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Library and Information Science in Context: the development of scientific fields, and their relations to professional contexts

Åström, Fredrik LU orcid (2004) The Nordic-International Colloquium on Social and Cultural Awareness and Responsibility in Library, Information and Documentation Studies (SCARLID) p.1-27
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how theories of social and intellectual development of scientific fields can be used to analyze LIS, and especially its relationship to other research areas and the library and information

field of practice. Scientific fields can be seen as reputational work organizations, where degrees of task uncertainty and mutual dependency control the coordination and direction of the fields through allocation of rewards.

Through the concepts of reputational autonomy, control over resources, and structure of audiences, four aspects of scientific work have been identified as a basis for an empirical analysis of LIS: definitions of the field, institutional structure, research work, and... (More)
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how theories of social and intellectual development of scientific fields can be used to analyze LIS, and especially its relationship to other research areas and the library and information

field of practice. Scientific fields can be seen as reputational work organizations, where degrees of task uncertainty and mutual dependency control the coordination and direction of the fields through allocation of rewards.

Through the concepts of reputational autonomy, control over resources, and structure of audiences, four aspects of scientific work have been identified as a basis for an empirical analysis of LIS: definitions of the field, institutional structure, research work, and communication structures. The preliminary analysis shows large mutual dependency between LIS research and the field of practice, while LIS in the context of Academia is dependent on other

fields of research, but is still relatively isolated. The results of the paper indicate that the theories proposed are useful tools for analyzing contextual factors in the development of fields of research. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Science studies, Organization of research fields, Library and information science
host publication
Aware and Responsible: Papers of the Nordic-International Colloquium on Social and Cultural Awareness and Responsibility in Library, Information and Documentation Studies (SCARLID)
editor
Rayward, W. Boyd
pages
1 - 27
publisher
Scarecrow Press
conference name
The Nordic-International Colloquium on Social and Cultural Awareness and Responsibility in Library, Information and Documentation Studies (SCARLID)
conference location
University of Oulu, Finland
conference dates
2001-12-13 - 2001-12-14
ISBN
0810849542
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
2f843e80-cb32-47a8-aa53-a41927e668c6 (old id 579268)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:25:07
date last changed
2019-10-01 02:19:37
@inproceedings{2f843e80-cb32-47a8-aa53-a41927e668c6,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this paper is to discuss how theories of social and intellectual development of scientific fields can be used to analyze LIS, and especially its relationship to other research areas and the library and information<br/><br>
field of practice. Scientific fields can be seen as reputational work organizations, where degrees of task uncertainty and mutual dependency control the coordination and direction of the fields through allocation of rewards.<br/><br>
Through the concepts of reputational autonomy, control over resources, and structure of audiences, four aspects of scientific work have been identified as a basis for an empirical analysis of LIS: definitions of the field, institutional structure, research work, and communication structures. The preliminary analysis shows large mutual dependency between LIS research and the field of practice, while LIS in the context of Academia is dependent on other<br/><br>
fields of research, but is still relatively isolated. The results of the paper indicate that the theories proposed are useful tools for analyzing contextual factors in the development of fields of research.}},
  author       = {{Åström, Fredrik}},
  booktitle    = {{Aware and Responsible: Papers of the Nordic-International Colloquium on Social and Cultural Awareness and Responsibility in Library, Information and Documentation Studies (SCARLID)}},
  editor       = {{Rayward, W. Boyd}},
  isbn         = {{0810849542}},
  keywords     = {{Science studies; Organization of research fields; Library and information science}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--27}},
  publisher    = {{Scarecrow Press}},
  title        = {{Library and Information Science in Context: the development of scientific fields, and their relations to professional contexts}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5534306/579269.pdf}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}