A framework for assessing and comparing multimedia and hypermedia authoring methodologies

Data perception importance by users has demanded data models oriented to individuals, whose emphasis is information description at high levels of abstraction. Model-based approaches to hypermedia design are authoring methodologies that make use of the newest data models in order to begin from high level abstractions a step-by-step process directed to low level specifications trying to cope with multimedia and hypermedia. A development approach of multimedia and hypermedia oriented data models is proposed, named the hook approach, that basically establishes the need for facilitator mechanisms to allow mappings between data models of different abstraction levels. In order to point out the broadness of authoring methodologies and even to allow their comparison an Abstract Categorization Map is also proposed. This map can be used to present data model adherence to the hook approach and also can be used as a reference framework for data models oriented to support multimedia and hypermedia.