Page 65 - DLIS407_INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SURVEY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Information and Literature Survey in Social Sciences

Notes of information represent a new kind of translatable Commodity, ranking in future human importance
alongside material and energy resources. “Information” must be differentiated from data. “Data”
whether it is numeric or bibliographic, relates to facts, figures, or recorded documents, expressed in
the form of symbols. But for ‘data’ to transform itself to ‘information’ should be processed, organized
and presented to a person or agency, at the time needed for taking some action.

Did u Know? What are the key characteristics of information?
Information comprise three main characteristics such as timeliness,
person affiliation and action orientation.

9.1 Concept of Information

The term ‘Information’ originated from ‘formation’ and ‘forma’. Both these terms define the size and
format of any entity, along with the indication towards the construction of a pattern.
The dictionary meaning of the term is, “the knowledge communicated or received concerning a
particular fact or circumstance.” In other words, information means “to inform or to tell or a thing
told”. Information may also be termed as knowledge, as knowledge is what we know or the portion
of information which is in our knowledge.

Notes Characteristics of Information
Information has a number of characteristics uncommon to other resources.
Some of these characteristics are that it is:
• Shareable not exchangeable and can be given away and retained at
the same time;
• Expandable and increase with use;
• Compressible, able to be summarized, integrated, etc.
• Processing a definite value, depending upon their use which may be
quantified and treated as accountable asset;
• Varying in value over time in an entirely unpredictable way; and
• A source of economic and political power;
Blaise Cronin sums up the characteristics of information as follows; “it is
fashionable to speak of information as a commodity, like crude oil or coffee
beans. Information differs from oil or coffee, however, in that it can not be
exhausted. Over time certain types of information lose their currency and
become obsolete, but equally, certain types of information can have multiple
life cycles. Information is not depleted on use, and the same information can be
used by me and be of value to an infinite number of consumers. Furthermore,
information has the characteristics of a public good; more for me does not
necessarily mean less for you.”

9.1.1 Information Defined

The term ‘information ‘came into existence in USA, as an alternative for documentation that could
be more co-extensive with the recent developments in mechanization, viz. the advent of computers

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