David Bawden | City, University of London (original) (raw)

Papers by David Bawden

Research paper thumbnail of Supporting truth and promoting understanding: knowledge organization and the curation of the infosphere

This is a slightly updated version of a keynote address given at the Fifteenth International ISKO... more This is a slightly updated version of a keynote address given at the Fifteenth International ISKO Conference, Porto, 9th July 2018. This paper considers the response of knowledge organisation (KO) to a variety of problems and pathologies associated with the post-factual, or post-truth, society. It argues that there are no quick fixes, but that KO has several roles to play in mitigating these problems, particularly in the promotion of understanding, as well as the communication of information and the sharing of knowledge. Borrowing from Floridi's Philosophy of Information, it argues that KO, and more broadly library and information science (LIS), should address these problems as part of our role as 'curators of the infosphere'.

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Research paper thumbnail of Digital libraries: to meet or manage user expectations

Aslib Proceedings, 2006

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Research paper thumbnail of Education and training for digital librarians: a Slovenia/UK comparison

Aslib Proceedings, 2005

Purpose – To determine and compare approaches to the education and training of librarians for wor... more Purpose – To determine and compare approaches to the education and training of librarians for work in digital libraries. More precisely, to identify – in general terms, rather than specifically – the important competencies required by information professionals in creating and ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Are we effective? How would we know?: Approaches to the evaluation of library services in Lithuania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom

New Library World, 2005

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Research paper thumbnail of Information retrieval curricula; contexts and perspectives

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Research paper thumbnail of Substructural analysis techniques for structure - property correlation within computerised chemical information systems

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Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge and value. A new perspective on corporate transformation S Wilstrom and R Norman (eds) Routledge London (1994) 149 pp, £10.99 paperback ISBN 0 415 09818 1

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Research paper thumbnail of Library and information science and digital humanities: two disciplines, joint future

The relationship between the disciplines of library and information science and of digital humani... more The relationship between the disciplines of library and information science and of digital humanities is analysed, in terms of common topics, issues and perspectives. A model to integrate the two, based on the components of the communication chain of recorded information is proposed. It is suggested that a partial integration of the disciplines, to the extent that their concerns are reflected by this model, would be positive for the future of both. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of the relationship between the disciplines of library and information science (LIS) and of digital humanities (DH). It is evident that there are close links in several respects, but the rationale for, and nature of, such links and synergies is unclear. We attempt here to use a simple model to clarify one aspect of the relations between the two disciplines, and to suggest how this may affect the future development of both. Although firmly rooted in literature sources, the analysis is selective rather than comprehensive.

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Research paper thumbnail of Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Library and Information Science

Chapter in Theories of Information and Scholarly Communication, CR Sugimoto (ed.), de Gruyter, B... more Chapter in Theories of Information and Scholarly Communication, CR Sugimoto (ed.), de Gruyter, Berlin, 2016, pp. 180-196. Reviews significant numbers and numerical relationships in the information sciences.

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Research paper thumbnail of Storing the Wisdom: Chemical Concepts and Chemoinformatics

The purpose of the paper is to examine the nature of chemical concepts, and the ways in which the... more The purpose of the paper is to examine the nature of chemical concepts, and the ways in which they are applied in chemoinformatics systems. An account of concepts in philosophy and in the information sciences leads to an analysis of chemical concepts, and their representation. The way in which concepts are applied in systems for information retrieval and for structure–property correlation are reviewed, and some issues noted. Attention is focused on the basic concepts or substance, reaction and property, on the organising concepts of chemical structure, structural similarity, periodicity, and on more specific concepts, including two-and three-dimensional structural patterns, reaction types, and property concepts. It is concluded that chemical concepts, despite (or perhaps because of) their vague and mutable nature, have considerable and continuing value in chemoinformatics, and that an increased formal treatment of concepts may have value in the future.

