Page 67 - DLIS407_INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SURVEY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Information and Literature Survey in Social Sciences

Notes (iii) Structure, the format or organization of information and its logical relationship between
statements or elements.
(iv) Quality, which is characterized by completeness, accuracy, relevance and timeliness of
information.
(v) Quantity, which can be measured by the total number of pages, words, characters, bits,
documents, etc.
(vi) Life, the total span of time during which value can be derived from the information.
These parameters of information further lead us towards certain characteristics of information.
These characteristics are very much related to various features of information which may assist in
differentiating it from knowledge. They are:-
(i) Information is the flow of message-information is actually a piece of message.
(ii) Information is transitory by nature-Another important feature of information is that, it is
short lived or transitory in nature i.e. as information, when it gets collected and logic is
applied to it, it is systematically organized to be known as knowledge or it converts itself
to knowledge.
(iii) Information inherits meaning – Every bit of information has some kind of meaning inherent
within it.
(iv) Information is particular- This characteristics of information is quite appropriate, as if it is
information it cannot be vague, it has to be specific or particular.
(v) Information is fragmented – This feature is self – evident as information is ‘facts’ and these
facts are based on occurrences observed or experimented from time to time.
(vi) Information is dynamic – By nature, Information is dynamic i.e. it is not a static process, it
keeps on being generated and including, itself in knowledge.
(vii) Information is timely –Information is characterised by timeliness. It is bound by time limit,
as a fact known, is information and after sometime it will be termed as knowledge.
(viii) Information is purpose oriented-Any fact/data/information has some purpose behind its
origin or generation. It exists to serve a purpose.
(ix) Information can be recorded –As information is fact, it can be recorded in any form.
(x) Information is quantitative- information can be measured by the disseminated modes.
(xi) Information needs person affiliation – The known facts when told to other person or passed
through any mode becomes information, i.e. needs someone to carry the known material
to others.
(xii) Information is structural –An important characteristic of information is its structural
form.
(xiii) Information is explanatory or descriptive- An important feature of information is that it
explains or describes a happening.
(xiv) Information can be abstracted or extracted –It has the quality of being abstracted or
extracted – It has the quality of being abstracted or extracted as the situation may be for
better and beneficial usage.
(xv) Information can be translated – It also has a chief property of being able to be translated.
(xvi) Information can be surrogated in place of others – It can be surrogated in place of similar
occurrences, to yield the same result.
(xvii) Information can be changed into other mediums-information has the quality of being
transferred into any media.

62 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY