The Problem Of Information: An Introduction To Information Science

Description

Information can be conceptualized in two fundamentally yet contradictory ways_it appears in the world as both a physical and a cognitive phenomenon. The dilemma information specialists face is similar to that of physicists who must cope with light as both a wave and a particle. Unlike physics, however, information science has yet to develop a unified theory that unites the contradictory conceptions of its essential theoretical object. While there are numerous books today that address information science as a scholarly discipline, for the most part they assume a prior knowledge of the field. The Problem of Information provides an accessible introduction to the essential concepts and research issues of information science while exploring the indeterminate nature of information as a theoretical object. Signifying how information science contributes to the disciplines from which it borrows, this book provides insight into computer science, cognitive psychology, semiotics, sociology, and political science. Designed specifically for the beginner student new to the field of information science. untitled......Page 1 Title Page......Page 3 Copyright Page......Page 4 Dedication......Page 6 Table of Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 8 1 - Information Science and the Problem of Information......Page 10 The Elusive Nature of Information......Page 13 The Necessity of Multidisciplinarity......Page 14 Problems of Metaphor and Perspective......Page 16 Problems of Information Science......Page 19 Conclusion......Page 21 Endnotes......Page 22 2 - Paradigms and Metaphors......Page 25 Paradigms......Page 26 Paradigms, Ambiguities, and the Social Sciences......Page 29 Metaphors and Information Science......Page 31 Endnotes......Page 35 3 - The Physical Metaphor......Page 37 The Nature of Information and the Physical Metaphor......Page 39 The Physical Metaphor and Talk About “Information”......Page 41 Endnotes......Page 44 An Idea of Information-as-Thing: Shannon and Communication......Page 46 A Method Based on Information-as-Thing: Bibliometrics......Page 47 An Experiment based on Information-as-Thing: Cranfield......Page 53 Conclusion......Page 57 Endnotes......Page 58 A Critique of Information-as-Thing......Page 60 Information and the Cognitive Metaphor......Page 61 The Fundamental Equation......Page 63 Conclusion......Page 66 Endnotes......Page 67 Negotiating Needs......Page 69 Information Needs and Information-Seeking......Page 71 Sense-Making......Page 74 Metaphor and Method......Page 76 Conclusion......Page 77 Endnotes......Page 78 Representation and Aboutness......Page 80 What Is the Subject of a Text?......Page 83 The Ambiguities of Interpretation......Page 84 Indexing......Page 87 Conclusion......Page 90 Endnotes......Page 91 The SMART System......Page 93 The ASK Model......Page 97 The MONSTRAT Model......Page 100 Conclusion......Page 102 Endnotes......Page 103 9 - Relevance......Page 105 Conditional Relevance......Page 108 Relevance as an Indeterminate Concept......Page 112 Relevance: A Tentative Judgment......Page 113 Conclusion......Page 114 Endnotes......Page 115 Need and Use......Page 117 Another View of “Information”......Page 118 Critical Problems......Page 121 Examples of Critical Problems......Page 124 Endnotes......Page 127 11 - Semiotics for Information Science......Page 129 The Role of Time Regarding Meaning and Value......Page 132 Information and the Sign......Page 134 The Semantics of Informative Objects......Page 136 Conclusion......Page 141 Endnotes......Page 143 Bibliography......Page 145 Index......Page 154 About the Author......Page 156