Several authors on this and
similar theme have defined the term “information” differently. Others who took
its definition in their writings for granted did so probably because they felt
the term is too common and indeed too familiar to warrant such a need. This is
however contrary to the position of many authors who have found that defining
the term information is not after all, as simple and straight forward as some
have thought. Aguolu (1989) underscores this “semantic and conceptual
difficulties”, as there are many approaches/dimensions to doing this. Not only
can it be referring to “information systems or to objective and cognitive
documentary information”, it also has “time and other situation dimensions
since its value was contingent upon its timely availability.
similar theme have defined the term “information” differently. Others who took
its definition in their writings for granted did so probably because they felt
the term is too common and indeed too familiar to warrant such a need. This is
however contrary to the position of many authors who have found that defining
the term information is not after all, as simple and straight forward as some
have thought. Aguolu (1989) underscores this “semantic and conceptual
difficulties”, as there are many approaches/dimensions to doing this. Not only
can it be referring to “information systems or to objective and cognitive
documentary information”, it also has “time and other situation dimensions
since its value was contingent upon its timely availability.
Thus, Burch and Grundnitiski
(1989) view information as “data that have been put into meaningful and useful
context and communicated to a recipient who uses it to make decision”. Daniel
(1989) uses a broader approach in her definition of information when she views
it as “knowledge used in its generic sense irrespective of the source, format,
mode or transfer medium”. The New Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language
(1992) refers to it simply as knowledge obtained by search, study, etc. In his
rather simplistic attempt at coming up with a definition, Pinniston (1980)
categorizes information as ranging “from articles in technical publications to
verbal reports of informal meetings and from news items in daily or trade newspapers
to patent specifications”.
(1989) view information as “data that have been put into meaningful and useful
context and communicated to a recipient who uses it to make decision”. Daniel
(1989) uses a broader approach in her definition of information when she views
it as “knowledge used in its generic sense irrespective of the source, format,
mode or transfer medium”. The New Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language
(1992) refers to it simply as knowledge obtained by search, study, etc. In his
rather simplistic attempt at coming up with a definition, Pinniston (1980)
categorizes information as ranging “from articles in technical publications to
verbal reports of informal meetings and from news items in daily or trade newspapers
to patent specifications”.
In a similar effort, Aguolu
(1989) puts forward an understanding of information from two perspectives
namely: the viewpoint of its contents-intellectual essence and that of its
processing and transfer. That is, the means by which it is produced, published,
organized, stored, retrieved and communicated. Thus the signal, stimulus, or
whatever message of human experience that is communicated purposely to elicit a
response… due to its response potential can be referred to as information. In
other words, the term information has come to be regarded as the communication
of knowledge.
(1989) puts forward an understanding of information from two perspectives
namely: the viewpoint of its contents-intellectual essence and that of its
processing and transfer. That is, the means by which it is produced, published,
organized, stored, retrieved and communicated. Thus the signal, stimulus, or
whatever message of human experience that is communicated purposely to elicit a
response… due to its response potential can be referred to as information. In
other words, the term information has come to be regarded as the communication
of knowledge.