Information Science: What is it?

Introduction

With the vote to rename the American Documentation Institute to the American Society for Information Science, many of us try to explain what information science is, what an information scientist does, and how this relates to librarianship and documentation.
The author intends to prepare an answer at leisure rather than under direct inquiry, not claiming to have the final answer, but offering a focus for discussion to clarify thinking and articulation about who we are and what we do.
The intention is to stimulate discussion that will help clarify the nature of the field and our work.

Definition

Information science is the discipline that investigates the properties and behavior of information, the forces governing the flow of information, and the means of processing information for optimum accessibility and usability.
It is concerned with the body of knowledge relating to origination, collection, organization, storage, retrieval, interpretation, transmission, transformation, and utilization of information.
This includes the investigation of information representations in both natural and artificial systems, the use of codes for efficient message transmission, and the study of information processing devices and techniques such as computers and their programming systems.
It is an interdisciplinary science derived from and related to fields such as mathematics, logic, linguistics, psychology, computer technology, operations research, the graphic arts, communications, library science, management, and other similar fields.
It has both a pure science component (inquiries into the subject without regard to application) and an applied science component (which develops services and products).
The definition is deliberately all-encompassing because the subject matter is complex and multidimensional.
Information science is not the exclusive domain of any one organization; historically the American Documentation Institute focused on documentary information, but the field now sits in a larger context where librarianship and documentation are applied aspects of information science.
The theoretician should study the time-tested techniques of the practitioner, and conversely, practitioners should base their techniques on theoretical findings when appropriate.
In short, information science integrates theory and practice, with applied methods guiding practice and theoretical insights guiding application.
In practice, librarians and documentalists should base their techniques on information science theory, while theoreticians should study practitioner techniques.

The Need for Information Science

The goal of information science is to provide a body of information that improves institutions and procedures for accumulating and transmitting knowledge.
There exist various information environments and media: books, schools, libraries, movies and television, journals, and conferences.
While these have served well, they are inadequate to meet today’s communication needs due to several pressures:
- 566 pages (excluding the Glossary and Indexes) of the last issue (No. 14) of Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation show a broad range of projects.
- The rapid growth of science and technology and the accelerated pace at which new knowledge becomes available and old knowledge becomes obsolete.
- The fast rate of obsolescence of technical knowledge requiring professionals to update skills.
- The large number of working scientists and the large number of scientific and technical journals.
- Increased specialization making cross-disciplinary communication difficult.
- The short time lag between research and application, increasing the immediacy of information needs.
Consequently, existing methods for exchanging information have been found wanting; information science has not kept pace with other scientific developments, and there is a need to concentrate efforts to catch up.
If communication and information exchange procedures are not improved, all other scientific work will be impeded, duplication of effort may occur, and progress may slow.
The importance of information science and the current emphasis on the discipline are expressed through the formation and work of the American Society for Information Science (ASIS).

Information Science Research and Applications

Information science has both a pure (theoretical) and an applied (practical) aspect; members depending on training and interests emphasize one or the other, but both are needed.
Theory and practice are inexorably related; each feeds the other.
The researcher in information science has a broad field for investigation. A sample of projects is described in a prominent review:
- The last issue No. 14 of Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation contains 566 pages (excluding the Glossary and Indexes) and 655 project statements organized into nine categories:
  1) Information Needs and Uses: Behavioral studies of users; citation studies; communication patterns; literature use studies.
  2) Document Creation and Copying: Computer-assisted composition; microforms; recording and storing; writing and editing.
  3) Language Analysis: Computational linguistics; lexicography; natural language processing; psycholinguistics; semantic analysis.
  4) Translation: Machine translation; translation aids.
  5) Abstracting, Classification, Coding and Indexing: Classification and indexing systems; content analysis; machine-aided classification, extracting and indexing; vocabulary studies.
  6) System Design: Information centers; information retrieval; mechanization of library operations; selective dissemination of information.
  7) Analysis and Evaluation: Comparative studies; indexing quality; modeling; test methods and performance measures; translation quality.
  8) Pattern Recognition: Image processing; speech analysis.
  9) Adaptive Systems: Artificial intelligence; automata; problem solving; self-organizing systems.
In essence, information science research investigates the properties and behavior of information, the use and transmission of information, and the processing of information for optimal storage and retrieval.
The relationship between theory and application is continual: there is constant interaction, and the field is characterized by a mix of researchers and practitioners.
The bulk of the membership is applications-oriented, dealing with problems and practices of information transfer, implementing improvements, and evaluating them in real operating conditions.
In information science there is no sharp distinction between research and technology; emphasis is a matter of orientation, not a strict boundary.
Academia and curricula: information science is now a recognized discipline in an increasing number of major universities; curricula vary by university, reflecting available faculty and local strengths; diversity is desirable for exploration and growth; the field is young, and standardization is premature; graduates will help unify and mature educational programs.

Summary

What is information science
- An interdisciplinary science that investigates the properties and behavior of information, the forces governing its flow and use, and the techniques of processing information for storage, retrieval, and dissemination.
What is documentation
- An applied component of information science focused on acquiring, storing, retrieving, and disseminating recorded documentary information, particularly in the form of reports and journal literature; emphasizes data processing equipment, reprography, and microforms as handling techniques.
What does an information scientist do
- Works as a researcher developing new information handling techniques; as an educator teaching information science; and as an applications specialist applying theories and techniques to create, modify, and improve information handling systems.
Information science is an emergent discipline with an important social function for information scientists.

Postscript

The article was written and submitted to the Editor of American Documentation in September 1967.
The ASIS members are not the only ones worried about the vocabulary of information science and technology; in October 1967 Samuel A. Miles published An Introduction to the Vocabulary of Information Technology in Technical Communications, the journal of the Society of Technical Writers and Editors, STWP.
Miles selected ten basic terms from proposed ASA standards and the DoD glossary; these terms are similar to and supplement the terms in the Information Science article.
In this ecumenical atmosphere, it is encouraging to note that other societies share concerns about vocabulary and terminology.
References mentioned include:
- 1. R S Taylor, Professional Aspects of Information Science and Technology, in C A Cuadra (Ed.), Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, Vol. 1, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1966.
- 2. National Science Foundation, Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation, No. 14, Office of Scientific Information, NSF-66-17, Washington, D C, 1966.
- 1 Miles, Samuel A., An Introduction to the Vocabulary of Information Technology, Technical Communications, Fall Quarter 1967, pp. 20-24.

References

Taylor, R S Professional Aspects of Information Science and Technology
National Science Foundation Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation No. 14
Miles, Samuel A An Introduction to the Vocabulary of Information Technology