A critical analysis of information poverty from a social justice perspective

Information poverty is one of the main forms of poverty today that affects the lives of billions of people on a daily basis and as such it is argued in this thesis that this form of poverty should be on the world’s moral agenda – not merely as a discussion item but as an action item. It is furthermore argued that the information and knowledge society cannot be build without taking into consideration the moral challenges associated with this form of poverty. The research question guiding this thesis is as follows: What is information poverty and why is it a serious moral issue that needs to be addressed today? To be able to answer this question five key issues are addressed. They are as follows: -- The analysing, unpacking and understanding of the different dimensions and moral implications of poverty through the use of social sciences (Chapter 1). -- The investigation and analyzing of the notion of information, specifically in terms of its relationship to poverty (Chapters 2&3). -- The analysing, unpacking and understanding of information poverty, both in terms of its complexity as well as social, political, personal and moral dimensions (Chapter 4). -- A reflection, from a social justice perspective, on the moral concerns associated with information poverty. This is done through the use of philosophy and social sciences (Chapter 5). -- The development, based on social justice and human rights, moral guidelines that can be used to address the different moral concerns associated with information poverty (Chapter 6). In Chapter 2 poverty is defined as that condition of life where the majority of people lack sufficient resources to supply their basic needs for survival. As such it indicates the socio-economic status of people and communities, together with its impact on just about every aspect of their lives. It is illustrated that poverty has a strong moral claim on society. In Chapter 3 the notion of information is discussed from a diachronic perspective and an own approach to information is presented. Based on the three worlds of Popper different characteristics of information are identified and discussed. The implications of these characteristics on information poverty are illustrated. Chapter 4 focuses on information poverty. A basic definition is presented and different degrees as well as levels of information poverty are also distinguished. It is argued that this form of poverty has an overall impact on the development of people. In Chapter 5 information poverty as a serious moral issue is discussed. Following from this social justice in terms of its scope, application and functions is analysed with regards to information poverty. Based on the value statement that the alleviation of information poverty serves a common good purpose, it is argued that there are two moral principles that meet the requirement of universal validity and that can be used to guide moral decision-making regarding information poverty. These are justice and human rights. In Chapter 6 several moral guidelines, based on social justice, are presented that can be used to address the moral concerns raised by the condition of information poverty.Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2006.Information ScienceDPhilUnrestricte

New trends in content creation : changing responsibilities for librarians

This paper addresses the changes in the role of librarians as information intermediaries due to the introduction of new forms of digital content brought about by modem information and communication technologies. The main focus is on the way in which these changes have affected the moral responsibilities of librarians. Six content trends are identified in support of this claim. These are: the growth in volume; amount of noise; sharing of content and information participation; personal space; collaboration and naive use. The ethical challenges of these six trends are discussed. Because of the unpredictability and uncontrollability of contemporary digital content, a case is made that the traditional model of retrospective responsibility, according to which responsibility is assigned based on causality, should be supplemented with a positive prospective model of responsibility according to which librarians also need to look 'forward' anticipating possible harmful impacts of modem ICTs. It is also argued, based on the open and interactive nature of new forms of content, that there should be a form of shared and distributed responsibility, which should include not only librarians, but also Internet service providers, library users, and software designers.http://www.reference-global.com/loi/lib

Ethical perspective on political-economic issues in the long-term preservation of digital heritage

The article provides an overview of the main ethical and associated political-economic aspects of the preservation of born-digital content and the digitization of analogue content for purposes of preservation. The term “heritage” is used broadly to include scientific and scholarly publications and data. Although the preservation of heritage is generally seen as inherently “good,” this activity implies the exercise of difficult moral choices. The ethical complexity of the preservation of digital heritage is illustrated by means of two hypothetical cases. The first deals with the harvesting and preservation in a wealthy country of political websites originating in a less affluent country. The second deals with a project initiated by a wealthy country to digitize the cultural heritage of a less affluent country. The ethical reflection that follows is structured within the framework of social justice and a set of information rights that are identified as corollaries of generally recognized human rights. The main moral agents, that is, the parties that have an interest, and may be entitled to exercise rights, in relation to digital preservation, are identified. The responsibilities that those who preserve digital content have toward these parties, and the political-economic considerations that arise, are then analyzed.This article is an expanded version of a keynote paper presented at the UNESCO Information for All Programme (UNESCO/IFAP) International Conference on the Preservation of Digital Information in the Information Society, Moscow, October 3–5, 2011.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1532-289

Libraries and peace : a critical reflection on the role of libraries in promoting peace

