Data, Information, Knowledge and Wisdom
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Data | Raw, unprocessed facts and symbols with no inherent meaning on their own |
| Information | Data that has been organised, structured, or given context so it answers a question |
| Knowledge | Information internalised through experience and reflection, enabling understanding and action |
| Wisdom | The applied judgement to use knowledge appropriately, considering values and long-term consequences |
Information Life Cycle
Information passes through four broad stages: Generation (creation by an author/researcher/organisation), Collection (gathering and organising by libraries, archives, and information centres), Storage (preservation in physical or digital repositories), and Dissemination (making it accessible to users through services, publications, or networks).
Role of Information in Development
Information is a critical input to planning and management (evidence-based decisions), socio-economic development (market and policy information), cultural development (preserving and transmitting heritage), educational development (curriculum and research support), and technological development (R&D and innovation diffusion).
Information Science, Information Society and Knowledge Society
An interdisciplinary field studying the properties, behaviour, generation, and use of information, drawing on library science, computer science, communication, cognitive science, and management.
| Information Society | Knowledge Society |
|---|---|
| A society where the creation, distribution, and use of information is a dominant economic and social activity, enabled heavily by ICT | A step beyond — where information is internalised into knowledge that drives innovation, learning, and inclusive human development, not merely its circulation |
Communication: Concept, Types, Theories, Models, Channels, Barriers
Communication in the LIS context follows the same sender–message–channel–receiver–feedback model seen generally, but with special emphasis on scholarly communication — the system by which research is created, evaluated, disseminated, and preserved.
Trends in scholarly communication
- Shift from print journals to Open Access publishing (Gold, Green, Diamond OA routes).
- Growth of preprint servers (arXiv, bioRxiv) for rapid dissemination ahead of peer review.
- Rise of institutional and subject repositories for self-archiving.
- Emergence of altmetrics alongside traditional citation-based impact measures.
- Growing role of preregistration and open peer review to improve transparency.
Information Industry: Generators, Providers, Intermediaries
| Role | Examples |
|---|---|
| Generators | Researchers, authors, publishers, government bodies who originate information |
| Providers | Publishers, database vendors, aggregators who package and supply it |
| Intermediaries | Libraries, information centres, and information professionals who mediate access between providers and end users |
IPR and Legal Issues; Plagiarism
Categories of IPR
- Copyright — protects original literary, artistic, and musical works.
- Patent — protects inventions with novelty, utility, and non-obviousness.
- Trademark — protects distinctive signs/names identifying goods or services.
- Geographical Indication — protects goods originating from a specific region with qualities attributable to that origin.
Conventions and treaties
Key international instruments include the Berne Convention (copyright), the Paris Convention (industrial property), and the TRIPS Agreement (WTO's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights).
Plagiarism: concept and types
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work, words, or ideas as one's own without proper acknowledgement.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Direct/Verbatim | Copying text word-for-word without citation |
| Paraphrasing plagiarism | Rewording another's ideas without attribution |
| Self-plagiarism | Reusing one's own previously published work without disclosure |
| Mosaic/Patchwork | Piecing together phrases from multiple sources without proper citation |
RTI Act, IT Act, and National Initiatives
- Right to Information Act, 2005 — empowers citizens to seek information from public authorities, promoting transparency and accountability.
- Information Technology Act, 2000 — India's principal law governing electronic governance, digital signatures, and cybercrime.
- National Knowledge Commission (2005–2009) — an advisory body that recommended reforms across education, libraries, and knowledge institutions.
- National Mission on Libraries — launched to modernise public libraries, create a National Virtual Library, and support library development nationwide.