Imaging Science Informatics: Foundations of IT, Informatics, and Information Science

This course, designated as RAD 103 - Imaging Science Informatics, is focused on the intersections of Information Technology, Informatics, and Information Science, specifically as they apply to the medical imaging field. Students are provided with access to the ISI website using the specific password isiRAD-103. The primary objective is to understand how these three pillars of information management relate to one another and how they have evolved to manage the complexities of modern data systems. ## Information Technology: Core Processes and Management Information Technology (IT) is fundamentally concerned with the management and control of information flow and the creation of systems designed to accomplish specific data tasks. It is defined through four primary processes: information creation or capture, information transmission, and information storage. Within these processes, IT evaluates the urgency and necessity of information retrieval, dictated by how badly users require access to stored data. Additionally, IT considers the initial packaging of the information, which influences how it is handled throughout its lifecycle within the system. ## The Interdisciplinary Evolution of Informatics Informatics has emerged as an increasingly prominent interdisciplinary field that resides at the nexus of information nature and technology. It is broadly defined as the application of information technology to other specialized fields. Informatics is often regarded as the applied use of information science; however, it encompasses a scope far wider than traditional computer science or information science alone. This is because informatics integrates every aspect of the computer milieu alongside human behavior, bridging the gap between technological capabilities and the psychological and social contexts of the people using those technologies. ## The Theoretical and Practical Foundations of Information Science Information Science as a distinct field emerged historically around the year 1958 with the establishment of the Institute of Information Scientist (IIS). Throughout its development, there have been various attempts to merge it with other disciplines to establish a more robust scientific position, notably seeking alliances with communication studies and computer science. It is characterized as a field of professional practice and scientific inquiry that addresses the effective communication of information and information objects, with a particular emphasis on knowledge records. This communication occurs within the essential contexts of social, organizational, and individual needs. ## Key Orientations and Components of Information Science Information Science is structured around two key orientations. The first is directed toward the human and social need for information, focusing specifically on how humans behave in relation to knowledge records, known as human information behavior. The second orientation is technical, focusing on specific information techniques, systems, and technologies—often categorized under the umbrella of information retrieval—to ensure the effective organization and retrieval of data. Furthermore, the field is split into two components: a practical side that studies the gathering, organizing, storing, retrieving, and dissemination of information, and a theoretical side which acts as a meta-field to analyze the overarching processes and domains of information. ## Attributes and Perspectives of Information Scientists In Information Science, the primary concern is the form, organization, and structure of information, while the actual content of the data is considered a secondary concern. A core attribute of this field is the acknowledgment that representational tasks, such as indexing or querying a user’s needs, are distinctly different from the actual act of knowing the information itself. While subject expertise is considered a bonus for professionals in this field, it is not strictly necessary. Instead, the essential "information perspective" is the ability to view the world through both theoretical and practical lenses simultaneously. Information scientists maintain a common thread of interest in the structure of information as both a social and psychological phenomenon, focusing on recorded information and the relationships people form with it. ## The Three Fundamental Questions of Information Science Information science aims to answer three major inquiries categorized by their focus. The Physical Question asks: what are the features and laws governing the recorded information universe? The Social Question investigates: how do people relate to, seek out, and utilize information? Finally, the Design Question seeks to determine: how can access to recorded information be engineered to be the most rapid and effective? These questions drive the research and development of information systems to ensure they meet the evolving needs of human society. ## Addressing the Global Problem of Information Explosion One of the primary problems addressed by Information Science is the "information explosion." Since the start of the $20^{th}$ century, the rapid pace of scientific and technical advances has accumulated, resulting in a scientific and technical revolution by mid-century. This has led to the unabated, exponential growth of scientific publications, technical records, and information objects of all kinds. Simply put, an information explosion occurs when data piles up at a rate higher than it can be easily managed. The core challenge presented by this phenomenon is the difficulty of retrieving the right information at the exact time it is needed. Information Science utilizes information technology as a direct solution to organize this mass of data and facilitate timely access.