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THE

BRITISH

LIBRARY

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

FINAL REPORT

on
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH FORUM IN INFORMATION SCIENCE: THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF INFORMATION SCIENCE 29 July - 2 August, 1975 compiled by B.C. VICKERY, S.E. ROBERTSON & N.J. BELKIN REPORT NO. 533»- 5~1 iZ

ORGANIZED BY: School of Library, Archive & Information Studies University College London

2,

K E Y W O R D S

Development of information science Formalisms of information science Informatics Information science Nature of information science Phenomena of information science Theories of information science

C O N T E N T S

Introduction A personal note: B.C. Brookes

Needs identified by the Forum Schedule of the Forum

INTRODUCTORY PAPER The purpose of the Forum B.C. Brookes

THE KEYNOTE PAPERS The phenomena of interest to information science G. Wersig and U. Neveling What kind of science should information science be? B.C. Griffith Hospitable formalisms R.A. Fairthorne

ABSTRACTS OF CONTRIBUTED PAPERS 30 July: N.J. Belkin & S.E. Robertson R.T. Bottle M. Dembowska W. Goffman S. Ceccato W.S. Cooper M. Kochen K. Samuelson

31 July:

Page

1

August:

M.H. Heine F.F. Leimkuhler M.F. Lynch E. Wilkinson

68 68 69 69

REPORTS OF REPORTING GROUPS Phenomena: Kind of Science: Formalisms: S.E. Robertson M. Kochen J.M. Griffiths

70 71 71 75 77 78

Implications for research: V. Horsnell Implications for curriculum develoDment:

N.J. Belkin

CONCLUDING PAPER Review and synthesis: B.C. Brookes

80 81

APPENDIX List of participants

90 91