A discipline independent definition of information

✍ Scribed by Losee, Robert M.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 133 KB
• Volume: 48
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0002-8231
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-4571(199703)48:3<254::aid-asi6>3.0.co;2-w

✦ Synopsis

Information may be defined as the characteristics of the the more general definition encompasses all the phenomoutput of a process, these being informative about the ena of interest to the field that is covered by the fieldprocess and the input. This discipline independent defispecific definition and is consistent with the field-specific nition may be applied to all domains, from physics to definition. A more general definition allows frameworks, epistemology. Hierarchies of processes, linked together, theories, and results to be transferred across disciplinary provide a communication channel between each of the corresponding functions and layers in the hierarchies. boundaries, and provides for dialogue across these bound-Models of communication (Shannon), perception, obaries, while at the same time allowing individual disciservation, belief, and knowledge are suggested that are plines to focus on the specific information phenomena of consistent with this conceptual framework of informatheir discipline. Unfortunately, people in different fields tion as the value of the output of any process in a hierarand professions differ on what information is or how to chy of processes. Misinformation and errors are considered.