Information is the key element in the process of knowing and being in the world. However, it has multifaceted characteristics and there is no consensus about its meaning. The opacity of the concept can only be overcome by the definition attributed to it within each context of use. This means that the meaning of the word information in Natural Sciences differs from the understanding of information in Exact Ciences or Humanities and Social Sciences.
Claude Shannon's warning concerning the concept of information in his Mathematical theory of Communication and information theory, restricted to the accuracy and efficiency of the transmission of signals in telecommunication, is well known. In his view, there is no need for concern with the construction of meaning.
The appropriation of the concept by Information Science, since it deals with information among human beings, implies discussing subjectivity and language. In other words, the production of knowledge in the field of Information Science in contemporary approaches deals with the symbolic dimension of information in order to ensure its flow, reception and appropriation by different social segments. The concept is further limited by the idea of heterogeneity of subjects involved in the flow.
This concept encourages a plurality of research on informational means, be them museums, libraries, archives, information repositories and informational objects. Research studies that focus on information, in the sense briefly described above, are published by TransInformação, a scientific journal that celebrates 26 years of continuous publication in 2015. TransInformação adopts the principle of free access, understanding that knowledge produced in the scientific realm should be widely available.
That said, the Editorial Team of TransInformação reaffirms its commitment to contribute to studies in the field of Information Science through the publication of highly qualified scientific studies that somehow provide reflections on the multifaceted concept of information.
Rogério Eduardo Rodrigues Bazi
Nair Yumiko Kobashi
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
Jan-Apr 2015
