What What isis Information Information Science?Science?

A talk.A talk.

G. Benoît, Ph.D.G. Benoît, Ph.D.

Simmons CollegeSimmons College

Welcome.Welcome.Education:

Ph. D., UCLA, Information Seeking as Communicative Action

M. S., Columbia University

B. A., Univ. of California (double major)

Research: Mathematical models of full-text retrieval; interactive information retrieval; philosophy of language; apply these ideas to bioinformatics, cross-language information retrieval, visualization and human cognition

Will give a brief talk to provide an overview. Will be very happy to answer the technical aspects (in depth!) and any other question after the talk.

IntroductionIntroduction

1967: American Documentation 1967: American Documentation Institute becomes American Society Institute becomes American Society for Information Sciencefor Information Science

1968: Borko asks “Information 1968: Borko asks “Information Science: what is it?”Science: what is it?”

His initial definition …His initial definition …

“Information science is that 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 that body of knowledge relating to the 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 such fields 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, which inquires into the subject without regard to its application, and an applied science component, which develops services and products” (Borko, 1968, 3).

Some movementsSome movements

IBM and the birth of full-text retrievalIBM and the birth of full-text retrieval Hans-Peter Luhn, KWIC, KWOCHans-Peter Luhn, KWIC, KWOC

Scientific EnvironmentScientific Environment ““Desk Set” mentalityDesk Set” mentality Social and Political fears of technologySocial and Political fears of technology Benefits of technologyBenefits of technology

Money, Big Money!Money, Big Money! BusinessBusiness GovernmentGovernment

Areas of Work - 9 Areas of Work - 9 categoriescategories

Information needs & uses Information needs & uses (behavioral studies; (behavioral studies; citation; communication patterns; literature use studies)citation; communication patterns; literature use studies)

Document creation & copying Document creation & copying (computer-assisted (computer-assisted composition; writing & editing)composition; writing & editing)

Language analysis Language analysis (computational linguistics; lexicography, (computational linguistics; lexicography, natural language processing; psycholinguistics; semantic analysis)natural language processing; psycholinguistics; semantic analysis)

TranslationTranslation (machine translation; translation aids) (machine translation; translation aids)

Abstracting, classification, coding & Abstracting, classification, coding & indexing indexing (content analysis; machine-aided classification; (content analysis; machine-aided classification; extracting, indexing, vocabulary studies)extracting, indexing, vocabulary studies)

(continued on next slide)(continued on next slide)

Areas of Work - 9 Areas of Work - 9 categoriescategories

System Design System Design (information centers; information (information centers; information retrieval; mechanism of library operations; dissemination of retrieval; mechanism of library operations; dissemination of information)information)

Analysis & Evaluation Analysis & Evaluation (comparative studies; indexing (comparative studies; indexing quality; modeling; test methods and performance measures)quality; modeling; test methods and performance measures)

Pattern Recognition Pattern Recognition (image processing; speech analysis)(image processing; speech analysis)

Adaptive systemsAdaptive systems (artificial intelligence; automata; (artificial intelligence; automata; problem solving; self-organizing systems)problem solving; self-organizing systems)

Librarianship goes a different Librarianship goes a different directiondirection

1960-70s - Emphasis on “access” - but 1960-70s - Emphasis on “access” - but redefinedredefined ALA Bill of Rights (Berninghausen): “codify and ALA Bill of Rights (Berninghausen): “codify and

standardize a purist moral stance on intellectual standardize a purist moral stance on intellectual freedom on which impartiality and neutrality on freedom on which impartiality and neutrality on nonliterary issues served as the central principle nonliterary issues served as the central principle of the profession”of the profession”

““Rallying point for social action” (Wedgeworth & Rallying point for social action” (Wedgeworth & al., 1973)al., 1973)

Tired of “social and political indifference … bitter Tired of “social and political indifference … bitter about a government incapable of solving racial about a government incapable of solving racial and poverty problems…” (Glassing, 1970)and poverty problems…” (Glassing, 1970)