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Research paper thumbnail of Aslib: A de facto national library/information organization

The history of Aslib, an independent library/information membership organization in the United Ki... more The history of Aslib, an independent library/information membership organization in the United Kingdom between 1924 and 2014, is outlined, with emphasis on the ways in which Aslib acted as a de facto national centre for special librarianship and information work, for documentation, and for technical and commercial information. Its activities in this respect included publishing, training and professional development, research and consultancy, and the maintenance of national collections and indexes. Aslib was also an official national centre for several purposes, generally associated with information retrieval and dissemination.

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Research paper thumbnail of The noblest pleasure: Theories of understanding in information science

A style of theory construction for information science is presented, which emphasizes understandi... more A style of theory construction for information science is presented, which emphasizes understanding and explanation, through qualitative conceptual analysis. Regarding information science as a field of study with a focus on all aspects of information, it has the aim of developing ways of understanding information, and concepts related to information, necessarily incorporating insights from numerous disciplines and forms of knowledge.

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Research paper thumbnail of Information and the gaining of understanding

It is suggested that, in addition to data, information and knowledge, the information sciences sh... more It is suggested that, in addition to data, information and knowledge, the information sciences should focus on understanding, understood as a higher-order knowledge, with coherent and explanatory potential. The limited ways in which understanding has been addressed in the design of information systems, in studies of information behaviour, in formulations of information literacy and in impact studies are briefly reviewed, and future prospects considered. The paper is an extended version of a keynote presentation given at the i 3 conference in June 2015.

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Research paper thumbnail of Research and practice revisited

Journal of Documentation, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond20101Rebecca S. Kornegay, Heidi E. Buchanan, and Hildegard B. Morgan. Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond . Chicago: American Library Association 2009. xii+142 pp., ISBN: 978‐0‐8389‐0990‐4

Journal of Documentation, 2010

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Research paper thumbnail of Online retrieval history: how it all began – an introduction

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of Benoît Mandelbrot and the self-similarity of information

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of iPads, blogs and the information future

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of The mapping of science and the information sciences

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of Imagination, exciting mixes and the improvement of information research

Journal of Documentation, 2013

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Research paper thumbnail of Supporting truth and promoting understanding: knowledge organization and the curation of the infosphere

This is a slightly updated version of a keynote address given at the Fifteenth International ISKO... more This is a slightly updated version of a keynote address given at the Fifteenth International ISKO Conference, Porto, 9th July 2018. This paper considers the response of knowledge organisation (KO) to a variety of problems and pathologies associated with the post-factual, or post-truth, society. It argues that there are no quick fixes, but that KO has several roles to play in mitigating these problems, particularly in the promotion of understanding, as well as the communication of information and the sharing of knowledge. Borrowing from Floridi's Philosophy of Information, it argues that KO, and more broadly library and information science (LIS), should address these problems as part of our role as 'curators of the infosphere'.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Digital libraries: to meet or manage user expectations

Aslib Proceedings, 2006

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Education and training for digital librarians: a Slovenia/UK comparison

Aslib Proceedings, 2005

Purpose – To determine and compare approaches to the education and training of librarians for wor... more Purpose – To determine and compare approaches to the education and training of librarians for work in digital libraries. More precisely, to identify – in general terms, rather than specifically – the important competencies required by information professionals in creating and ...

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Research paper thumbnail of Are we effective? How would we know?: Approaches to the evaluation of library services in Lithuania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom

New Library World, 2005

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Research paper thumbnail of Information retrieval curricula; contexts and perspectives

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Substructural analysis techniques for structure - property correlation within computerised chemical information systems

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge and value. A new perspective on corporate transformation S Wilstrom and R Norman (eds) Routledge London (1994) 149 pp, £10.99 paperback ISBN 0 415 09818 1

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Library and information science and digital humanities: two disciplines, joint future

The relationship between the disciplines of library and information science and of digital humani... more The relationship between the disciplines of library and information science and of digital humanities is analysed, in terms of common topics, issues and perspectives. A model to integrate the two, based on the components of the communication chain of recorded information is proposed. It is suggested that a partial integration of the disciplines, to the extent that their concerns are reflected by this model, would be positive for the future of both. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of the relationship between the disciplines of library and information science (LIS) and of digital humanities (DH). It is evident that there are close links in several respects, but the rationale for, and nature of, such links and synergies is unclear. We attempt here to use a simple model to clarify one aspect of the relations between the two disciplines, and to suggest how this may affect the future development of both. Although firmly rooted in literature sources, the analysis is selective rather than comprehensive.

