TY - JOUR

T1 - Information as signs: A semiotic analysis of the information concept, determining it's ontological and epistemological commitments

AU - Thellefsen, Martin Muderspach

AU - Thellefsen, Torkild Leo

AU - Sørensen, Bent

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to formulate an analytical framework for the information concept based on the semiotic theory.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is motivated by the apparent controversy that still surrounds the information concept. Information, being a key concept within LIS, suffers from being anchored in various incompatible theories. The paper suggests that information is signs, and it demonstrates how the concept of information can be understood within C.S. Peirce’s phenomenologically rooted semiotic. Hence, from there, certain ontological conditions as well epistemological consequences of the information concept can be deduced.FindingsThe paper argues that an understanding of information, as either objective or subjective/discursive, leads to either objective reductionism and signal processing, that fails to explain how information becomes meaningful at all, or conversely, information is understood only relative to subjective/discursive intentions, agendas, etc. To overcome the limitations of defining information as either objective or subjective/discursive, a semiotic analysis shows that information understood as signs is consistently sensitive to both objective and subjective/discursive features of information. It is consequently argued that information as concept should be defined in relation to ontological conditions having certain epistemological consequences.Originality/valueThe paper presents an analytical framework, derived from semiotics, that adds to the developments of the philosophical dimensions of information within LIS.

AB - PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to formulate an analytical framework for the information concept based on the semiotic theory.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is motivated by the apparent controversy that still surrounds the information concept. Information, being a key concept within LIS, suffers from being anchored in various incompatible theories. The paper suggests that information is signs, and it demonstrates how the concept of information can be understood within C.S. Peirce’s phenomenologically rooted semiotic. Hence, from there, certain ontological conditions as well epistemological consequences of the information concept can be deduced.FindingsThe paper argues that an understanding of information, as either objective or subjective/discursive, leads to either objective reductionism and signal processing, that fails to explain how information becomes meaningful at all, or conversely, information is understood only relative to subjective/discursive intentions, agendas, etc. To overcome the limitations of defining information as either objective or subjective/discursive, a semiotic analysis shows that information understood as signs is consistently sensitive to both objective and subjective/discursive features of information. It is consequently argued that information as concept should be defined in relation to ontological conditions having certain epistemological consequences.Originality/valueThe paper presents an analytical framework, derived from semiotics, that adds to the developments of the philosophical dimensions of information within LIS.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Semiotics

KW - Ontology

KW - Epistemology

KW - Information concept

KW - Semiotics of information

U2 - 10.1108/JD-05-2017-0078

DO - 10.1108/JD-05-2017-0078

M3 - Journal article

VL - 74

SP - 372

EP - 382

JO - Journal of Documentation

JF - Journal of Documentation

SN - 0022-0418

IS - 2

ER -