May 16, 2005
Data, information and knowledge
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I will in (very) short try to explain the difference between three central concepts in the domain of knowledge organization. It will be in this perspective I will later on use the concepts.
There exists three kinds of ’information’ that are different from each other, and is influenced by how much human involvment there is and how much interpretation there is put towards the concept of information.
The processes of information and human involvment can be put as parallel processes that has an impact on each other:
Data ↔ information ↔ knowledge
Human interference↔ formulated/consciousness
(Inspired by von Krogh, Ichijo og Nonaka, 2000, p.7)
Data is raw material without any kind of context. This kind of information is not intented to be informative, only indicative. Data is the same as facts. This might not be the normal perception of the concept, but examples on data is unambiguous messurements, statistical charts, colours, weights and so on (Buckland, 1991, p.352). It can be said that the creation of information is contingent upon data.
Information is analyzed data which is exact opposite from data by having some kind of explanatory context attached to it. Information has normally passed a human being to exist, which is not the case with data. Information can therefor be documents with some kind of form and content that by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) is carakterized as a ‘flow’ of messages. Information is build on the facts that is created in the world of data - but is more or less interpretated.
Knowledge is created on the individual level (Conway og Sligar, 2002, p.2). According to Buckland (1991) knowledge seperates itself from the other two concepts (data and information) by not being formulated or at least not put into e.g. charts or articles (Buckland, 1991, p.351). That means that knowledge can become information, and that information is the basis for knowledge – a ongoing proces (Holdt Christensen, 2000, p.39).
Knowledge then is different from information which always in some form can be put into text, pictures, audio or another way (von Krogh, Ichijo og Nonaka, 2000, p.7). Buckland clearly (1991) puts it as ”[i]f you can touch it or measure it directly, it is not knowledge…”(Buckland 1991, p.352).
References:
- Buckland, M. K. (1991). Information as a thing. Journal of the American society of informations science. 42(5), p.351-360.
- Conway, S. og Sligar, C. (2002). Unlocking knowledge assets. Washington: Microsoft Press. 233 pages.
- Holdt Christensen, P. (2000). Fra videnledelse til viden og ledelse – teoretiske perspektiver. I: Peter Holdt Christensen (red.) Viden om: Ledelse, viden og virksomheden. København: Samfundslitteraturen, p.11-61.
- Nonaka, I. og Takeuchi, H. (1995). The knowledge creating company: how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation. New York: Oxford University Press. 284 pages.
- Von Krogh, G., Ichijo, K. og Nonaka, I. (2000). Enabling knowledge creation. How to unlock the mystery of tacit knowledge and release the power of innovation. Oxford University Press. 292 pages.
May 11, 2005
Bibliographic data and metadata
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I would like to participate in the definition and historical background of some of the buzz words that are being used today.
To begin with I will give it a short go with bibliographic data and metadata - the purpose, similarities, and differenses.
As these definitions are taken from my dissertation I will provide you with references as well - just in case some one felt the need to check up on it or for further reading.
Data means the given, facts there as such are no doubt about (Andersen, 1996, p.28-29). Meta means superior/unifying, and referes to taking a view from above. The word meta though cannot be uses on its own but is attached to other concepts such as for example metalitterature, which is litterature that gives an overview over what has been published of a certain kind of litterature (Andersen, 1996, p.59). Therefor it is to be said that metadata is data about data.
Vellucci (1999) seperates bibliographic data from metadata by saying that bibliographic data is related to physical collections, and metadata referes to electronic collections. Not everyone makes this distinction of the concept ‘data’ in physical collections versus electronic collections, see for example Cathro; 1997 and Taylor; 1999.
Metadata then means unifying data and referes to data elements that represents something bigger, more og something else – a surrogate.
Never the less, metadata is a concept that has arisen within the domain of computer science (Lykke Nielsen, 2002, p.51), and metadata is based on exactly the same principles as bibliographic data (Milstead and Feldman, 1999, p.1). There are several reasons behind the present focus on metadata today compared to bibliographic data. Amongst others can be mentioned the extreme rise in electronic collections (Vellucci, 1999, p.33). Besides that a lot of people in business and corporate sectors thinks that metadata as concept is a new thing, and threrefor ascribe a lot of attention to the concept (Milstead and Feldman, 1999, p.1).
