Understanding and Information Constellations in Ultrarunning

There have been many conceptualizations of knowledge in information studies. Though presently disparate, they can be brought together under a common framework with the concept of understanding. As such, understanding can provide an account for how bodily experience, recorded information, and other forms of information can contribute together epistemically. This paper provides a way for researchers to analyze understanding informationally: It defines information as form-and-activity and suggests that multiple pieces of information can be bundled together as information constellations with narrative as a cohering structure. The concept of information constellation is illustrated in a hermeneutic-phenomenological study of the information experience of ultrarunners. The resulting anecdotes and information constellation mappings show how multiple forms and activities of information are integrated as understanding even in the “simple” act of running. This discussion puts embodied, experiential, corporeal information on equal footing with the external, recorded forms of information that have been the traditional focus of information studies

Conceptions of “information poverty” in LIS: a discourse analysis

Purpose – To provide an analysis of the notion of “information poverty” in library and information science (LIS) by investigating concepts, interests and strategies leading to its construction and thus to examine its role as a constitutive element of the professional discourse. Design/methodology/approach – Starting from a Foucauldian notion of discourse, “information poverty” is examined as a statement in its relation to other statements in order to highlight assumptions and factors contributing to its construction. The analysis is based on repeated and close reading of 35 English language articles published in LIS journals between 1995 and 2005. Findings – Four especially productive discursive procedures are identified: economic determinism, technological determinism and the “information society”, historicising the “information poor”, and the library profession’s moral obligation and responsibility. Research limitations/implications – The material selection is linguistically and geographically biased. Most of the included articles originate in English-speaking countries. Therefore, results and findings are fully applicable only in an English language context. Originality/value – The focus on overlapping and at times conflicting discursive procedures, i.e. the results of alliances and connections between statements, highlights how the “information poor” emerge as a category in LIS as the product of institutionally contingent, professional discourse. By challenging often unquestioned underlying assumptions, this article is intended to contribute to a critical examination of LIS discourse, as well as to the analysis of the discourses of information, which dominate contemporary society. It is furthermore seen to add to the development of discourse analytical approaches in LIS research

Philosophical Foundations for the Concept of Information: Selective and Structural Information

Abstract. The most fundamental question in the philosophy of information "What is information?" has not received yet a definite answer free from commonly recognized deficiencies. In my earlier work I have proposed a definition of information as an identification of the variety. The definition is based on the concept of the one-many relation, a philosophical theme as old as philosophy itself. The rich tradition of the theme established through the centuries of philosophical discourse is in a clear contrast to the common sense concepts such as "uncertainty" usually utilized in attempts to set foundations for the concept of information. An identification of the variety can have two basic forms of a selection of one out many in the variety, or of the structure uniting the variety (many) into one. The distinction of the forms of identification leads to the distinction between the selective and structural information. However, since every occurrence of one type of information is always accompanied by the other, selective and structural information can be considered just different manifestations of the uniform concept of information. The selective information can be easily identified with the concept of information in its usual understanding. The structural manifestation of information has been considered usually in the context of integration of information. In the present paper the analysis of the concept of information based on the one-many relation is being carried out in the three perspectives. First, the philosophical aspects of information are considered. Then, the concept of information is being identified in a selection of very different domains. For instance, Hutcheson's concept of beauty dominating classical aesthetics since 18 th century, understood as "unity in variety," provides an example of an idea very close to structural information. Integration of the neuronal activity in the brain considered as a basis for consciousness by Edelman and his collaborators can be also viewed as an example of structural information in a different domain. Finally, an attempt is being made to identify a mathematical formalism which reflects the distinction of the selective and structural information. ©2005 by MDPI (http://www.mdpi.org). Reproduction for non commercial purposes permitted. 2 Introduction In this article I am revisiting my earlier proposal of an answer to the question "What is information?" in the conceptual framework of the one-many relation In spite of the frequent occurrence of the word "information" in a large variety of contexts, there is no commonly accepted answer to the question about its meaning. Even worse, there is no agreement whether it is possible to provide a uniform answer independent from the context in which the word "information" is used. The views are scattered between the two extreme positions, between the belief that there are as many meanings of the word "information" as domains of its application, and the view that different contexts differentiate only manifestations of the uniform entity which can and should be clearly and properly defined. While I belong to supporters of the latter position, I cannot accept any of the numerous former attempts to define the meaning of this uniform concept of information. In particular, I cannot accept the two most popular formulations of the definition of information as a "resolution, reduction of uncertainty" I have provided several critical arguments against the earlier attempts to define information elsewhere One of the most common errors in the attempts to grasp the meaning of information was an extrapolation of the conceptual and analytic framework of the study of communication (carried within the "conduit metaphor of information&quot