Borko’s definition revisitedBorko’s definition revisited

Work areas:Work areas: Information science is “an interdisciplinary Information science is “an interdisciplinary

sciencescience that investigates the properties that investigates the properties and behavior of and behavior of informationinformation, the forces , the forces that govern the flow and use of that govern the flow and use of information, and the techniques, both information, and the techniques, both manual and mechanical, of processing manual and mechanical, of processing information for information for optimaloptimal storage, retrieval, storage, retrieval, and dissemination” (Borko, 1968, p 5)and dissemination” (Borko, 1968, p 5)

[Italics are mine … more on those points [Italics are mine … more on those points later]later]

Behind Borko’s definitionBehind Borko’s definition

Emphasizes the vast influences that Emphasizes the vast influences that accessedaccessed data can have on people data can have on people

The shift from the 1960s of “scientific” The shift from the 1960s of “scientific” investigation into the processes investigation into the processes associated with accessassociated with access

Linguistic expectations: of terms in Linguistic expectations: of terms in documents, of queries; matching them documents, of queries; matching them (IR) as symbol manipulation systems(IR) as symbol manipulation systems

Social, political, technical issues Social, political, technical issues “governing the flow and use of “governing the flow and use of information”information”

Today …Today …

Bates: Bates: paradigms (under the sea)paradigms (under the sea) Saracevic: Saracevic: social, IR, relationship to social, IR, relationship to

computer science & librarianshipcomputer science & librarianship White & McCain: White & McCain: co-citation analysisco-citation analysis Hawkins:Hawkins: concept maps concept maps Capurro & Hjørland: Capurro & Hjørland: philosophyphilosophy Webber:Webber: split of perspectives split of perspectives

Webber’s view of the problemWebber’s view of the problem

Hard science/soft science splitHard science/soft science split Lack of theoretical foundationsLack of theoretical foundations Research crosses disciplinesResearch crosses disciplines No “explicit theories” or laws of its No “explicit theories” or laws of its

ownown Either is Either is tootoo practice-oriented … or practice-oriented … or

not practice-oriented enough! not practice-oriented enough! [Figure that [Figure that

one out!]one out!]

Parallels to other fieldsParallels to other fields

Physics uses math as a tool … Physics uses math as a tool … … … do we conclude that Physics isn’t a do we conclude that Physics isn’t a

discipline?discipline? Notice, tho, that these two fields share Notice, tho, that these two fields share

properties: (a) the properties: (a) the forms forms of analysis of analysis and (b) and (b) methods methods of verification to of verification to explain & demonstrate, and (c) explain & demonstrate, and (c) (socially) to (socially) to validatevalidate

Leads to empiricism … but first … Leads to empiricism … but first …

Relationship to LibrarianshipRelationship to Librarianship

Librarianship education:Librarianship education: 1980s - programming required1980s - programming required StatisticsStatistics Expectation that LIS is committed to its Expectation that LIS is committed to its

goals and takes responsibility for the goals and takes responsibility for the socialsocial and and technicaltechnical facets of access facets of access

Abandoning of technical/science Abandoning of technical/science issues (equipment, modes of issues (equipment, modes of evaluation, &c) left to Computer evaluation, &c) left to Computer ScienceScience

The artificial divisionThe artificial division

CS, like physics (and IS), relies on math to CS, like physics (and IS), relies on math to help define problems and validate help define problems and validate solutionssolutions

CS, like other disciplines interested in CS, like other disciplines interested in information, uses the same information, uses the same technologytechnology: : databases, full-text retrieval, language databases, full-text retrieval, language issues in IR, &c.issues in IR, &c.

Increasingly CS and informatics define Increasingly CS and informatics define themselves in what Librarianship has themselves in what Librarianship has traditionally done as its work!traditionally done as its work!

CS and L (IS)CS and L (IS)

SomeSome research agendas in CS are the research agendas in CS are the same as same as mostmost in IS! in IS!

