# information science

> field primarily concerned with the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information

**Wikidata**: [Q16387](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16387)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_science)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/information-science

## Summary  
Information science is the academic discipline primarily concerned with the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information. It intersects with fields like library science, informatics, and data management, focusing on optimizing how information is organized and accessed. The field emerged as a distinct discipline in the mid-20th century, with roots in documentation science and information theory.

## Key Facts  
- **Parent Fields**: Includes library science, information management, archival science, and informetrics.  
- **Inception**: Informatics, a closely related field, was established in 1957.  
- **GND ID**: 4128313-2 (categorized under "Informations- und Dokumentationswissenschaft").  
- **UNESCO Thesaurus ID**: Concept455 ("Information sciences").  
- **Dewey Decimal Classification**: 000 (Generalities).  
- **Practiced By**: Information scientists, metadata librarians, and archivists.  
- **Mesh Descriptor ID**: D007254 ("Information Science").  
- **Subclass Of**: Science.  
- **Different From**: Informatics, communication theory, and information theory.  

## FAQs  
### Q: What is the difference between information science and library science?  
A: Information science broadly studies information systems and processes, while library science focuses specifically on managing and organizing information within libraries.  

### Q: How does information science relate to data science?  
A: Information science provides foundational theories for organizing and retrieving information, while data science applies computational methods to analyze large datasets.  

### Q: What are some applications of information science?  
A: It is used in digital libraries, information retrieval systems, metadata standards, and archival preservation.  

## Why It Matters  
Information science is foundational to modern knowledge management, enabling efficient access to vast amounts of data across industries. It addresses challenges like information overload ("information famine") by developing systems for categorization, storage, and retrieval. The discipline supports fields like legal informatics, geographic information systems, and computational biology, ensuring structured and accessible information. Its principles underpin technologies like search engines, databases, and digital archives, making it critical in an increasingly data-driven world.  

## Notable For  
- **Interdisciplinary Reach**: Bridges gaps between library science, computer science, and cognitive psychology.  
- **Quantitative Focus**: Includes subfields like informetrics, which studies quantitative aspects of information.  
- **Global Standards**: Contributes to metadata schemas and classification systems used worldwide.  

## Body  
### Core Disciplines  
- **Library Science**: Application of practices for organizing library collections.  
- **Archival Science**: Focuses on preserving and managing historical records.  
- **Informatics**: Computational systems for data storage and retrieval (founded in 1957).  

### Related Fields  
- **Legal Informatics**: Applies information science to legal systems.  
- **Geographic Information Science**: Studies techniques for capturing spatial data.  

### Identifiers  
- **Fast ID**: 972640  
- **NALT ID**: 17411  
- **BNCF Thesaurus ID**: 10660 ("Scienze dell'informazione")  

### Characteristics  
- **Practiced By**: Information professionals, including metadata librarians.  
- **UNESCO Classification**: Falls under "Information sciences."  

## Schema Markup  
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Information science",
  "description": "Field primarily concerned with the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q166142",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_science"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Academic discipline"
}

## References

1. [Source](http://bby.itbf.marmara.edu.tr)
2. UNESCO Thesaurus
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Medical Subject Headings
5. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
6. UMLS 2023
7. Quora
8. FactGrid
9. National Library of Israel
10. KBpedia
11. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
12. Wikibase TDKIV