Information handling : concepts which emerged in practical situations and are analysed cybernetically

• Main Author: Hibbs, Genevieve Mary
• Other Authors: Stewart, D. J. ; Elstob, M.
• Published: Brunel University 1990
• Subjects: 020; Information science & librarianship
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.278887

The thesis provides a cybernetics examination of information handling, and concepts that emerged during attempts to fulfil large information handling requirements. Case studies, descriptions of commonplace realities, are seen to have common themes which if fully appreciated would help information handling: information recovery: a distinct concept demanding consideration in the design of information systems; batching and classification; paying detailed attention to 'insignificant' processes resulting in unexpected effectiveness and efficiency; unaccounted, unobserved losses; Theoretic themes developed include: success of batching / classifying information for each need, a critical factor for success of organisations and organisms; dynamic, interactive information pathways and classification systems as algorithms, flow charts or heuristic methods to enable efficient batching; 'leakage' of information, attrition on a grand scale, proves to be the converse of successful batching / classification; a notion of robustness of information is explored. Logical networks of concepts act similarly to neural networks in providing stability for increased retrieval; 'asnegsist' as good as if it didn't exist', and the 'way in;' to information systems are explored; information recovery assisted by findings on perception and interpretation from readability research; 'way in': a subset of 'design' dealing with access to systems. Further research and developments are proposed.