INFO 414 Information Behavior Reviewing definitions of information

What is information? facts and knowledge that are believed to be true books, articles, memos, stored data a surrogate of knowledge knowledge that is publicly observable a stimulus that alters the cognitive structure of the receiver whatever an individual finds informing

Thing perspective What is information? imparting knowledge or being instructive constant meaning and absolute correspondence with reality easily recognizable (books, articles, videos etc) can be stored, exchanged, transported, lost, destroyed detached from the individual information user is a passive recipient

Effects perspective What is information? intangible, personal, subjective constructed by human beings process of making sense knowledge structures capable of being modified or transformed by information process of adjustment to the existing knowledge structure

What is information? Sense making information is a process of inward forming a process of creating meaning Sense making information as the sense created at a specific moment in time and space responsive to situational conditions defined by the user individual attempts to bridge discontinuities and gaps

Practical Theoretical Information science - Practical and theoretical problems (Brookes, 1980) W2 Popper W1 = Physical world W2 = Subjective human knowledge W3 = Objective knowledge W1 W3 Practical to collect and organize for use the records of World 3 Theoretical to study the interactions between World 2 and 3, to describe and explain them