Libraries and peace: a critical reflection on the role of libraries in promoting peace From the mid-19th century national and international library associations and professional librarianship developed in close association with polity and liberal internationalism and peace movements, and later with the League of Nations and UNESCO. The emphasis in polity internationalism was not on questioning the system of nation states, but on creating mechanisms for maintaining peaceful relations among them. This corresponds to the motivations of civic leaders who founded the first free public libraries. They sought to stabilize existing relations among social groups and to prevent revolution. Key pronouncements by UNESCO state that libraries can or should contribute to peace. It is thought that the provision of information will lead to increased knowledge, hence to greater understanding and tolerance of other groups, and that this will promote peace. We critically examine these assumptions, starting with a reflection on what is implied by the concept of “peace”. Peace embodies juridical, ethical and legal dimensions. For the purposes of our analysis, we conceptualize peace as positive (not merely the absence of conflict) and as processes rather than as a state. This implies that peace cannot be promoted merely by attempts to maintain existing social relations, whether by the suppression of alternative views, the signing of agreements, negotiation of constitutions, or the creation of democratic institutions. The latter are a necessary but not sufficient condition for peace. Social justice and reconciliation are conditions for lasting peace and reconciliation. Reconciliation must include restoring the humanity of parties to violent conflict. In light of this reflection, we analyse the following assumptions: (1) libraries contribute to education; (2) libraries provide information; (3) libraries disseminate information; (4) information promotes knowledge; (5) knowledge leads to understanding; (6) understanding of others leads to peace. We conclude that it is simplistic to see a straightforward link between information and peace. While the free flow of information is vital to democracy, peace and freedom, the relationship between information and peace involves a series of complex causal relations. We consider implications of our analysis for the role of libraries, with particular reference to public libraries. In respect of collections efforts should be made to acquire materials that will support peace processes. In respect of services, librarians need to go beyond simply making materials available. Traditional promotional activities also do not suffice. Libraries need to reach out to communities with programmes that promote a peace agenda and a climate of consultation. At a practical level they can reduce the circulation of rumours by providing mechanisms for dissemination of factual information about community governance and political issues. Libraries can contribute to peace more indirectly but lastingly by capacity building: supporting educational institutions, empowering community members through literacy and skills development, and by inculcating information literacy for more effective participation of community members in the political process. Traditionally librarians have sought to maintain the library’s “neutrality” in respect of social and political issues. Arguably, however, maintaining neutrality under conditions of injustice amounts to siding with the oppressor. A more activist role for librarians in working for peace in their communities has implications for their professional ethos. It calls the neutrality principle into question and also holds some risks for the place of the library in the community and the position of the librarian. The organized library profession and library education institutions have a responsibility for raising awareness of social problems among librarians. To be able to engage effectively with their communities in the interests of promoting peace, they need to have a good understanding of social conditions, the dynamics of community politics, and public administration, as well as an understanding of the conditions for peace and the processes of promoting peace.Daar word dikwels aangeneem, byvoorbeeld in uitsprake van UNESCO, dat biblioteke deur die voorsiening van inligting bydra tot begrip, verdraagsaamheid en vrede. Ons bevraagteken hierdie aannames. Op grond van ’n besinning oor die begrip “vrede”, handhaaf ons vir die doeleindes van die analise die konsep van positiewe vrede en sien ons dit as dinamies (prosesse) eerder as staties (’n toestand). Dit hou in dat strukturele en kontekstuele faktore in ag geneem moet word, dus ook onder andere maatskaplike geregtigheid en versoening. Vervolgens ontleed ons die aannames dat biblioteke tot opvoeding bydra en inligting verskaf, dat inligting kennis en begrip bevorder, en dat begrip vir ander tot vrede lei. Ons bevind dat die idee dat inligting tot vrede lei ’n erge oorvereenvoudiging is. Demokrasie, vrede en vryheid is inderdaad afhanklik van die vrye vloei van inligting, maar die verband tussen inligting en vrede bestaan uit ’n hele reeks oorsaak-en-gevolg verhoudings. Implikasies vir biblioteke se versamelings en dienste word kortliks ondersoek, en klem word daarop geplaas dat die biblioteek behoort uit te beweeg na die gemeenskap om sowel direk as indirek tot vrede by te dra. Ons verwys in die besonder na openbare biblioteke. ’n Meer aktiewe rol in vredestigting het belangrike implikasies vir die professionele etos van die bibliotekaris. Indien die tradisionele “neutraliteit” van die bibliotekaris plek moet maak vir groter maatskaplike betrokkenheid sal bibliotekarisse deur bewusmaking en opleiding daarvoor toegerus moet word.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/akgeeshb201

When the last mile becomes the longest mile : a critical reflection on Africa's ability to transform itself to become part of the global knowledge society

In this article the question is asked to what extent Africa can become a knowledge society characterised by global connectivity and the ability to not only utilise knowledge but also to generate new knowledge in support of sustainable development, economic growth and human wellness. The question is approached from two interrelated perspectives. The first perspective focused on the importance to connect people via communication networks to the global body of knowledge. This is the last mile problem. In the second perspective the focus fell on human capacity building and the ability of people to not only fully utilise the information but also their ability to create new knowledge. This is referred to as the longest mile problem. It is concluded that most African countries have made tremendous strides in the last decade to address the last mile problem. This is evident from the increase in broadband availability as well as the rapid growth in the use of mobile technologies. It is furthermore concluded that Africa still has a long way to go with regards to human capacity development. It is argued that in many respects this still remains the longest mile for Africa in her efforts to become a prosperous knowledge society. Although some progress has been made with regards to primary and secondary education there is a lack of investment in tertiary education, and with a few exceptions the research infrastructure on the continent is still largely underdeveloped. This seriously hampers Africa's efforts to become an equal partner in the global knowledge economy.http://www.innovation.ukzn.ac.za/innovationbase.htmam201