Bibliographic data is the set of dataelements that is related to documents, that is extracted and is used as describing data, that constitutes a ‘record’. This does not original encompasses the topic describing data (Dansk Standard, 1996, p.48).
Records relates itself to data in a bibliographic sense. Bibliographic data is put in a record in bibliographic databases, and is in that way surrogates for the document it self.
Electronich data, that is metadata, is collected in metedata formats and has to a certain extent the same funktion as records. The difference on bibliographic records and metadata formats is though, that one does not necessarily retrieve the actual metadata format as a surrogate for the actual object, but one is presented with a search result of actual documents.
Metadata is typically used in environments that uses full text documents, which is the opposite of what is defined as bibliographic environment.
One of the reasons why it is still relevant to talk about bibliographic records in these modern times with the overload of full text documents is, that reality is, that far from all organisations has all their documents and documentation in electronic formats (Taylor, 1999, p.14). Though to support use of physical documents to the full, they have to be retrievalble in electronic systems (at least in the long run) (ibid.; Factiva, 2003, p.3).
Ironically is that the thought of the paperless office more or less is non-existing today despite that systems for handling electronic documents has become better and way more effective. It is a recognized fact that people still wants a part og their documents in physical formats (Bavnhøj, 2003). The importance of having systems that can handle documents and records is not affected by this, as it does not get less important as information and knowledge still has to be distributed and communicated through systems.
New electronic systems handles physical documents (that is surrogates/records) as well as electronic documents in the same system, which is why it makes sense to use the same kind of data to handle them with (Factiva, 2003).
References:
- Andersen, A. (1996). Veje til viden. København: Nordisk Forlag A/S. 386 sider.
- Bavnhøj, J. (2003). Vi bruger mere og mere papir. Localized on: http://www.trae.dk/index.asp? page=/Dokumenter/Dokument.asp%3FDokumentID%3D530 d.25.11.2003.
- Cathro, W. (1997). Metadata: An overview. Localized on: http://www.nla.gov.au/nla/staffpaper/cathro3.html d.04.08.2003.
- Dansk Standard (1996). Informationshåndbogen. Charlottenlund: Dansk Standard. 196 sider.
- Factiva (2003). Content intelligence services: Driving smart workplaces. Modtaget i nyhedsbrev i marts 2003.
- Lykke Nielsen, M. (2002). Konstruktion af metadatasystemer. Arkiv. Tidsskrift for arkivforvaltning og arkivteknik, (7), s. 51-61.
- Milstead, J. and Feldman, S. (1999). Metadata: Cataloging by any other name… Online, January 1999. Localized on: http://www.onlinemag.net/OL1999/milstead1.html d.06.02.2003. (Does not work as a link any longer).
- Taylor, A. G. (1999). The Organization of information. USA: Libraries unlimited. 280 sider.
- Vellucci, S. L. (2000). Metadata and authority control. Library resources & technical Services, 44 (1), s. 33-43.
May 10, 2005
Online Information 2005
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Once again I have started recieving emails about the upcoming exhibition and conferencen. And once again I would love to go. Have been there twice (2000 and 2002), and I have a really positive impression of the event. So many different views on different topics, and a lot of interesting companies and vendors.
http://www.online-information.co.uk/ol05/index.html
This year the focus is on Informations Architecture, Enterprise search, Reducing risk through effective information management, New technologies and changing in user behaviours, New working environments, Library developments, Personal information management, Professional development and job mobility, Wikies and blogs, Informations discovery, Global intellectual property and copyright, and Information developments in Asia and China.
Does that sound cool or what! It definitely sounds like I have to go this year!
A lot of the big and leading players within my domain of work, Information Architecture, is represented amongst the exhibitors, so it is pretty much heaven to stroll around the hall for a few days chatting to people and getting new knowledge about upcoming and recent trents in the business.
The exhibition and conference runs from 29th of November til 1st of December in Olympia Grand Hall in London. The location is right next door to Kensington Olympia, so it is ever so easy to get there.
Oh and did I mention that the exhibition is free!!