Librarianship seems to emphasize the Librarianship seems to emphasize the individual’s info needs and social face individual’s info needs and social face of “resources becoming information”of “resources becoming information”

Intentionality: users expect that Intentionality: users expect that materials are intentionally gathered for materials are intentionally gathered for their benefittheir benefit

Abstraction: meaningful subsets of data Abstraction: meaningful subsets of data are represented abstractly (surrogates)are represented abstractly (surrogates)

CS and L (IS)CS and L (IS)

Librarianship’s “objectivity” stops at Librarianship’s “objectivity” stops at understanding the user’s actual understanding the user’s actual interpretation and use of resources interpretation and use of resources (naturalized epistemology [Quine])(naturalized epistemology [Quine])

CS by definition assumes (declares!) CS by definition assumes (declares!) that its product is (a) that its product is (a) infallibleinfallible and and (b) automatically useful, hence (b) automatically useful, hence “information.”“information.”

CS and L (IS) and …CS and L (IS) and …

As physics and other fields are As physics and other fields are bound to mathematics (because of bound to mathematics (because of the shared tools, assumptions of the shared tools, assumptions of what questions are useful, what what questions are useful, what methods are appropriate, &c), so CS methods are appropriate, &c), so CS and IS are bound to match …and IS are bound to match …

As CS and IS perform some of the As CS and IS perform some of the same functions as Librarianship, so same functions as Librarianship, so these three are bound together.these three are bound together.

What bars the kinship?What bars the kinship?

The socialization of practitioners The socialization of practitioners (Suzuki (Suzuki 1998; Lave & Wenger)1998; Lave & Wenger)

Understanding of science in general Understanding of science in general societysociety

Understanding of technology in Understanding of technology in academic settings (“Administrators academic settings (“Administrators just don’t understand”).just don’t understand”).

So far … and other So far … and other developmentsdevelopments

IS IS isis applying technical models (math applying technical models (math and CS equipment) to fulfilling the and CS equipment) to fulfilling the goals of librarianship. Research goals of librarianship. Research programs in LIS, then, necessarily programs in LIS, then, necessarily Janus-like, turn one face to Janus-like, turn one face to librarianship and one to librarianship and one to mathematics/computer science.mathematics/computer science.

Whence informatics?Whence informatics? Example of data mining.Example of data mining.

The Wrong Direction?The Wrong Direction?

What does it mean that a field is What does it mean that a field is viewed by some as not having its own viewed by some as not having its own theories and methods?theories and methods?

Bates: her idea of metafield that Bates: her idea of metafield that stands outside other fields. She stands outside other fields. She claims that the fields mental activities claims that the fields mental activities center around “representation and center around “representation and organization of info rather than organization of info rather than knowing info” …knowing info” … begs the question of begs the question of just what “information” is!just what “information” is!

Wrong direction?Wrong direction?

Saracevic: social roles, but emphasizes Saracevic: social roles, but emphasizes IR and as a result sees IS as an IR and as a result sees IS as an intermediary between computer sci intermediary between computer sci (which “owns” the tech issues) and (which “owns” the tech issues) and librarianship (which “owns” the human librarianship (which “owns” the human access issue).access issue).

But exposes the “Org. of Info” question: But exposes the “Org. of Info” question: from data to from data to usefuluseful access through pre- access through pre-coordination by the librarianscoordination by the librarians

Wrong direction?Wrong direction?

White and McCain: define by White and McCain: define by publishing trends: doesn’t really define publishing trends: doesn’t really define the field, but how researchers’ work the field, but how researchers’ work can create an image of the boundary, can create an image of the boundary, but not a real definitionbut not a real definition

Continues to define IS, its work, and its Continues to define IS, its work, and its methods in terms of methods in terms of otherother fields and fields and other value systemsother value systems … uncritically. … uncritically.

What should LIS do?What should LIS do?

Whether or not IS has its own Whether or not IS has its own theoretical foundation may not even be theoretical foundation may not even be the appropriate question to ask.the appropriate question to ask.

