Calculating the information content of an information process for a domain expert using Shannon''s mathematical theory of communication: A preliminary analysis

The problem addressed in this article is to use Bertram Brookes' ‘fundamental equation’ as a starting off-point for a conceptual exercise whose purpose is to set out a method for calculating the information content of an information process. The knowledge structure variables in the Brookes' equation are first operationalized, following principles set out in Claude Shannon's mathematical theory of communication. The set of ‘a priori’ alternatives and the a priori probabilities assigned to each member of the set by the person undergoing the information process is the operational definition of the variable ‘K[S]’ from the ‘fundamental equation,’ which represent the person's knowledge structure ‘before’ the information process takes place. The set of ‘a posteriori’ alternatives and the revised probabilities assigned to each member of the set by the person undergoing the information process is the operational definition of the Brookes' variable ‘K[S + ΔS],’ which is the person's knowledge structure ‘after’ the information process takes place. To illustrate how the variables can be determined, an example of a information process is used from a recent real-life archeological discovery.     

Finding without seeking: the information encounter in the context of reading for pleasure

This paper examines nongoal oriented transactions with texts in order to investigate the information encounter in the context of daily living. Findings are reported from a larger research project based on intensive interviews with 194 committed readers who read for pleasure. The paper analyses interview responses that illuminate two aspects of the readers' experience of reading for pleasure: (1) how readers choose books to read for pleasure; and (2) books that have made a significant difference in readers' lives. The paper concludes with five themes emerging from this analysis that have implications for the information search process: the active engagement of the reader/searcher in constructing meaning from texts; the role of the affective dimension; ‘trustworthiness’; the social context of information seeking; and the meta-knowledge used by experienced readers in making judgments about texts.     

Information, systems and the construction of meaning

The term ‘information’ is seldom given a careful definition and is in practice used in more than one sense. In particular there is often a failure to distinguish ‘information’ from concepts such as ‘knowledge’, ‘belief’ and ‘meaning’. One attempt to build a suitable conceptual scheme with a firm philosophical basis has been made by Dretske. In corporate contexts, the meaning and significance of information can be seen as lying in its contribution to the maintenance and development of ‘systems’ of activities. It follows that a competent analysis of corporate information requirements and a specification of the characteristics of data collection, communication and processing needed to satisfy them, both depend on an appropriate form of systems analysis. The methods used by Checkland and Wilson provide means of exploring the requirements, while the approaches of Beer and Espejo define patterns of information flow necessary for their realization. As advanced techniques of information processing develop, clearer understanding of such approaches and their theoretical basis will become important in exploiting their potential.     

Exploring models of information behaviour: the ‘uncertainty’ project

This paper reviews a number of models of information behaviour and introduces a model based on the goal-directed behaviour of problem solving. A key part of the problem-solving process is held to be that of ‘uncertainty reduction’ and this aspect of the information seeking and searching process is currently being explored in a project supported by the British Library Research and Innovation Centre. Preliminary results from the pilot phase of the Project are presented which suggest possible lines of further investigation.     

The relation between the category of the ‘need’ and the category of the ‘demand’ for information

This paper examines the terminological confusion underlying the study of information use, and reviews the major studies in the field. The conclusion is that confusion in research methods is inextricably linked to a lack of clarity in terminology. Attention is drawn to the significance of different social and cultural contexts in shaping ‘information needs’, and a research scheme is evolved for the study of users of ‘professional information’ in Poland.     

Social structures and the flow of scientific information in public agencies: an ideal design

Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the quality of scientific information employed in planning and policy-making in public agencies, relatively little is known about the scientific information acquisition behaviors of public managers. The purpose of this paper is to facilitate research on scientific information acquisition in public agencies by suggesting that: (1) planning and policy-making are ‘policy technologies’ and share certain attributes with more traditional technologies; (2) many propositions developed in the literature on information flows in R&D labs are, therefore, helpful in structuring thinking about information flows in public agencies; and (3) it may be possible self-consciously to design social and organizational structures so as to enhance informal flows of scientific information. After gleaning some of the propositions concerning scientific information flows from the R&D management literature, an ‘ideal design’ approach is employed to develop a model in which the social and organizational structures of a public agency optimize scientific information flow.     

