Michael Buckland

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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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INFideos

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.

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