Multimedia - Information Matters

May 16, 2025 Shalini Urs

Reframing Information: From “Information as Thing” to “Everything as Document” to the Identity of iSchools — Conversations with Michael Buckland

Michael Buckland, a pivotal figure in information science, has profoundly shaped the field through his scholarship and leadership. In this episode of InfoFire, Buckland engaged with me on foundational concepts, practical applications, and historical perspectives, offering provocative critiques that challenge conventional thinking. He declared “information” a problematic term— “It is a bad word; it is to be abolished”—arguing that its overloaded meanings obscure clarity. Similarly, he labeled bibliometrics a “pseudoscience,” questioning its methodological rigor. These rhetorical provocations underscore his effort to reframe information science around precise, document-centric frameworks.

Featured InfoFire

April 17, 2025 Shalini Urs

IR Meets AI: Looking Back, Looking Forward — A Conversation with Stephen Robertson, Pioneer of Information Retrieval

In this episode of InfoFire, I speak with Dr. Stephen Robertson, a pioneering figure in the field of Information Retrieval (IR), who offers a reflective account of its conceptual and methodological evolution.

INFideos

April 10, 2025 Jenna Hartel

Check Out Pedagogy Patchwork

Pedagogy Patchwork, a new 14-episode video series, has just been published at the YouTube channel, INFIDEOS. It contains a collection of creative classroom strategies for educators in Library and Information Science.

Featured InfoFire

March 10, 2025 Shalini Urs

LLMs, AI, and the Future of Research Evaluation: A Conversation with Mike Thelwall on Informetrics and Research Impact

In this episode of InfoFire, I sit down with Professor Mike Thelwall, a well accomplished scholar of Informetrics, to explore the intersections of Large Language Models (LLMs) and research evaluation. We delve into how LLMs are reshaping the landscape of research assessment, examining the promises they hold and the challenges they present in ensuring fair, meaningful, and context-aware evaluations.

Featured InfoFire

January 12, 2025 Shalini Urs

From Entrepreneur to Social Innovator: Insights from Dr. Deshpande on Technology, Investment, and Impact

In this episode of InfoFire, Shalini Urs is in conversation with Desh Deshpande about a wide range of topics centered on entrepreneurship, innovation, and social change.

Featured INFideos

December 16, 2024 Jenna Hartel

A Round-Up of Holiday Gifts from INFIDEOS

In mid-December of each year, my YouTube channel, INFIDEOS, gives a gift to its subscribers and viewers. These multimedia creations are freely available to everyone in Information Science and are especially suited for students of the field.

INFideos

December 15, 2024 Jenna Hartel

Surfacing the ‘Silent Foundation’

The 12th episode in the What Makes This Paper Great? video series features “Surfacing the ‘Silent Foundation’: Which Information Behaviour Theories are Relevant to Public Library Reference Service?” by Amy VanScoy, Africa S. Hands, Katarina Švab, and Tanja Merčun. The paper was presented at the 2024 Information Seeking in Context conference in Aalborg, Denmark. A new 12-minute video at INFIDEOS takes viewers through the highlights of the paper. For fun, an opinionated but cuddly group of Library and Information Science (LIS) students join the virtual conversation.

Featured InfoFire

September 25, 2024 Shalini Urs

Whither Open Access? A Fireside Chat with Dr. Jean Claude Guedon, a Sage on the OA Stage

Tune in to this episode of InfoFire, where Dr. Jean-Claude Guédon delves into the history and future possibilities of Open Access, offering his unique perspective on where the movement has been and where it could be heading. Our discussion covered a broad spectrum of topics, including the mission of Open Access, the economics of funding and various business models, the controversial issue of Article Processing Charges (APCs), as well as debates surrounding scientific metrics, copyright issues, and more.

INFideos

August 20, 2024 Jenna Hartel

Ethnography of Infrastructure by Susan Leigh Star

Susan Leigh Star (1954-2010) was an American sociologist who ranged widely across disciplines, and she was a much-loved and respected contributor to Information Science. An 11th episode of the What Makes This Paper Great? video series at INFIDEOS focuses upon her masterful 1999 article, Ethnography of Infrastructure.

INFideos

July 25, 2024 Jenna Hartel

Information as Thing by Michael Buckland—What Makes This Paper Great?

Over 14 minutes, this 10th episode of the What Makes This Paper Great? video series unpacks, critiques, and celebrates Information as Thing. The video begins by noting its citation record; profiles the author; and explains the paper’s method of conceptual analysis. Information As Thing is then situated alongside other definitions that similarly cast information as having multiple types.