A descriptive framework of business intelligence derived from definitions by academics, practitioners and vendors

Although it is widely agreed that business intelligence (BI) plays an important role to ensure that information is available consistently and disseminated to organisational decision-makers, many authors point out that there is little agreement in the literature on a common defi nition of BI. This is not unusual for a fi eld that is still being established, but a shared understanding would contribute to advancing the fi eld. For this research, defi nitions of Pirttimäki (2007) and Chee et al. (2009) were used to identify a priori themes that are used to qualitatively analyse a selection of 27 BI defi nitions by researchers from the academia and industry, in order to derive an integrated descriptive framework of BI. Consequently, the implications and limitations of the defi nitions and the resulting descriptive framework are discussed. It is hoped that the framework can contribute to increase the shared understanding and counter the confusion arising from multiple defi nitions found in the literature. The descriptive framework also provides researchers with categories and descriptors for use in future qualitative research. Through further research, the framework and descriptors can be confi rmed, expanded and refi ned by independent confi rmation of coding, comparing further defi nitions to the framework, and by using the Delphi method to consult a panel of experts.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_mousaion.htmlhttp://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=20129am201

Western privacy and/or Ubuntu? Some critical comments on the influences in the forthcoming data privacy bill in South Africa

There is a worldwide concern growing regarding the increasing potential threats to the personal privacy of individuals caused by technologies and governments. The international response of governments has been to draught comprehensive privacy legislation in order to protect their citizen's personal information and to enable their citizens to have control over their personal information. In South Africa, the right to privacy is protected by both Section 14 of the Constitution and the provisions of the Common Law, but at this stage no formal privacy legislation is in place to enforce fair data protection principles. A new Data Privacy Bill is in the process of being draughted by the South African Law Commission and it is taking into account South Africa's unique political and social context as well as international demands made by the global economy. The prime influences acting upon the new Data Privacy Bill are the mandate in the Constitution, the EU Data Protection Directive and the Ubuntu worldview. Ubuntu can be described as a community-based mindset in which the welfare of the group is greater than the welfare of a single individual in the group. In this article, we argue that the EU Data Protection Directive is one of the best articulated privacy laws in existence today and the Ubuntu philosophy has been pressed into service very successfully in diverse arenas in South Africa. This paper argues that both influences will be seen in the future Data Privacy Act, but that the EU Data Protection Directive's influence will be pre-eminent

Distinguishing right from wrong : proposed ethical principles for the development of national information policies

Information policy formulation is not only a matter of politics and policies. In this article it is argued that national information policies are also about ethics and that the moral complexities and challenges associated with the development of national information policies should be taken into consideration. As such it is a matter of social justice. A brief overview of the scope and nature of national information policies is provided. It is also argued that ethical reasoning should not be confused with laws or customs and that sound ethical reasoning is needed to address the ethical complexities associated with the design of national information policies. A set of ethical principles is proposed that can be used as guidelines for the development of national information policies.http://www.ajol.info/index.php/innovationhb201

Information knowledge and technology for Development in Africa

Information, knowledge, and technology occupy significant space in the information and knowledge society and ongoing debates on development such as sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda 2030 and the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Disruptive technologies and cyber-physical systems, obscuring the lines between the physical, digital and biological, escalated by the COVID-19 pandemic, present a ‘new normal’ that profoundly affects the nature and magnitude of responses required to sustain and benefit from the new developments. Africa, known for late adoption of new technologies and innovations, is leapfrogging development stages in several enviable ways. This book, Information knowledge and technology for development in Africa’, written by eminent African scholars, comprises chapters that satisfactorily address information access, artificial intelligence, information ethics, e-learning, library and information science education (LISE) in the 4IR, data literacy and e-scholarship, and knowledge management, which are increasingly essential for information access, services, and LISE in Africa. We expect the book to support research, teaching and learning in African higher education and worldwide for comparative scholarship

Information knowledge and technology for Development in Africa

Information, knowledge, and technology occupy significant space in the information and knowledge society and ongoing debates on development such as sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda 2030 and the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Disruptive technologies and cyber-physical systems, obscuring the lines between the physical, digital and biological, escalated by the COVID-19 pandemic, present a ‘new normal’ that profoundly affects the nature and magnitude of responses required to sustain and benefit from the new developments. Africa, known for late adoption of new technologies and innovations, is leapfrogging development stages in several enviable ways. This book, Information knowledge and technology for development in Africa’, written by eminent African scholars, comprises chapters that satisfactorily address information access, artificial intelligence, information ethics, e-learning, library and information science education (LISE) in the 4IR, data literacy and e-scholarship, and knowledge management, which are increasingly essential for information access, services, and LISE in Africa. We expect the book to support research, teaching and learning in African higher education and worldwide for comparative scholarship