scholarly journals What is Information? Toward a Theory of Information as Objective and Veridical

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mingers ◽  
Craig Standing

Information systems are a strong and ever-growing discipline of enormous relevance to today's informated world, and yet, as recent reviews have shown, there is still not an agreed and explicit conceptualization or definition of information. After an evaluative review of a range of theories of information, this paper develops and defends a particular theory, one that sees information as both objective and veridical. By objective, we mean that the information carried by signs and messages exists independently of its receivers or observers. The information carried by a sign exists even if the sign is not actually observed. By veridical, we mean that information must be true or correct in order to be information – information is truth-constituted. False information is not information, but misinformation or disinformation. The paper develops this theory and then discusses four contentious issues – information as objective rather than subjective; information as true or correct; information and knowledge; and information and the ambiguity of meaning. It concludes with a discussion of the practical implications of the theory.

Author(s):  
H. Treiblmaier

In recent years a plethora of scholarly literature from the marketing and the information systems (IS) domain has dealt with the phenomenon of relationships. While during the pre-computer era relationships always implied a social dimension, modern technology tries to mimic this interaction process by learning about customers’ needs and addressing them individually. Interestingly, the central definition of a relationship remains vague in both marketing and IS. Finding the major constituents, therefore, could shed light on the question of whether technology actually could replace “social interactions.” In this chapter, we show how relationships are defined in scholarly literature. Subsequently, consumers define what they perceive to be the crucial attributes of a relationship in general and with an online organization. The results indicate that the notion of relationship has to be redefined for online communication and interaction and offer practical implications for designing the interaction process with online users.


Author(s):  
Andreas Opdahl ◽  
Brian Henderson-Sellers

The chapter reviews and augments a previously proposed template for defining enterprise and information systems (IS) modelling constructs. The purpose of the template is to provide clear and precise definitions of modelling constructs in a common format and, thereby, to facilitate intra- and inter-language integration. The template is based on the Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW) model of information systems and has been used on several existing modelling languages and frameworks. It is defined by a meta-model expressed as a UML class diagram. The purpose of this chapter is to clarify the template further by formalising the meta-model through semi-formal constraints expressed in the object constraint language (OCL) and by populating the meta-model with definitions of example constructs from the UML version 1.4. The purpose is to make the template easier to understand, to validate it, to pave the way for stronger tool support for the template and to further our work on providing a complete template-based definition of the UML.


Author(s):  
Antonio Badia

Though informal, the concept of business rule is very important to the modeling and definition of information systems. Business rules are used to express many different aspects of the representation, manipulation and processing of data (Paton, 1999). However, perhaps due to its informal nature, business rules have been the subject of a limited body of research in academia. There is little agreement on the exact definition of business rule, on how to capture business rules in requirements specification (the most common conceptual models, entity-relationship and UML, have no proviso for capturing business rules), and, if captured at all, on how to express rules in database systems. Usually, business rules are implemented as triggers in relational databases. However, the concept of business rule is more versatile and may require the use of other tools.


2020 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 03059
Author(s):  
Hasan Abu Ezza ◽  
Anna.V. Shokhnekh ◽  
Victoria S. Telyatnikova ◽  
Natalia S. Mushketova

The article provides a refined definition of “information system for business” as a coordinated set of material, non-material and human re-sourses components that is used to implement a set of procedures of form¬ing an information resource as a quality product that meets the needs of ex¬ternal and internal users. According to the study, information technologies play a key role in the modern business environment. Many economic enti¬ties carry out their economical activities exclusively bye using communica¬tion-digital networks and functional software which provide the infor-mation necessary for effective business management. Resently, it has been proven that the communication and information technologies have become an integral part of any modern information systems, since they increase the level of business competitiveness during use the operational management information on time.These information technologies ensure the work’s continuity of information systems for a long period of time with the possi¬bility of quick adaptation of the business to the digital transformation’s conditions, which reduce the formation’s cost of information resources.The role of such components of information technology as software, databases and computer networks, which, in turn, are key components of high-quality information systems, is disclosed.


2009 ◽  
pp. 1442-1455
Author(s):  
Horst Treiblmaier

In recent years a plethora of scholarly literature from the marketing and the information systems (IS) domain has dealt with the phenomenon of relationships. While during the precomputer era relationships always implied a social dimension, modern technology tries to mimic this interaction process by learning about customers’ needs and addressing them individually. Interestingly, the central definition of a relationship remains vague in both marketing and IS. Finding the major constituents, therefore, could shed light on the question of whether technology actually could replace “social interactions.” In this chapter, we show how relationships are defined in scholarly literature. Subsequently, consumers define what they perceive to be the crucial attributes of a relationship in general and with an online organization. The results indicate that the notion of relationship has to be redefined for online communication and interaction and offer practical implications for designing the interaction process with online users.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 10-12

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Clear definition of goals and extensive analysis of both internal and external environments are among the issues managers should focus on when developing information systems (IS) in the logistics sector. Effective collaboration between executives involved can likewise positively affect strategic planning and help improve customer service enhance supply chain efficiency. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


Author(s):  
Mark Burgin

The information age is upon us and the main paradox is that there is no satisfactory and commonly accepted answer to the crucial question what information is. This results in a quantity of contradictions, misconceptions, and paradoxes related to the world of information. We consider the existing situation in information studies, which is very paradoxical and inconsistent, in the first part of this paper. To remedy the situation, a new approach in information theory, which is called the general theory of information, is developed. The main achievement of the general theory of information is explication of a relevant and adequate definition of information. This theory is built on an axiomatic base as a system of two classes of principles and their consequences. The first class consists of the ontological principles, which are revealing general properties and regularities of information and its functioning. Principles from the second class explain how to measure information.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uyiosa Omoregie

Misinformation propagation in its current form is a global problem that requires urgent solutions. Historically, instances of misinformation publicly propagated can be found as far back as the sixth century AD.Scholars and researchers have generally settled for a definition of ‘information disorder’ that reveals three variants: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. What should be of paramount importance, in the fight against information disorders, is the potential of false information to cause harm. The ‘harm principle’ was proposed by the British philosopher John Stuart Mill in 1859 and needs an upgrade for the social media age. One such upgrade is proposed by Cass Sunstein.


Author(s):  
Mark Burgin

The information age is upon us and the main paradox is that there is no satisfactory and commonly accepted answer to the crucial question what information is. This results in a quantity of contradictions, misconceptions, and paradoxes related to the world of information. We consider the existing situation in information studies, which is very paradoxical and inconsistent, in the first part of this paper. To remedy the situation, a new approach in information theory, which is called the general theory of information, is developed. The main achievement of the general theory of information is explication of a relevant and adequate definition of information. This theory is built on an axiomatic base as a system of two classes of principles and their consequences. The first class consists of the ontological principles, which are revealing general properties and regularities of information and its functioning. Principles from the second class explain how to measure information.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document