25(sup1), pp.512-526.
Prescott, J.E. and Miree, C.E., 2015. Small business solutions: Building and leveraging a competitive
intelligence capability without going broke. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 9(2), pp.57-76.
Rao, M., 2012. Knowledge management tools and techniques. Routledge.
Sanocki, M. and Targett, D., 2013. 15 Experiences in using Lotus. IT in Business, p.239.
Usher, N., 2012. Going web-first at The Christian Science Monitor: A three-part study of change.
International Journal of Communication, 6, p.20.
Wright, S. and Erkes, C., 2012. User Training and Adoption. In Pro SharePoint 2010 Governance (pp.
55-76). Apress.
Zikos, D., 2013. Data Issues for Clinical-Administrative Decision Making in Healthcare. Phd Health
Informatics.