Source preferences in the context of seeking problem-specific information

The study focuses on the ways in which people define their source preferences in the context of seeking problem-specific information for non-work purposes. The conceptual framework draws on two major concepts, that is, information source horizon and information pathways. The former denotes the ways information sources are mapped in preference order in an imaginary field, while information pathways refers to the sequences in which sources placed on the information source horizon are actually used. The empirical part of the study draws on semi-structured interviews with 18 individuals active in environmental issues. Human sources and the Internet were preferred most strongly in seeking for problem-based information. The major source preferences were content of information, and availability and accessibility. Usability of information sources and user characteristics were mentioned less frequently as preference criteria. Typically, information pathways consisted of the use of 3–4 sources. On average, human and networked sources were favored in the early phases of information seeking. Printed media such as magazines and organizational sources were often used to complement information received from human sources and the Internet. However, the source preferences varied considerably, depending on the requirements of the problem at hand.     

Learning by trying: the implementation of configurational technology

In this paper some issues concerning the nature of technological development are examined, with particular reference to a case study of the implementation of Computer Aided Production Management (CAPM). CAPM is an example of a configurational technology, built up to meet specific organizational requirements. It is argued that there is scope in the development of configurations for significant innovation to take place during implementation itself, through a distinctive form of learning by ‘struggling to get it to work’, or ‘learning by trying’. Some policy implications are outlined in conclusion: the need to recognize the creative opportunities available in this type of development, and the need to facilitate industrial sector-based learning processes.     

Challenges of scholarly publications on the Web to the evaluation of science—A comparison of author visibility on the Web and in print journals

This article reveals different patterns of scholarly communication in the XML research field on the Web and in print journals in terms of author visibility, and challenges the common practice of exclusively using the ISI’s databases to obtain citation counts as scientific performance indicators. Results from this study demonstrate both the importance and the feasibility of the use of multiple citation data sources in citation analysis studies of scholarly communication, and provide evidence for a developing “two tier” scholarly communication system.     

Uncertainty in information seeking and retrieval: A study in an academic environment

This research focuses specifically on uncertainty and information seeking in a digital environment. In this research we argue that different types of uncertainty are associated with the information seeking process and that, with the proliferation of new and different search tools, sources and channels, uncertainty, positive/desirable or negative/undesirable, continues to be a significant factor in the search process. Users may feel uncertain at any stage of the information search and retrieval process and uncertainty may remain even after completion of the process resulting in what may be called persistent uncertainty. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from users in the higher education sector. There were three parts to the questionnaire focusing on: information seeking activities, information seeking problems, and access to specific information channels or sources. Quantitative analysis was carried out on the data collected through the online questionnaire. A total of 668 responses were returned from the chosen user categories of academic staff, research staff and research students. This research has shown that there are some information seeking activities and information seeking problems that are the most common causes of uncertainty among significant number of users from different disciplines, age, gender, ICT skills, etc. This is also the case with respect to access to and use of specific information sources/channels, although the degrees of uncertainty in relation are relatively small. Possible implications of this study and further research issues are indicated.     

Crafting the virtual prototype: how firms integrate knowledge and capabilities across organisational boundaries

This paper examines the introduction of Integrated Software Technologies in Product Development focusing on their influence on organisational Experimentation and Prototyping practices. In particular, it explores the role of ‘virtual prototyping’ techniques, concepts and models in facilitating multi-functional processes coordination and multi-disciplinary knowledge integration. It argues that the role of software in supporting inter-functional cooperation and the coordination of knowledge and activities depends on the organisation’s ability to nurture integrating routines which support two-directional translation flows between ‘local’ (function-based) and ‘global’ (computer-embedded) knowledge and activity levels. These mechanisms also lie at the heart of dynamic capabilities’ creation and maintenance.     

The processes involved in the solid-to-liquid phase transition

The detailed study of crystals and the dynamics of the melting process in two and three dimensions is a fundamental and interesting research topic, which is important for increasing our knowledge of solid state physics. In natural crystals, structure information can be obtained principally by Bragg-scattering of neutrons, electrons or photons on the crystal, followed by an analysis in Fourier space. Dynamical aspects cannot be investigated in these systems. Recently, a new crystalline system was discovered whose properties are such that the melting transition can be investigated in great detail — the ‘plasma crystal’. This article presents the results of such an investigation and shows evidence for the existence of intermediate phases between the solid, liquid and gaseous phases. The observed ‘structured’ phase transition may be specific for plasma crystals but, alternatively, it may indicate the existence of intermediate stages in the melting transition more generally.     

