A phenomenological scheme for information organization

Article image links broken in source html at http://InformationR.net/ir/24-4/colis/colis1938.html.Introduction. The organization of information and knowledge is one of the essential concerns of librarianship and information studies. To say that the organization of information is challenging is a truism, and the discipline has been attempting that challenge for centuries. This paper explores the nature of this challenge and makes suggestions for addressing it. Analysis. Recent attempts to conceive of organization represent advances in the idea of enhancing the ability of seekers to retrieve information. For example, the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) and Resource Description and Analysis (RDA) are efforts aimed at replacing former standards and guidelines for cataloging informational objects and helping users gain access to the objects. FRBR and RDA represent altered ways of thinking about the description of objects, and one purpose is the identification of works and instantiations of works. Conclusions. The proposed paper will build upon Smith's ideas, in which entropy inheres, to suggest a naturalistic design for organization (one that incorporates cultural objects and subjects of intentional activity).Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu