Classification is interpreted so as to incorporate all attempts at the imposition of order upon our observations of the universe. In this article, the fundamental bases of classification are examined: in particular the alien notions of mutual exclusivity and the use of inflexible structures to mirror a dynamic universe. (26 references) (Author/KE)

Several bibliometric techniques previously applied to separate scientific literatures were used together in the analysis of a single corpus of journal articles relating to information science. Techniques included were: Bradford Analysis, epidemic analysis, identification of research front, and bibliographic coupling. (16 references) (Author)

Discusses knowledge communities and emphasizes the way that the epistemology of science influences scientific society. Topics include positivist and nonpositivist discourses; knowledge creation and organization; a sociological approach to knowledge communities; social epistemology and an epistemological sociology; and implications for information…

Introduces Michel Foucault's "Archaeology of Knowledge" as a way of addressing Wayne Wiegand's charges of problems in the discipline of library and information science. Highlights include a discussion of discursive formations, or the ways in which a collection of texts are organized with respect to each other; and history as a discursive…

Suggests that information architecture design is primarily an inductive process, partly because it lacks internal theory and partly because it is an activity that supports emergent phenomena (user experiences) from basic design components. Suggests a resemblance to Constructive Induction, a design process that locates the best representational…

Explains distinctions between three meanings of "information"--information-as-process, information-as-knowledge, and information-as-thing--and discusses what things are informative. Types of information are discussed, including data, texts and documents, objects, and events; copies of information and representations are considered; and…

This speculative historiographic essay attempts to fix the present position of library and information science within the context of the probabilistic revolution that has been encompassing all of science. Comprises a guide to statistical research in library and information science, discussing skewed distributions, biostatistics, stochastic models,…

Discusses the basics of descriptive statistics for library and information sciences. Highlights include levels of measurement, including nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio; graphs; measures of central tendency, including mean, median, and mode; and measures of dispersion (spread). (LRW)

In the context of learning implementation of new ideas e.g. knowledge management in organizations often is neglected. Concerning knowledge management measures we demonstrate its implementation in organizations. A theoretical framework was developed showing the necessary basic conditions for implementing knowledge management. Subsequently we…

Discusses core competencies in library and information science and in information systems to use as a background for an examination of core competencies in information management. Suggests a set of core competencies and educational outcomes that might be applied to curricula in both developed and developing countries. (Author/LRW)

Discusses a variety of topics and their implications for library and information science professionals and their education. Highlights include the nature of science; contingency theories; the assumptions of sociology; the approach of symbolic interaction; recent scholarship on organizations; and the advantages of qualitative research methods.…

Reviews the historical writings about the development of information science (IS), focusing on the literature between 1989 and 1994. Highlights include a background; intellectual frameworks of IS, relationships of IS with other fields, and research and development in IS; techniques and technology; information-related behavior; application areas;…

Focuses on utilizing organizational theory in understanding the progress of constructing a new departmental identity in a former library and information science school that was merged with an education school. Findings indicate that members of the former library and information science school faced pressure both to become more like education and…

The researcher was fortunate to be a member of an international development programme for library and information science (LIS) in South Africa (DISSAnet), and has benefited from the experience to the extent that research and development in the LIS field is ongoing. In order to promote this kind of initiative and to share the experience with those…

The specialisation Library Science at the Hochschule Darmstadt/University of Applied Science Darmstadt is the newest academic program in Germany for the higher education of librarians. Five current trends in library science in Germany reflect the new "Darmstadt Model": (1) The delimitation of a specific professional field…