Understanding Relations between Disciplines in the Information Field. A Multidimensional Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of developing a shared conceptual framework for the Information Field, based on interdisciplinary theory. This paper argues that to study the Information Field, we need a multidimensional framework that includes disciplines and discipline-based assumptions. The paper makes a case for an analysis of disciplinary components and suggests a 3-dimensional matrix with material fields (information, technology, people) along a horizontal axis, analytic levels of disciplines along a vertical axis, and problems along a depth axis. The proposed model is an attempt to conceptualize some of the elements that should be included in a framework, and it represents a first step towards understanding and identifying the complex underpinnings of the relations between disciplines in the Information Field. The 3-dimensional matrix offers a lens through which to view the contributing disciplines.