NormativeNormative and and DescriptiveDescriptive: White and : White and McCain’s review cd have been McCain’s review cd have been normative: expose the normative: expose the value systemvalue system of of IS.IS.

Why Why objectivityobjectivity? “Fair, absence of bias” ? “Fair, absence of bias” and “Exists outside one’s mind” (thus and “Exists outside one’s mind” (thus rely on rely on observationobservation of the world of the world (empiricism)(empiricism)

EmpiricismEmpiricism

Steve Shapen argues that mainstream Steve Shapen argues that mainstream empiricism often operates within the empiricism often operates within the fantasy that each individual can fantasy that each individual can observationally test hypotheses for observationally test hypotheses for himself. … urges people to be distrustful himself. … urges people to be distrustful of authority and look directly at the world.of authority and look directly at the world.

Encourages/privileges an “objective” view Encourages/privileges an “objective” view of what questions to ask, what methods of what questions to ask, what methods are useful, what solutions are acceptable.are useful, what solutions are acceptable.

Idea of prediction based on past events.Idea of prediction based on past events.

EmpiricismEmpiricism

Trust…Trust… “ … “ … almost every move that a scientist almost every move that a scientist

makes depends on elaborate networks of makes depends on elaborate networks of cooperation and trust” cooperation and trust” (Godfrey-Smith, 2003, 12)(Godfrey-Smith, 2003, 12)

Shd we accept empiricism as the source Shd we accept empiricism as the source of of allall knowledge in the world? knowledge in the world?

Difficult to determine what Difficult to determine what kindskinds of of experience are relevant to the test of experience are relevant to the test of hypotheses and working out who can be hypotheses and working out who can be trusted…trusted…

Empiricism and a definition Empiricism and a definition of ISof IS

Same phenomenon, different Same phenomenon, different conclusionsconclusions

Share an empiricist foundation and Share an empiricist foundation and work “scientifically”, that is conduct work “scientifically”, that is conduct research in (1) an research in (1) an organizedorganized and and

(2) (2) systematicsystematic fashion and fashion and (3) be (3) be responsiveresponsive to experience to experience

Mathematics and a definition Mathematics and a definition of ISof IS

Use of math as a tool to understand Use of math as a tool to understand the natural world …the natural world …

But still don’t know what makes But still don’t know what makes “information science” “information science” different from different from other forms of investigationother forms of investigation..

Social structure and Social structure and defintion of ISdefintion of IS

The The social structuresocial structure of IS: of IS: IS as scientific in its approach to IS as scientific in its approach to

researchresearch Profits from the relationship to mathProfits from the relationship to math

But is But is informed by related fields and informed by related fields and its own historyits own history. .

IS is informed by history, sociology, IS is informed by history, sociology, communications theory, and communications theory, and computer science/mathcomputer science/math

These shape IS’s These shape IS’s ownown social structure. social structure.

Towards the defintion.Towards the defintion.

We might say IS is in Kuhn’s “crisis We might say IS is in Kuhn’s “crisis phase”phase”

[Kuhn also says scientists tend to [Kuhn also says scientists tend to become interested in philosophy become interested in philosophy during crisis phase, a field he during crisis phase, a field he dismisses otherwise]dismisses otherwise]

What, then, What, then, isis information science?! information science?!

A A socialsocial structure structure Whose members see Whose members see access to dataaccess to data as its as its

highest valuehighest value Through Through empiricalempirical study of the study of the transformation transformation

of data into cause-for-actionof data into cause-for-action as a result of as a result of human cognition,human cognition,

Which uses Which uses mathmath as a tool as a tool And And technologytechnology as the as the physical channel of physical channel of

accessaccess To To informinform, and to be informed by, , and to be informed by, other social other social

structuresstructures, especially librarianship whose , especially librarianship whose other principles it shares.other principles it shares.

Information Science is…

Thank you.Thank you.

Questions?Questions?