‘Information Science’ and Research Methods

Abstract

Considers the problems of defining ‘information science’ as a unitary discipline and suggests that the concept of integrative levels offers an explanation for the fragmentation of the field. ‘Information’ has different contexts at different integrative levels, and different disciplines deal with these contexts. The paper then considers how information as a social phenomenon requires social scientific research methods to be applied to its investigation and sets out a new taxonomy for social research methods.