Introduction to the Topic - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 7

the dissemination of information is happening a thousandfold, as smart phones
provide access to the Internet and an individual has an audience worldwide.
Intended Audience
The intended audience is library and information professionals and students,
as well as educated adult readers with an interest in the social implications of the
digital age. This audience includes librarians in all types of settings, information
specialists of all types, the research community, educators, information workers in
public and private sector organizations, and policy makers. However, we also in-
tend these ideas for the general reader who wants to understand better the techno-
logy and information resources available in dizzying quantities, presenting a chal-
lenge to his or her understanding. The topic is of interest to undergraduate and
graduate students in information studies and sociology, especially the sociology of
knowledge.
Definition of Basic Terms
In this topic we frequently use the terms “information” and “knowledge,” words
that often are used interchangeably. It is important to distinguish the differences
between these terms, but to do so we must also look at the terms “data” and “wis-
dom” as we defined them in our earlier work, Introduction to the Library and In-
formation Professions (Greer, Grover, and Fowler 2013). We base our definitions
on Harlan Cleveland's important topic The Knowledge Executive (1985).
Data
Data are the rough materials from which information and knowledge are
formed; that is, undigested observations, or unvarnished facts, as Cleveland calls
them (1985, 22). For example, researchers collect data from interviews, observa-
tions, surveys, and other means in order to analyze it for research purposes. Re-
searchers are not the only people who collect data on a regular basis; all of us
are bombarded with data all the time. To make sense of this barrage, data must
be synthesized. Data may take the form of words, numbers, or visual images. By
themselves, data make no sense. For example, these data alone have no meaning
unless placed in a context, as noted below: red, 4, 2, and 8.
Information