The use of quantum concepts and formalism in the information sciences is assessed through an analysis of published literature. Five categories are identified: use of loose analogies and metaphors between concepts in quantum physics and library/information science; use of quantum concepts and formalisms in information retrieval; use of quantum…[Read more]

The purpose of this editorial review is to re-examine the prospect that Luciano Floridi’s Philosophy of Information (PI), and information ethics (IE) may serve as the conceptual foundation for library and information science (LIS), and that LIS may thus be seen as applied PI. This re-examination is timely, fifteen years after this proposal was…[Read more]

Considers the continuing relevance of the ideas of browsing, serendipity, information encountering, and literature discovery in a digital information environment.

This is an updated version of an encyclopaedia entry written in 2014. It gives a succinct overview of the discipline of library and information science (LIS).

Modified and updated version of a chapter published in ‘Theory development in the information sciences’, D. Sonnenwald (ed.), University of Texas Press, 2016, pp 281-299, with recent references included.

Coming changes in the information environment, particularly the infosphere and immersive documents are briefly reviewed, and their significance for library/information science considered, with a focus on topics addressed in the writings of Tatjana Aparac-Jelušić. Issues analysed include the nature of these new developments, new models of i…[Read more]

This PhD thesis, now largely of historical interest, describes a then-novel method of substructural analysis of chemical structure representations, with potential application in structure-property correlation and information retrieval within chemical information systems. Structural features are generated from Wiswesser Line Notation…[Read more]

This is a blog post containing the somewhat revised text of a chapter published in a Festschrift for Rafael Capurr, with comments from Capurro on our chapter.

This is a keynote presentation given at the 50th anniversary conference of the CILIP Library and Information History Group, CILIP HQ London, 6 November 2012.
It took a presidential theme, in acknowledgement of the US presidential election happening that day.
It was intended as a short introduction to the day, showing that the study of…[Read more]

Slides, notes and abstract for a presentation given a conference marking the 150th anniversary of the death of Sir Joseph Paxton. The presentation considers Paxton and his followers as authors, editors and publishers, establishing the knowledge base of horticulture and park design. They were participants in the wider dissemination of information…[Read more]

This short and speculative paper considers some philosophical approaches to understanding, particularly those related to Luciano Floridi’s Philosophy of Information, and based on the general idea that understanding is a special kind of knowledge. It is a slightly extended and updated version of the paper presented at CoLIS9.