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Research paper thumbnail of Information's Magic Numbers: The Numerology of Library and Information Science

Chapter in Theories of Information and Scholarly Communication, CR Sugimoto (ed.), de Gruyter, B... more Chapter in Theories of Information and Scholarly Communication, CR Sugimoto (ed.), de Gruyter, Berlin, 2016, pp. 180-196. Reviews significant numbers and numerical relationships in the information sciences.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Storing the Wisdom: Chemical Concepts and Chemoinformatics

The purpose of the paper is to examine the nature of chemical concepts, and the ways in which the... more The purpose of the paper is to examine the nature of chemical concepts, and the ways in which they are applied in chemoinformatics systems. An account of concepts in philosophy and in the information sciences leads to an analysis of chemical concepts, and their representation. The way in which concepts are applied in systems for information retrieval and for structure–property correlation are reviewed, and some issues noted. Attention is focused on the basic concepts or substance, reaction and property, on the organising concepts of chemical structure, structural similarity, periodicity, and on more specific concepts, including two-and three-dimensional structural patterns, reaction types, and property concepts. It is concluded that chemical concepts, despite (or perhaps because of) their vague and mutable nature, have considerable and continuing value in chemoinformatics, and that an increased formal treatment of concepts may have value in the future.

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Research paper thumbnail of Aslib: A de facto national library/information organization

The history of Aslib, an independent library/information membership organization in the United Ki... more The history of Aslib, an independent library/information membership organization in the United Kingdom between 1924 and 2014, is outlined, with emphasis on the ways in which Aslib acted as a de facto national centre for special librarianship and information work, for documentation, and for technical and commercial information. Its activities in this respect included publishing, training and professional development, research and consultancy, and the maintenance of national collections and indexes. Aslib was also an official national centre for several purposes, generally associated with information retrieval and dissemination.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of The noblest pleasure: Theories of understanding in information science

A style of theory construction for information science is presented, which emphasizes understandi... more A style of theory construction for information science is presented, which emphasizes understanding and explanation, through qualitative conceptual analysis. Regarding information science as a field of study with a focus on all aspects of information, it has the aim of developing ways of understanding information, and concepts related to information, necessarily incorporating insights from numerous disciplines and forms of knowledge.

Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact

Research paper thumbnail of Information and the gaining of understanding

It is suggested that, in addition to data, information and knowledge, the information sciences sh... more It is suggested that, in addition to data, information and knowledge, the information sciences should focus on understanding, understood as a higher-order knowledge, with coherent and explanatory potential. The limited ways in which understanding has been addressed in the design of information systems, in studies of information behaviour, in formulations of information literacy and in impact studies are briefly reviewed, and future prospects considered. The paper is an extended version of a keynote presentation given at the i 3 conference in June 2015.

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Research paper thumbnail of Research and practice revisited

Journal of Documentation, 2015

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Research paper thumbnail of Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond20101Rebecca S. Kornegay, Heidi E. Buchanan, and Hildegard B. Morgan. Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond . Chicago: American Library Association 2009. xii+142 pp., ISBN: 978‐0‐8389‐0990‐4

Journal of Documentation, 2010

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Research paper thumbnail of Online retrieval history: how it all began – an introduction

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of Benoît Mandelbrot and the self-similarity of information

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of iPads, blogs and the information future

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of The mapping of science and the information sciences

Journal of Documentation, 2011

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Research paper thumbnail of Imagination, exciting mixes and the improvement of information research

Journal of Documentation, 2013

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