Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges of designing a
research framework to explore interdisciplinarity and its role in the theory
building of the Information Field. In 2005, the iSchools, a crossinstitutional
and cross-disciplinary initiative, created the term Information
Field which the newly formed iSchools Caucus defined as: ”an academic
field of study and a professional career field that deals with all the issues,
opportunities, and challenges we face in our emerging Information Age.…
The iField addresses this fundamental issue: how do we harness that
incredible flow of information for the betterment of society, rather than get
swamped by it?” The iSchools recognize that pressing problems of
information access, use, storage, and exploitation in our world are beyond
the purview of one single discipline, and they promote an interdisciplinary
approach to understanding the opportunities and challenges of information
management. However, discussions of what this interdisciplinary point of
departure means in practice or for theory building are scarce, and to a
limited extent, informed by the literature on Interdisciplinarity. This paper
presents the first steps of a research design (a full-day workshop
“Interdisciplinary Practices in iSchools”, and a survey) and discusses 1)
how the next steps of the research may be designed to elicit fruitful
empirical data on actual and emergent interdisciplinary practices in the
Information Field and 2) how Interdisciplinary Studies may contribute to
more informed and reflective practices in the Information Field?
research framework to explore interdisciplinarity and its role in the theory
building of the Information Field. In 2005, the iSchools, a crossinstitutional
and cross-disciplinary initiative, created the term Information
Field which the newly formed iSchools Caucus defined as: ”an academic
field of study and a professional career field that deals with all the issues,
opportunities, and challenges we face in our emerging Information Age.…
The iField addresses this fundamental issue: how do we harness that
incredible flow of information for the betterment of society, rather than get
swamped by it?” The iSchools recognize that pressing problems of
information access, use, storage, and exploitation in our world are beyond
the purview of one single discipline, and they promote an interdisciplinary
approach to understanding the opportunities and challenges of information
management. However, discussions of what this interdisciplinary point of
departure means in practice or for theory building are scarce, and to a
limited extent, informed by the literature on Interdisciplinarity. This paper
presents the first steps of a research design (a full-day workshop
“Interdisciplinary Practices in iSchools”, and a survey) and discusses 1)
how the next steps of the research may be designed to elicit fruitful
empirical data on actual and emergent interdisciplinary practices in the
Information Field and 2) how Interdisciplinary Studies may contribute to
more informed and reflective practices in the Information Field?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 2014 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Event | 36 th Annual Meeting of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies: Interdisciplinary Public Problems, the Global Community, and Diversity - Michigan State University, East Lansing, United States Duration: 15 Oct 2014 → 19 Oct 2014 Conference number: 36 |
Conference
| Conference | 36 th Annual Meeting of the Association for Interdisciplinary Studies |
|---|---|
| Number | 36 |
| Location | Michigan State University |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | East Lansing |
| Period | 15/10/2014 → 19/10/2014 |