Explains the scope of research funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Information Science and Technology. Five program areas are discussed: standards and measures, the structure of information, behavioral aspects of information transfer, infometrics, and information technology. Funding levels and an NSF proposal guide are…

The history of the development of research, particularly under Dr. M.F. Lynch, at Sheffield University in Britain is followed by a general review of the research areas in both information science and library science. (MBR)

Provides an overview of the development of university library and information science degree programs in English-speaking countries in Africa, highlighting early programs in Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria; 70s programs in Zambia, Nigeria, and Botswana; 80s programs in Nigeria and Kenya; and 90s programs in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia.…

Discusses vagueness as a problem of materials information system development in the context of information retrieval within the paradigm of information science. Presents a prototype which combines an object-oriented graphical user interface with natural language feedback and correction functionality, as well as intelligent components for graphical…

Explains Type/Token-Taken informetrics as a new part of informetrics that studies the use of items rather than the items themselves. Highlights include the frequency distribution of Type/Token-Taken informetrics; the Lotka frequency law; linguistics; a comparison of Type/Token with Type/Token-Taken informetrics; and proofs of theorems. (Author/LRW)

Discusses information failures as precursors to, as opposed to outcomes of, disasters. Relates research in disasters and accidents, information use environments and information behaviors, and culture (i.e. information, safety, and organizational cultures) to highlight linkages and implications for research and practice. Illustrates connections…

This study examined the publishing sources of a sample of 833 documents relevant to library and information science (LSI) that were retrieved across 55 databases. The results confirm the interdisciplinary nature of LSI and demonstrate that relevant articles are often published in journals of other fields. A list of 160 non-LSI journals is…

Analyzes subject trends from 1975-84 in nine influential journals in library and information science. Thirty-two subjects which constitute 89 percent of the subjects published are discussed under five categories according to their distribution characteristics: (1) boom topics; (2) declining topics; (3) roller coaster issues; (4) stable subjects;…

Discusses the isolation of the field of communications from other disciplines and the inattention of communications to the increasing convergence on information and communication in other disciplines. Maps the convergence by surveying the authors commonly cited in the fields of cognitive science, humanities, and semiotics. (MS)

Examines relationships between the disciplines of communication and library and information science as reflected in cross-journal citations from 1977 through 1987 in "Journal Citation Reports" for the "Social Sciences Citation Index." Developing convergence in the areas of telecommunication policy and social research on…

Examines information needs in today's society; reviews major programs of information science education and research in areas including information science, computer science, business, professional education programs, engineering, and communications; and proposes an alternative educational organization that focuses on information systems. (46…

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…

Exploration of the social function and cognitive significance of acknowledgments in scholarly articles focuses on a study that bibliometrically analyzed all formal acknowledgments in research articles in the "Journal of the American Society for Information Science" from 1970-90. The use of acknowledgments in addition to citations in…

Proposes that information science is a postmodern science, driven by the need to solve problems caused by classical sciences and technologies. Some basic structures of current approaches to information science, the role of knowledge, information as knowledge for action, and the theoretical structures needed to establish the bases of information…

Discusses recent developments at the Queen's University of Belfast where, as a result of institutional and other changes, the former Department of Information Studies has been restructured as part of the School of Finance and Information. The Information Management Division is described, and the need for academic planning is discussed. (three…