This is about process, not theory
 A way to bring you all to the same page
 Any textual information within the diagram MUST
be subordinate to the visual representation
 Impossible to do without some background
reading
 Do not be too literal—this is an academic
exercise—include everything!
 Working in groups can be difficult but in the
workplace you will be required to be a part of a
team—sometimes you must concede that in
group situations the majority rules

1
Introduction to Library and Information Studies
LIS 505
February 8, 2010
2

To examine information flow using the
metaphor of the information cycle

To look at the methods of informal and
formal communication

To identify problem areas in the flow of
information through the cycle
3
Data:




discrete but unstructured facts
building blocks of information –
numbers, letters, symbols
often implies that meaning has not
been assigned
answer without the question
4
Information:
 An
aggregation, organization or
classification of data in such a
way that meaning is assigned to
that data
5
Knowledge

ordered, processed, collectivized
information to which a more profound
structure has been applied
Wisdom
• possession of knowledge together with
experience, and their application critically
for the common good
6
Can be overloaded with it or suffer from
lack of it
 Can be transferred from one person to
another
 On transfer, transmitter retains it
 Can be right or wrong
 A commodity with a value
 Must have a vehicle to be represented
 Can be transmitted across time and space

7
We all create, transmit and receive information throughout
our lives.
Role of WWW in expanding ability of individual to reach a
wider audience?


Infinite—anybody could access the Web

What about Digital Divide? Age, socio-economic factors, etc.

What is the chance of producing something of value?
Unfiltered

But can be filtered by the individual

Misinformation—mistranslation

Medium can be more influential than the message


E.g. Web is changing how learning is happening
News can be found out very quickly
8



Concept of information flow from creators
to consumers, who in turn may become
creators.
Role of different types of
communication
Role of libraries
9
The Information Cycle
10

Especially important role in Information Cycle

Communication is vital for research:
 to propagate findings
 to establish claim

Dramatic growth in researchers
11
Often first communication of research findings is
not through formal, published channels but
informally:
 Conversation
 Correspondence
(e-mail, etc.)
 Conference
 Listserv
(?)
 Website (?)
12
Characteristics:
Ephemeral - information is not intended for
permanent retention
 Restricted audience
 Flow tends to be spontaneous, unregulated and
unstructured (Grosser)

13

Barriers form because of differences in
cultures, conceptual frameworks and terms of
reference

“Boundary spanners” act as go-betweens
between internal and external human
networks. Hold significant informal status,
power and prestige within organization
14
For










Least effort
Pleasant
Fast
Up-to-date
Specific
Targeted
Feedback
Private
Access to unique info
Innovative
Against





Requires contacts
Restricted audience
Time consuming
Redundancy
No permanent record
15
Human networks:
Invisible Colleges:

Scientists become familiar with new
ideas long before publication. Direct
influence on dissemination and
utilization of information. Indirect
influence on knowledge discovery.
16
Social circles:
 Interaction with others affects individual’s
behavior.
Gatekeepers:
 An evolutionary position. High status.

Variations by discipline, institution, status.
17
18

Brainstorming—evaluate, discard or accept information
much easier




Doesn’t have to be a “box”—i.e. it is not as restrictive
Serendipitous—digressions can result in innovation
Raises level of public discussion and debate







The “noise” can be beneficial to moving on to the next steps
People are more conversant with certain issues than they were
in the past
Innovation is facilitated because one is building on the
ideas of others
Instantaneous—no need to be face-to-face
Allows for a broader spectrum of learning styles
Conversations can go in many different ways than one
might anticipate
People feel more comfortable
Easy to learn others’ values and beliefs
19

Risk of leaks—lose control over the information

Funding issues—if it is not recorded in some way

Cannot easily determine emotions and feelings when online

Might self-censor for fear of reprisals

People may seem to agree when they actually do not

People may be afraid to speak up

Peer pressure

Tensions arise with dominate personalities

Credibility and authority of sources?

Tendency to digress—may confuse or distract

Time issues

Lack of structure

Cultural and language barriers
20
Flow is primarily vertical in organizational venue
 Information recorded on a permanent medium
 Extended audience
 System looks orderly but can be rigid, slow and
unreliable (e.g. miscommunication)
 Finite carrying capacity

21
Research reports
 Patents
 Trade literature
 Conference proceedings
 Scholarly/scientific/academic journals
(including electronic journals)
 Monographs

22
 Abstracting/Indexing
databases
 Monographs
23
 Textbooks
 Literature
 Popular
reviews
journals
24

Information has been vetted in some way—
quality control


E.g. peer review
Conclusions exist in a stable form
Easier to critique if obsolete or incorrect
 Authoritative

Bibliographic control(e.g. indexes, etc.)
 It is in one place
 Archiving/permanence

25




Time-consuming (slow!)
Might be scarier than informal
Fixed and cannot be retracted or edited
More frustrating (for all the reasons above, including the fact that
there is a record of it)








Some people may feel like they belong in the discussion and cannot
contribute on that level
Tendency to agree/confirm the existing ideas in order to ensure
publication
Can be rejected and never published
Institutional and other politics come into play
Intellectual property belongs to publisher
Illusion of authority and credibility just because it is published
Much more expensive to produce than informal communication


More difficult to reach the final goal
Can be prohibitive and so expensive as not to be available
It can be obsolete even before it is published
26
Blurring of distinctions between formal
and informal communication:

Message as Document

Document as Message
27
Increased population
 Increased research population
 Increased publication pressures in
universities
 Increased leisure
 Increased literacy
 Improved communication media

Information or communication explosion???
28

Information:


Just data
Communication:
How the information is disseminated—instant
 People are available 24/7 and replies are expected
immediately


Both
Has to be both because communication cannot happen without
information
 Communication is information but information does not have
to be communication



Communication requires content
The question is poised on the ratio between the amount of
information (content) and the amount of attention
(communication) it receives
29









Speeds up publication
Opportunities for new publishers
Article can become discrete unit
Interactive
Multimedia
Copy and paste capabilities
Cheaper?
No storage/binding/loss for libraries
Remote access
30









Hardware requirements constantly change
Quality control
Authority?
Bibliographic control
Readability
Image quality
Permanence
Archiving
Non-portability (?)
31

Literature identifies an overwhelming
preference for human sources.
Why?
Need for social interaction
 Establishment or promotion of a mutually
supportive work environment

32

Quickest and most efficient means of procuring
information.

Avoidance of information overload.

Easier to ask someone nearby.

More up-to-date information than published
works.
And…
33

“People add value to information, interpreting
its meaning and significance in a particular
context; this cannot be derived from documents
or computer-based information sources.” (p. 388)
Grosser, K. (1991). Human networks in organizational information
processing. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology,
26, 349-402

Does the Web change this?
34
Special Library Association Buffalo (SLAB)
http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/slasg/
Library & Information Studies Graduate
Student Association
http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/lisgsa
American Library Association (ALA)
www.ubstudentala.wordpress.com
35