Informação e Documento - relações simbióticas

O artigo trata as relações entre os termos “documento” e “informação”, do ponto de vista terminológico, buscando identificar aproximações, distinções e, principalmente, entender como ambos corroboram a caracterização do domínio da Ciência da Informação. Os conceitos de “documento” e “informação”, mesmo com sua natureza e funções específicas, demonstram notória proximidade no âmbito de Ciência da Informação, tanto por apresentarem traços semânticos semelhantes (perspectiva objetiva, subjetiva e social), como pelo fato de atuarem conjuntamente no escopo do domínio em questão. O fato de a informação precisar da materialidade do documento para se difundir e ser acessada, ou mesmo o documento, só transcender sua “materialidade” ao tornar-se meio pelo qual a informação se consubstancia, são evidências de que entre documento e informação não há apenas proximidade, mas em certa medida uma relação simbiótica

Data Science as an Interdiscipline: Historical Parallels from Information Science

Considerable debate exists today on almost every facet of what data science entails. Almost all commentators agree, however, that data science must be characterized as having an interdisciplinary or metadisciplinary nature. There is interest from many stakeholders in formalizing the emerging discipline of data science by defining boundaries and core concepts for the field. This paper presents a comparison between the data science of today and the development and evolution of information science over the past century. Data science and information science present a number of similarities: diverse participants and institutions, contested disciplinary boundaries, and diffuse core concepts. This comparison is used to discuss three questions about data science going forward: (1) What will be the focal points around which data science and its stakeholders coalesce? (2) Can data science stakeholders use the lack of disciplinary clarity as a strength? (3) Can data science feed into an “empowering profession”? The historical comparison to information science suggests that the boundaries of data science will be a source of contestation and debate for the foreseeable future. Stakeholders face many questions as data science evolves with the inevitable societal and technological changes of the next few decades

Metaphor : Library

Includes bibliographical references.This literature review identifies and examines metaphorical concepts that have been associated with the word 'library' historically in an attempt to identify the possible role and function of libraries and librarians in the twenty-first century. Drawing on contemporary theories of metaphor, the various ways in which libraries have been represented metaphorically within literature are considered as external perspectives of the institution and profession. These images are compared and contrasted to those library metaphors evident in the professional literature - that is, internal perspectives of the library. Examples of other professions adopting the concept 'library' as a metaphor, most notably within the online environment, are also discussed in order to hone in on those concepts perceived to be represented by the label 'library' by those choosing to employ the term. The cross-cu!tural applicability of library metaphors is also considered, drawing on examples from African librarianship, and a cluster of metaphorical concepts likely to inform future library development are identified

