1532-2890/asset/olbannerleft.gif?v=1&s=d833098325c9f1060bcbee51adf276c155608167)
1532-2890/asset/olbannercenter.gif?v=1&s=661179918edb4fa732edfd3408eb050a6ce87809)
1532-2890/asset/olbannerright.gif?v=1&s=1ef8a363944134c502cbffa1937878a71b4cc635)
Research Article
Information as ontologization
Article first published online: 3 AUG 2011
DOI: 10.1002/asi.21615
© 2011 ASIS&T
Issue
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
Volume 62, Issue 11, pages 2236–2246, November 2011
Additional Information
How to Cite
Saab, D. J. and Riss, U. V. (2011), Information as ontologization. J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci., 62: 2236–2246. doi: 10.1002/asi.21615
Publication History
- Issue published online: 14 OCT 2011
- Article first published online: 3 AUG 2011
- Manuscript Accepted: 23 JUN 2011
- Manuscript Revised: 22 JUN 2011
- Manuscript Received: 23 NOV 2010
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
Abstract
The traditional view of data, information, and knowledge as a hierarchy fosters an understanding of information as an independent entity with objective meaning—that while information is tied to data and knowledge, its existence is not dependent upon them. While traditional conceptions assume a static nature of information, expressed by the equation information = data + meaning, we have argued that this understanding is based on an ontologization of an entwined process of sense making and meaning making. This process starts from the recognition of a pattern that is interpreted in a way that influences our behavior. At the same time, the process character of meaning making makes us aware of the fact that this ontologized hierarchy is in fact an interwoven process. We conclude that the phenomenological analysis of this ontologization that makes into being data, information, and knowledge has to go back to this process to reveal the essential underlying dependencies.