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1.3: Modes of Information Generation: Observation, Thought Process, Experimentation, Processing of Data, Event, Evolution, & Dream.

BLIS-201: Information and Communication.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Modes of Information Generation
3. Conclusion
4. References

1. Introduction:

In the vast field of Library and Information Sciences, understanding the different modes of information generation is essential for students to acquire a comprehensive grasp of knowledge acquisition and dissemination. This introduction provides a concise overview of the key modes of information generation: Observation, Thought Process, Experimentation, Processing of Data, Event, Evolution, and Dream. Observation involves the careful and systematic gathering of information by actively observing phenomena, events, or objects using our senses. It allows us to record and analyze data obtained from our surroundings.
The Thought Process refers to the cognitive activities involved in reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. It encompasses various mental processes such as perception, memory, judgment, and critical thinking.Experimentation is a systematic and controlled method of generating information. By manipulating variables, researchers observe and analyze the effects, contributing to scientific and social science research.Processing of Data involves transforming, organizing, and analyzing raw data to extract meaningful information. Techniques such as data cleaning, modeling, statistical analysis, and visualization are employed to make sense of the collected data.
Events, both planned and unplanned, provide valuable information that contributes to the knowledge base. Analyzing and understanding events in various fields, such as politics, economics, culture, or technology, adds depth to information generation.Evolution refers to the gradual development, transformation, or adaptation of concepts, systems, or practices over time. Studying the evolution of ideas, technologies, and approaches provides insights into the changing landscape of information generation.Dreams, though often considered subconscious, serve as a unique mode of generating information. They can stimulate creativity, offer insights, and provide an alternative perspective on problems or topics.

2. Modes of Information Generation:

2.1. Observation: Observation is the process of gathering information by carefully watching and noting phenomena, events, or objects using our senses. It involves paying attention to details, recording observations systematically, and analyzing the data obtained. By the word 'observation' here, we mean not only seeing with our eyes but also hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling with our skin. We can gather information about the sky, such as whether it is sunny, cloudy, or hazy, by simply looking at it. Many times, an ornithologist can identify a bird solely by hearing its call. Chemists often recognize chemical substances, like phenol, by their smell. Our tongue provides us with information about the taste of a substance, and a simple touch by our hand can determine whether something is hot, cold, or warm.
Observation can be considered the most powerful method of gathering information. Charles Darwin spent years observing nature to gather information that would establish the theory of evolution. Astronomers worldwide have collected information by observing celestial bodies for centuries, initially with naked eyes and later with telescopes. Similarly, microbiologists have acquired information about various microbes by observing them through microscopes. When investigating an accident, theft, or similar incidents, a police officer must carefully observe every detail of the scene. During an experiment, scientists must closely observe changes in temperature, pressure, color, etc., and accurately record those changes. Doctors must regularly observe a patient's condition to determine whether it is improving or deteriorating. Therefore, in every aspect of life, observation is a prerequisite for generating information.Examples: (a) In a library setting, librarians observe users' behavior and preferences to enhance the user experience and optimize library services. (b) Researchers use observational studies to understand the behavior of specific user groups in information-seeking scenarios.

2.2. Thought Process: Thought process refers to the mental activities involved in reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. It encompasses cognitive processes such as perception, memory, judgment, and critical thinking. The thought process is fundamental to the generation of information. Whether it involves observation, experimentation, or data collection, the thought process plays a crucial role in generating information. Throughout history, humans have witnessed solar and lunar eclipses and attempted to understand their underlying causes with their limited knowledge, resulting in the generation of information. Ancients observed that during an eclipse, the sun or moon appeared to be gradually swallowed by something and then emerged again. Consequently, ancient Hindus reasoned that the beheaded Rahu swallowed the celestial body during an eclipse, which then passed through its cutout throat. Given the level of knowledge at that time, this reasoning was logical. However, after centuries of observation and reasoning, we now know the actual cause of eclipses. The information generated through observation, experimentation, reasoning, and other methods may not always be entirely accurate and can be subject to correction at a later date. In Arthur Conan Doyle's novels, both Dr. John Watson and Mr. Sherlock Holmes visited crime scenes together. However, it was always Sherlock Holmes' superior thought process that was able to identify the culprit.
The process of deliberation is encountered in various settings, such as households, offices, organizations, and institutions. When students in the twelfth grade prepare for multiple entrance tests, qualifying in more than one test requires extensive deliberation by the students and their parents to determine the course of study the student will pursue. Once the final decision is made and communicated to others, information is generated. Similarly, before announcing the dates of a general election, the Election Commission (EC) must consider various factors, including weather conditions (often avoiding the rainy season), school and college examinations (as they are used for polling booths), availability of security personnel, dates suggested by political parties, and more. After deliberating on all these factors, when the EC announces its decision, information is generated. In a parliament or legislative assembly, decisions are made after extensive debates, resulting in the generation of substantial amounts of information.
Various professionals rely on imagination and visualization in their work. An artist envisions the artwork they are about to create, a chemical engineer mentally constructs the chemical plant they are going to install, and an architect visualizes the building within the canvas of their mind. Once the artwork is completed or the blueprints of the chemical plant or building are ready and handed over to the relevant individuals, information is generated.Examples: (a) Information professionals employ their thought process to evaluate and analyze the quality and relevance of information sources before including them in library collections. (b) Researchers utilize their thought process to develop research questions, formulate hypotheses, and interpret data.

