Analysis of Defense Information and Information Technology Articles: A Sixteen-Year Perspective

摘要

Over the past two decades, information and information technology (IT) have evolved significantly and have become increasingly important to the United States Air Force and the Department of Defense (DoD). Information is a strategic asset and is crucial to national security. Leadership depends on information and information systems to support integrated operations. The rapid evolution of technology and its potential vulnerabilities has transformed the ways in which wars are conducted and the means by which adversaries attempt to harm the United States. The advancement of information and IT within DoD has been documented by various defense journals. One of the most highly regarded repositories of current defense literature is the Air and Space Power Journal (ASPJ). The ASPJ has become the leading professional publication of the U.S. Air Force. From a Joint perspective, the Joint Forces Quarterly (JFQ) Journal is the premier publication in support of Joint Operations across the DoD. The purpose of this research is to examine the importance of information and IT in the Air Force and DoD and how it has changed over the past 16 years. The research assesses this progression through a review of the articles from the ASPJ and the JFQ from 1993 to 2008. The study seeks to understand what information and IT areas have been explored, which topics have been most frequently discussed within the Air Force and DoD, and how these elements have changed since the early 1990s. Trends and patterns will be identified and conclusions will be drawn regarding this evolution.