IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jinfst/v72y2021i10p1295-1305.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding information: Adding a non‐individualistic lens

Author

Listed:
  • Yuanye Ma

Abstract

The individualistic lens refers to the understanding of problematic information as something that is clearly identifiable, with objective criteria of measurement. This article argues for adding a non‐individualistic lens for understanding information. The necessity for adding a non‐individualistic lens grows from that the existing individualistic lens appears inadequate to make sense of information phenomenon, in particular when it comes to understanding problematic information. Non‐individualistic is proposed as a complementary perspective, which needs to be further developed conceptually. To begin such development, this article directs information professionals' attention to the promising concept of information ecology. More specifically, this article pulls resources from philosophy of information (Floridi's infosphere) and information ethics (Capurro's Angeletics) to illustrate existing conceptualizations of information ecology. Information ecology appears to align with this sociotechnical view that information researchers have started to develop in the most recent years, though arguably information ecology may have an even broader scope. Lastly, this article also points out that the conceptualization of information ecology needs to be aware of, and cautious of the philosophical assumption that is relied on for understanding information.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanye Ma, 2021. "Understanding information: Adding a non‐individualistic lens," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(10), pages 1295-1305, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:72:y:2021:i:10:p:1295-1305
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24441
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24441
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/asi.24441?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael K. Buckland, 1991. "Information as thing," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 42(5), pages 351-360, June.
    2. Nicholas J. Belkin & Stephen E. Robertson, 1976. "Information science and the phenomenon of information," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 27(4), pages 197-204, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. António Madureira & Nico Baken & Harry Bouwman, 2011. "Value of digital information networks: a holonic framework," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-30, April.
    2. Florentin Smarandache & Stefan Vladutescu, 2014. "Communicative universal convertibility Matter-Energy-Information," Social Sciences and Education Research Review, Department of Communication, Journalism and Education Sciences, University of Craiova, vol. 1(1), pages 44-62, December.
    3. Cornelius, Kristin B., 2019. "Zombie contracts, dark patterns of design, and 'documentisation'," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 8(2), pages 1-25.
    4. Lauri Wessel & Martin Gersch & Erik Harloff, 2017. "Talking Past Each Other," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 59(1), pages 23-40, February.
    5. Darrin Baines & Robert J R Elliott, 2020. "Defining misinformation, disinformation and malinformation: An urgent need for clarity during the COVID-19 infodemic," Discussion Papers 20-06, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham.
    6. Alaimo, Cristina & Kallinikos, Jannis, 2022. "Organizations decentered: data objects, technology and knowledge," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112470, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Jeremy Pitt & Daniel Ramirez-Cano & Moez Draief & Alexander Artikis, 2011. "Interleaving multi-agent systems and social networks for organized adaptation," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 344-378, November.
    8. A. Madureira & F. Hartog & N. Baken, 2016. "A holonic framework to understand and apply information processes in evolutionary economics: survey and proposal," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 157-190, September.
    9. Raphaël Gellert, 2022. "Comparing definitions of data and information in data protection law and machine learning: A useful way forward to meaningfully regulate algorithms?," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), pages 156-176, January.
    10. Hicks, Alison, 2022. "The missing link: Towards an integrated health and information literacy research agenda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    11. Darin Freeburg, 2019. "The Knowing Model: Facilitating Behaviour Change in Organisations," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(04), pages 1-22, December.
    12. Isto Huvila, 2020. "Use-Oriented Information and Knowledge Management: Information Production and Use Practices as an Element of the Value and Impact of Information," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(04), pages 1-25, January.
    13. Gonçalo Jorge Morais Costa & Nuno Sotero Alves Silva, 2010. "Knowledge versus content in e-learning: A philosophical discussion," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 399-413, September.
    14. Sasvari, Peter, 2010. "The development of information and communication technology: An empirical study," EconStor Books, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, number 76454, September.
    15. Yonit Rusho & Daphne R. Raban, 2020. "Hands on: Information Experiences as Sources of Value," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 71(6), pages 671-684, June.
    16. David Bawden & Lyn Robinson, 2015. "“Waiting for Carnot”: Information and complexity," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 66(11), pages 2177-2186, November.
    17. Alarape, A. A. & Adegboye M. O. & Ogunniran O. O & Omoba, F. A, 2021. "Health Information Resources and Clinical Core Skills as Predictors of Medical Doctors Clinical Decision Making in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(6), pages 175-184, June.
    18. Wayne de Fremery & Michael K. Buckland, 2022. "Copy theory," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(3), pages 407-418, March.
    19. Bryce Clayton Newell, 2023. "Surveillance as information practice," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(4), pages 444-460, April.
    20. Sasvari, Peter, 2012. "The Role of Technology and Innovation in the Framework of the Information Society," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 32-38.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:72:y:2021:i:10:p:1295-1305. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.asis.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.