Information: What Is It?LIBY1010 Fall 2000

Information

• Has been described as “all ideas, facts, and imaginative works of the mind which have been communicated, recorded, published and/or distributed formally or informally in any format.”– Carla List, An Introduction to Information Research, pg. 1

• More simply, information is anything which meets/fills one’s need to know something.

What Is the Difference Between...

• Facts,

• Data,

• Information,

• and Knowledge?

One Set of Definitions:

• Facts– statements of things done or things existing.

• Data– bits of factual information; “factoids.”

• Information– organized data.

• Knowledge– information imbued with intelligence.

What Are Some Different Ways of Classifying of Information?

• Factual versus Analytical.

• Objective versus Subjective.

• Primary versus Secondary.

• Scholarly versus Popular (or General).

Factual Information

• Information supported by direct observation or verifiable facts.

• Examples of factual information include– The contents of a speech given by a political candidate to express

his views on a particular issue.

– Yesterday’s closing stock prices.

– The fact that the New York Yankees won the 1999 World Series.

Analytical Information

• An interpretation or explanation of facts.

• Analytical information includes analyses of facts, often by experts.

• Examples of analytic information:– Your professor’s interpretation of the meaning of a

difficult paragraph in your textbook.– A Cal Tech scientist’s explanation to a reporter of the

cause and likely after-effects of a recent earthquake.

Objective Information

• Objective information presents all sides of a topic.

• Example of objective information:– AIDS is transmitted in several ways. Heterosexual intercourse

accounts for 70% of HIV infections worldwide. Homosexual intercourse and intravenous drug users sharing contaminated needles also spread the HIV virus. The virus also can spread from mother to child by transfer across the placenta or through breast milk. A number of hemophiliacs were infected from contaminated blood and blood products before screening procedures were introduced in the late 1980s.

Subjective Information

• Subjective information provides opinions &/or evaluative information on a topic.

• Subjective information commonly does not provide all sides of a topic.

• Examples of subjective information:– The 1999 New York Yankees performed at the same high level

as did the Yankees of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio’s time.

– AIDS is transmitted in several ways, including via homosexual activity. AIDS can therefore be seen as a punishment from God resulting from homosexuals’ ungodly activities.

Opinion

• An expression of a belief, a personal judgement, or a subjective point of view. Opinions may or may not be based upon experience or expertise.*– *NOTE: Just because something is an opinion does not mean it is incorrect

--or that it is correct.

• Examples of opinions:– A newspaper’s endorsement of a political candidate--and the

rationale the newspaper gives for its choice.

– A business analyst’s prediction of how the stock market will perform next year.

What Is the Difference Between Opinion and Subjective Information?

• If subjective information sounds like opinion, it is. • The basic difference is that:

– an opinion is often a brief statement based on what seems true to a person (e.g., Blue is the best color for cars), while

– subjective information often involves a lengthier presentation of information which combines opinion with an incomplete (not multi-sided) presentation of a topic.

Primary Information

• Information presented by its originator; an original document, or in its original form. Fundamental, authoritative information on a subject. Primary information has not been published elsewhere, put into context, interpreted, or translated.

• Examples of primary information:– A periodical article written by a researcher in which she presents

the results of her own original research.

– A historical document such as the United States Constitution.

– Personal letters and diaries.

Secondary Information

• Information that discusses, examines, surveys, restates, summarizes, or repackages original primary information.

• Examples of secondary information:– An article which surveys previously published research articles on

a particular topic.

– A book recounting the history of the creation and evolution of the U.S. Constitution.

Scholarly Information

• Information presented by researchers in a particular field of endeavor, usually aimed at an audience of fellow researchers and experts in the same field.

• Scholarly works usually have extensive bibliographies citing sources the author(s) used in doing his/their research.

• Scholarly works can present either primary or secondary information.

Popular, or General Information

• Information that is aimed at a wide audience of non-specialists; it is intended to appeal to the lay person more than to the expert.

• Popular works generally cite few, if any, sources used in preparing them.

• Popular/general information can be either factual or opinion; objective or subjective.

What Are Some Different Types of Information Sources*?

• Books.

• Periodicals.

• Reference Works.

• Electronic Resources.

– *NOTE: These categories are not all mutually exclusive.

What Do We Mean by “Books?”

• Books are individual, self-contained, organized collections of pages of information. The information can be textual, graphic, or numeric.

• Books can have one author, or more than one.

• Books can be fiction or non-fiction.

• Books can be monographic treatises on individual subjects, or collections of essays, articles, or chapters by one or more authors.

• Books can be in either print or electronic format.

What Do We Mean by “Periodicals?”

• Periodicals are publications intended to come out at regular or stated intervals.

• Periodicals can be either popular or scholarly.

• Types of periodicals include scholarly and professional journals, popular magazines, newspapers, trade magazines, and newsletters.

• Periodicals can be either print or electronic.

What Do We Mean by “Reference Works?”

• Reference works are designed and arranged to be consulted for specific bits of information, rather than to be read from beginning to end.

• Reference works can cover very broad subject areas (e.g., general encyclopedias and dictionaries), or focus on very specific topics (e.g., a dictionary of banking terms).

• Reference works can be either electronic or in print.

What Do We Mean by “Electronic Resources?”

• Electronic resources are information sources accessible via computer or other electronic device.

• Electronic resources include electronic books, periodicals, and reference works; periodical indexes and abstracts; and web pages and web sites.

• Electronic resources may be electronic versions of already-existing print resources, or may have no print equivalent.

Types of Information & Types of Information Sources

• Knowing what type of information you need can help you find information more effectively.

• This is so because certain types of information sources are more likely to contain certain types of information than are other types of sources.

Facts

• Look for factual information in reference sources (print or electronic) such as:

• dictionaries

• atlases

• handbooks

• directories

• Books, articles, and web sites are generally not efficient ways to find out very specific facts or data, such as the number of Vietnamese speakers in the U.S.

Analytical Information

• Some reference sources (such as general or specialized encyclopedias) may provide analytical information.

• Books and scholarly periodical articles are likely sources of analytical information.

• A thorough analysis of a topic usually requires consulting more than one source.

Opinions, & Other Subjective Information

• Books, articles, and web pages are all likely sources of opinions & subjective information.

• Review articles and op-ed pieces in newspapers and other publications are especially good sources.

• There are even special series like Opposing Viewpoints which bring together various opinions on controversial topics.

Objective Information

• Sources may include reference sources (print or electronic) such as encyclopedias or handbooks.

• Objective information can be found in books, articles, or web pages -- but the source should be considered carefully.

• Avoid opinion-only sources, like reviews and op-ed pieces when looking for objective information.

Primary & Secondary Information

• Primary information may be found in an article or report, an un-translated book, and/or any resource from the time/place studied.

• Secondary sources may include articles, books, or web pages.