The purpose of this paper was to briefly address the need for a conceptual framework for informatics and develop a preliminary conceptual framework. The review of the literature on informatics and the approaches to a conceptual framework tend to be linked to discussion concerning designing curriculum rather than attaining a better understanding of…

This case study demonstrates the application of an unsupervised topic modeling algorithm to 7,773 English-language articles published in the "Library Quarterly" from 1931 to 2015. The analysis of 85 years of the journal's output follows an exploratory data analysis framework to generate novel hypotheses about the history of LIS using…

As an international informatics contest, or challenge, Bebras has started the second decade of its existence. The contest attracts more and more countries every year, recently there have been over 40 participating countries. From a single contest-focused annual event Bebras developed to a multifunctional challenge and an activities-based…

Presents the concept of the average decision maker as a statistical entity with 10 essential properties, and defines the information state in terms of the decision maker's probability of choice of various courses of action. The implications for a generalized theory of information science are suggested. (33 references) (EAM)

This monograph was written to answer questions about the essence of librarianship, the meaning of information, and the principles behind a desire for information transfer, preservation of older records, or creation of new ideas. The work is organized into three parts. Part I is titled "In Search of a Discipline: Toward a Science of Library…

This paper examines representative research in information science and compares its designs to an abstract ideal of the experimental research design. Threats to validity of conclusions are highlighted, including history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, statistical regression, selection biases, experimental mortality, and selection-maturation…

Explores the role of paradigms in information retrieval research and discusses the nature of a paradigm and the applicability of the paradigm concept to a multidisciplinary field such as information science. The features of the physical paradigm and the cognitive paradigm are outlined, and their origins, nature, and role are examined. (55…

The Internet and growth of computer networks have eliminated geographic barriers, creating an environment where education can be brought to a student no matter where that student may be. The success of distance learning programs and the availability of many Web-supported applications and multimedia resources have increased the effectiveness of…

Surveys some of the theoretical positions that underlie various qualitative research methods and discusses the methodological issues raised by those positions for use in library and information science research. Contextualization, understanding, pluralism, and expression are discussed; and qualitative research methods are compared with a…

Delineates various levels of theory with implications for research in library and information science. Based upon a review of literature on theory building and research methods in the social sciences, a model is proposed which displays a taxonomy of theory in hierarchical form. (EM)

Presents a literature review that covers the following topics related to Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA): (1) LSA overview; (2) applications of LSA, including information retrieval (IR), information filtering, cross-language retrieval, and other IR-related LSA applications; (3) modeling human memory, including the relationship of LSA to other…

Discussion of user satisfaction with online searches or other products of information retrieval systems focuses on three models of satisfaction, so that the false positive of unwarranted user satisfaction can be addressed. The distinction between material and emotional satisfaction is examined, and implications for research in library and…

Traces emergence and development of research in library science; argues that prevailing ideology posits desirability of adoption of a positivist epistemology for research in the field; and proposes drawing of work in critical theory and hermeneutics, to rethink the epistemological foundations of research in library and information science. (38…

This theoretical discussion of what information science can contribute to the health professions addresses questions of definition and describes application and knowledge models for the emerging profession of informatics. A review of existing programs includes curriculum models and provides details on informatics programs emphasizing information…

Presents a model of four factors differentiating significant from routine research--behavioral patterns of problem formulation, economic analyses of information seeking, psychological schemes of optimal effort, and basic dilemmas of the theory-practice gap. Within this context, four myths dominating the research process in library and information…