Foundations of Information Science

Publisher Summary Information may be something contained in a conveyer, which can be objects such as paper packages, film, electronic devices or even humans, who hold such facts and news in their heads. This chapter describes the nature and science of information, and theory of foundations. Determining the essence of information is secondary to more practical concerns, which involve the determination of the most efficient and effective way to access, store, use and disseminate the record of human experience. These concerns also represent the focus for the education of future scholars and professionals, and continue to be influenced by advances in technology, particularly computers, the use of which has permeated a wide range of public and private institutions. These advances have tended to emphasize the vital role that the access to information and knowledge has in institutional operations, particularly in decision making and problem solving. Tackling with the logistics of such commodities permeates the writings and interests of many scholars and professionals in the field. As it now stands, information science is a field whose basic principles, theories, and laws lie in many disciplines, both applied and theoretic. In its attempt to obtain a definition of form, namely, the principles governing information and knowledge that link human and technological potentials, a metascience could come out with the power to serve all disciplines.