Information Science

FeaturedInfoFire

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.

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FeaturedOriginal

All Talk and Few Facts: Reflecting on the Role of Podcasts in Climate Obstruction

What role do podcasts play in spreading information about climate change? For a research project on environmental communication, I explored how these issues are discussed in podcasts. I found that serious channels with the ambition to inform about climate change issues share the space with channels with a dubious agenda and a loose relationship to facts.

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Professional Development

Level Up Your InfoScience Path: Build Powerful Networks for Lifelong Learning

In today’s rapidly evolving field of information science (IS), continuous learning is no longer optional, it’s essential. But keeping up with the latest trends and developments can feel overwhelming if you go it alone. That’s where the power of supportive networks comes in. By cultivating a network of mentors, colleagues, and fellow lifelong learners, you can create a dynamic learning environment that fuels your professional growth.

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FeaturedTranslation

How Everyone Can Agree on What Counts as Quality Information

It’s tricky for people to agree on what counts as quality information. We see this every day with echo chambers on social media, where everyone has their own idea of what’s true or important. This suggests that information quality is a product of our own, individual minds—one that is best captured in “like,” “love,” “haha,” and “wow” buttons on social media. But our research suggests there’s a way to get people on the same page about information quality, and it involves making some changes to how we assess and share information online.

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Translation

Modern Portfolio Theory in Information Science

With the advancement of new technologies and information technologies, the volume of resources published on the web and databases is increasing daily. The web network has become one of the most important sources for accessing information. Therefore, retrieving information related to the user’s needs is of great importance. such a way that the purpose of databases and search engines is to provide the right information to the right users at the right time, however, identifying useful sites and information sources is very difficult for users.

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Education

Five Pillars of Reading

Reading is a fundamental skill that is essential for a child’s academic success in school and beyond. While some children are naturally gifted readers, other children have difficulty with reading and require additional instruction and practice. The five pillars of reading provide an effective framework for teaching and reinforcing these reading skills.

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EducationINFideosMultimedia

“Library and Information Science” Explained and Embodied in 5 Minutes

“What is Library and Information Science?” in a 5-minute video. LIS is cast as the mediating force between publications and people. Further, the video distinguishes the academic discipline (library and information science) from the related concepts of its institution (the library) and profession (librarianship). Along the way, several key concepts are defined, such as the reference interview, reader’s advisory, bibliographic control, and information retrieval. Three distinct types of libraries are named (public, academic, special).

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Translation

Times New Plural – The Multiple Temporalities of Contemporary Life and the Infosphere

We might illustrate the infosphere by picturing a person walking down a street in the weather of the day (rain, sun, wind, etc), negotiating traffic, other people, obstacles, using services, all the while with their smartphone; messaging, listening to a podcast, on a video call, checking bus times, etc. This example highlights everyday plural temporalities; as the various activities occurring here include the general time, work time and ‘free’ time, the temporalities of the online network their device is operating within, the device’s battery life, the time of whoever else is being communicated to via messaging or video call, the time(s) of other people around.

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