Improving Research Participants\u27 Understanding of Informed Consent

ABSTRACT IMPROVING RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMED CONSENT by Debra J. Gillespie The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2017 Under the Supervision of Professor Rachel Schiffman Twenty-five to sixty percent of research participants are unable to understand important information during the research consenting process. This lack of comprehension may unintentionally expose research participants to potential harm. The purpose of this study was to test the teach back method of communication as an intervention to improve research participants’ understanding of informed consent. The Shannon Weaver Communication model was the theoretical framework supporting this study. The pre-intervention sample (control group) of 18 participants enrolled in a cardiology clinical trial at a large tertiary hospital in New England completed the Quality of Informed Consent (QuIC) survey. Two cardiology research coordinators were trained in teach back communication as the intervention. A post-intervention sample (experimental group) of 5 participants completed the QuIC survey. There was no significant difference in mean scores of objective understanding between the pre-intervention and post intervention groups. There was also no significant difference in the relationship between objective and subjective understanding in the pre-intervention group compared to the post intervention group. There was poor understanding of compensation for research-related injury where 50% of the pre-intervention group and 60% of the post intervention group were either unsure or answered questions related to this concept incorrectly. Another poorly understood concept was with a description of the procedures to be followed. Sixty-one percent in the pre-intervention and no one in the post intervention group understood this concept. A Chi-square test for independence indicated no significant association between highest educational level obtained and understanding of compensation for research-related injury or an understanding of procedures to follow. With the uncovering of a poor understanding of the two concepts of compensation for research-related injury and procedures to follow, not reported in the literature, more research specifically targeting these concepts and participants’ understanding are warranted. Inductive and deductive approaches may yield interesting results. Institutional and national policies need to be put into place assuring participant understanding of all regulatory requirements. However, the practical application of such policies cannot be mandated until there is comprehensive science available to support its practice

Coming Out of Our Shells: Safety and Vulnerability in Reality Storytelling

Reality storytelling shows are a growing phenomenon across the United States. These shows often take place monthly in bars. Ordinary people volunteer to tell brief, possibly edgy, personal stories. This type of communication presents a unique opportunity for studying embodied information practices. The field of LIS tends to conceptualize information as an object, and discusses information separately from the bodies that interact with it. Seeking to better understand the reality storytelling phenomenon and embodied information practices, I undertook an ethnographic study of a particular reality storytelling show. Carapace occurs once a month in Atlanta, Georgia. I began with the question: How does the Carapace community negotiate the making of meaning? This question was crafted to guide my understanding of the community and their information practices. I attended six Carapace shows over seven months and conducted 18 interviews. I performed as a storyteller at some of the shows I attended. I found that many of the practices at Carapace focus on creating a safe space for personal storytelling. Tellers are meant to feel safe to share any story they may wish to tell. Audience members are made to feel safe enough to take the risk of hearing any story. These safeties largely fall into two categories: “the water is fine,” and “it’s okay to stay in your shell.” Organizers and community members try to make the environment generally pleasant. However, because not everything feels comfortable for everyone there, and because some things are out of their control, they also provide safety by allowing attendees to retreat into the “shells.” This usually takes the form of partially, or completely, disengaging (e.g., avoiding eye contact, leaving the room). When attendees choose to “come out of their shells” they experience moments of connection. The message at the heart of the Carapace experience is “you are not alone.”Doctor of Philosoph

Need to know: information literacy, refugee resettlement and the return from the state of exception

Academic research has developed a considered understanding of displaced communities undergoing resettlement within a refugee receiving country, in areas such as language, literacy, education, employment and housing, gendered identities and past trauma. However, little attention has been paid to the role of information literacy, defined here as those practices, attributes and skills which enable social subjects to obtain the knowledge needed for effective social agency. The questions guiding the research discussed here concern the effects of information literacy upon newly-arrived communities. How do refugee entrants from differing cultural, language and literacy backgrounds engage with the digitally mediated, text-dense and English language-based information environments of the Global North? What are the risks for new communities of information poverty and social exclusion through information practices that are less able to satisfy the demands of present-day information capitalism? This research draws on a qualitative, multifocal case study of interviews with resettled members of the South Sudanese community in south-east Queensland and with workers from government and non-government settlement agencies conducted in 2013. The aim of the research is to contribute findings on information literacy in resettlement to academic debates on refugee displacement, resettlement and belonging, as well to enhance the policies and practices which guide Australia’s approach to humanitarian protection. The research draws upon the theorising of Giorgio Agamben on sovereign authority and the excluded Other. The research develops the concept of ‘information relationship’ to show how information, as a relational practice, is the means through which new knowledge becomes manifest, via liminal intersections of power, race and gender, in refugee lives. The research argues that information, in this relational form, enables the return of the refugee from Agambenian exclusion to the subject position of citizen. However, while information relationships within settlement lead to re-incorporation for the exile within the sovereign state, this re-integration remains partial, contingent and a paradoxical production of both connection and exclusion