Conceptions of information science

Abstract The field of information science is constantly changing. Therefore, information scientists are required to regularly review—and if necessary—redefine its fundamental building blocks. This article is one of four articles that documents the results of the Critical Delphi study conducted in 2003–2005. The study, “Knowledge Map of Information Science,” was aimed at exploring the foundations of information science. The international panel was composed of 57 leading scholars from 16 countries who represent nearly all the major subfields and important aspects of the field. In this study, the author documents 50 definitions of information science, maps the major theoretical issues relevant to the formulation of a systematic conception, formulates six different conceptions of the field, and discusses their implications.