Information II: Science, technology, and systems

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to three modern subfields of information, namely information science, information technology, and information systems. These fields have an enormous impact on modern society and its development. Information science is generally concerned with the processes of storing and transferring information via the merging of concepts and methodologies of computer science, linguistics, and library science. Information technology (IT) or “infotech” covers all methodologies and technologies which are used for the production, storage, processing, transmission, and dissemination of information. Information systems use information science and information technology concepts and tools in the everyday operation of enterprises and organizations that needs the cooperation (symbiosis) of technology with human-controlled processes and actions. This chapter starts with a discussion of the fundamental general issues of information science including several classification schemes (knowledge maps), and continues with a guided tour to computer science, computer engineering, internet/www, and web-based multimedia. Finally, this chapter provides a general discussion of information systems which include their fundamental concepts, general structure, types, and development.