Introduction to Information Science

The second edition of this definitive text gives a comprehensive overview of all aspects of the subject, bringing it up-to-date with analysis of the changes in the information environment, now largely digital, and their implication for the discipline and professions. Its approach is rooted in the philosophical, theoretical, and conceptual foundations of the subject and in particular in Floridi’s ideas of the fourth revolution, hyperhistory, and onlife. The theory-practice relationship is strongly emphasised throughout, and the extensive literature coverage makes this a valuable sourcebook. This second edition is extensively revised, with largely new text, illustrations, and resources, and offers a global perspective.

The main topics covered include:

• foundations: philosophies, theories, concepts, ethics, and historical perspectives
• organising, retrieving, and analysing information and data
• information behaviour, domain analysis, and digital literacies
• digital technologies, information systems, and information management
• information research methods and informetrics
• changing modes of information communication, and information society
• the nature and future of the information disciplines and professions

Introduction to Information Science will be a standard text for students of library and information disciplines, including information science, librarianship, information and knowledge management, archives and records management, and digital humanities. It will also serve as an introduction for those beginning research in these areas, and as a resource for thoughtful and reflective practitioners.