The many faces of accessibility: engineers' perception of information sources

Numerous studies of engineers' information seeking behavior have found that accessibility was the factor that influenced most their selection of information sources. The concept of accessibility, however, is ambiguous and was given various interpretations by both researchers and engineers. Detailed interviews with 32 engineers, in which they described incidents of personal information seeking in depth, uncovered some of the specific factors that are part of the concept. Engineers selected sources because they had the right format, the right level of detail, a lot of information in one place, as well as for other reasons. When looking for human information resources, the engineers most frequently selected sources with which they were familiar, while saving time was the most frequently mentioned reason for selecting documentary sources. Future research should continue to examine the concept of accessibility through detailed empirical investigations.     

The mathematical and military sciences in Renaissance England

The Renaissance saw the evolution of troop management, fortification and artillery into ‘mathematical’ sciences and those who practiced these tasks into ‘mathematical practitioners’. These terms have been allowed to imply that these areas were deeply theoretical, whereas they varied from theoretical to simply numerical. Gunnery, in particular, tended towards the latter. Practitioners of the simpler mathematics, however, gained by being able to connect their action to the more impressive study of ‘the mathematicks’. Future work must recognize more critically the distinction inherent in the term ‘mathematical’ when applied to the arts of the Renaissance.     

Analysing ancient DNA

Much of what we know about extinct organisms comes from traits that are not preserved in the fossil record. Until recently, morphological analysis was the only tool available for scientists to determine relationships for extinct fossil organisms. We now know that ‘ancient’ DNA can be preserved in the remains of extinct organisms. By targeting specific gene sequences, it may be possible to deduce biochemical characteristics and through sequence comparisons, to estimate the extent of evolutionary divergence. By comparing the amount and type of these changes, one could estimate how quickly some DNA ‘evolves’ relative to other segments, or which genes have the most flexibility or are more conserved over time. The compilation of these data would yield greater understanding of the physiology of extinct organisms and provide a much clearer picture of genetic change over time, and the mechanics behind ‘evolution’.     

互联网环境下创新信息渠道影响力对比研究

互联网技术的普及和应用导致网络口碑的产生,网络口碑成为继Bass模型中大众传媒和传统口碑之后的一种新兴的创新信息传播渠道,然而目前鲜有文献深入研究网络口碑对创新扩散的影响。本文在Bass模型中两大创新信息渠道基础上,加上网络口碑渠道,对原模型进行改进,改进后的模型可以计算出3种信息渠道的影响力大小。以中国网上购物扩散为例进行实证研究,对网上购物扩散中3种信息渠道所起作用大小进行排序,并分析这种排序产生的原因,最后对创新推广企业提出一些参考建议。     

What drives the formation of ‘valuable’ university–industry linkages?: Insights from the wine industry

Most of the literature on university–industry (U–I) linkages assumes that these linkages are beneficial per se. We question this assumption, suggesting that not all such linkages are equally helpful. In this paper, we explore the factors driving the formation of ‘valuable U–I linkages’, conceived as those linkages between universities and firms that have a higher potential to diffuse knowledge to other firms in their regional economy. Our empirical strategy combines case-study methodology with econometric techniques using data from two wine clusters in Chile and in Italy. The firm's knowledge base is found to be a key driver of ‘valuable’ U–I linkages. We conclude that selectivity should be encouraged among policy makers endeavouring to promote U–I linkages.     

Information processing,evaluation, and utilization: The role of academic libraries in research and development (R & D) in Zambia

The study attempts to apply J.R. Bettman's consumer choice theory to the concept of information processing, evaluation and utilization within the present and future Zambian context. Central to this is the belief that information is a marketable commodity and is one that is critically essential in all activities relating to research and development (R & D) in Zambia. However, the author argues that unless there are discernible changes in the traditional attitudes and cultural values among Zambians, information processed and organized by academic libraries in Zambia will never be fully utilized even in research and development activities.