2.3 Experimentation: Experimentation involves the systematic and controlled manipulation of variables to observe and analyze their effects. It is a key mode of generating information in scientific and social science research. If we explore abstracting and indexing services dedicated to various scientific disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, engineering, agriculture, and others, we will discover that approximately two million articles are added to these databases annually. The majority of these articles are derived from experimentation. This alone illustrates the significant amount of information generated each year through experimentation. It is important to note, however, that experimentation is always accompanied by observation and the thinking process. The outcomes of experimentation typically manifest in the form of research papers, short communications, patents, and similar outputs.Examples: (a) In the field of information retrieval, researchers conduct experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of different search algorithms or user interfaces. (b) Library and information scientists may conduct experiments to assess the impact of certain interventions, such as changes in library layout or information literacy programs.

2.4 Processing of Data: Processing of data refers to the transformation, organization, and analysis of raw data to extract meaningful information. It involves various techniques, including data cleaning, data modeling, statistical analysis, and data visualization. Examples: (a) Data processing techniques are used to analyze user logs in digital libraries, enabling librarians to understand user behavior patterns and improve service delivery. (b) Researchers process survey data to derive statistical measures and draw conclusions for their studies.

2.5 Event: Events are occurrences or incidents that provide valuable information and contribute to the knowledge base. Events can be planned or unplanned and may encompass various fields, such as politics, economics, culture, or technology. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines an event as "a thing that happens or takes place" (Pearsall, Judy, 1999). Numerous examples illustrate the breadth of events that occur in various domains. A scholar releasing a book, an artist inaugurating an exhibition, a philosopher explaining the concept of time, a saint giving a discourse on religious matters, a political leader campaigning for votes, legislators engaging in debates in a parliament, a lawyer delivering a judgment, the prime minister of a country taking an oath of office—these are all examples of significant events. Meanwhile, events can also encompass occurrences like a war erupting in a specific region, a patient succumbing to neglect in a hospital, a new train being inaugurated by a minister, a collision between two buses resulting in deaths and injuries, a terrorist hijacking a plane, the appearance of a comet in the sky, a physicist bombarding an atom with alpha particles, a chemist conducting an experiment to create a new material, a geologist drilling a borehole to prospect for petroleum deposits, a paleontologist discovering the skeleton of a dinosaur, a geneticist developing a high-yielding variety of rice, an inventor filing a patent application, a surgeon performing an open heart surgery, a director filming a new movie, countless sports and games taking place worldwide on a daily basis, and adventurers embarking on conquering a mountain peak. These diverse examples illustrate the wide range of events that occur in our world.Examples: (a) The introduction of a new library management system can be considered an event that generates information about the effectiveness and efficiency of library operations. (b) Information professionals closely monitor major conferences and symposiums in their field to gather new insights and stay updated with the latest developments.

2.6 Evolution: Evolution refers to the gradual development, transformation, or adaptation of concepts, systems, or practices over time. It involves analyzing historical trends and understanding the factors that drive change. Around 100,000 years ago, humans began communicating through speech [Odham's Colour Library of Knowledge: Language and Communication, 1968]. During those early days of human civilization, the vocabulary of a particular race was quite limited, consisting only of words necessary to express their ideas. However, as they invented new devices and encountered unfamiliar objects, they started naming them to facilitate easy identification. This process led to the expansion and enrichment of vocabulary. When they migrated from one area to another, they encountered numerous new things like trees, animals, fruits, and tubers, which they also named.
Throughout their endless journey, they sometimes encountered alien races, resulting in either conflict or friendship. In order to exchange ideas with these different races, the need for interpretation arose. The origins of the art of interpretation remain mysterious, but it is clear that the need for interpretation also gave rise to the need for linguistic information. This involved understanding how particular objects were referred to in the language of the alien race. In simple terms, they needed information about equivalent terms in the language of the alien race.
The process of vocabulary development in languages is both fascinating and mind-boggling. Occasionally, words have traveled across centuries from one language to another, retaining their original form. For example, the word "ginger," originating from a now-extinct Middle Indian language, made its way from India to Europe through the Middle East. Remarkably, the word has maintained its original form in twenty-four languages worldwide. In many cases, words have undergone slight changes as they travel from one language to another. Examples: (a) The evolution of digital libraries from traditional print-based collections to online repositories represents a significant shift in information access and management.(b) Studying the evolution of information retrieval techniques helps researchers understand the advancements and challenges in the field.

2.7 Dream: Dreams represent a unique and often subconscious mode of generating information. Dreams can stimulate creativity, provide insights, or offer a different perspective on a problem or topic. Dreaming is a common experience for every human being. We remember some dreams while others slip away from our memory. When we recall and share a dream with others or record it in our diary, information is generated.
Psychologists gain valuable insights into a patient's subconscious mind through the interpretation of dreams. Sometimes, dreams offer the necessary information or clues to solve a problem. A notable example involves Kekule, an organic chemist, who struggled to determine the structural formula of benzene for a considerable period. Despite repeated failures, he found inspiration in a dream one night. In his dream, he saw six snakes forming a ring by biting each other's tails. This vivid dream provided him with the crucial information or clue that the structural formula of benzene would have a ring-like shape. Examples: (a) Writers and poets often draw inspiration from their dreams, using them as a source of imaginative ideas and narratives. (b) Researchers studying the cognitive processes of the human mind may explore the role of dreams in memory consolidation and information processing.

3. Conclusion:

In conclusion, Observation, Thought Process, Experimentation, Processing of Data, Event, Evolution, and Dream are diverse approaches that contribute to the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. By understanding and harnessing these modes, students can develop a well-rounded perspective on information generation, enabling them to make informed decisions and contribute effectively to the field. The subsequent sections of this study material will delve deeper into each mode, providing comprehensive definitions, examples, and highlighting their relevance in the realm of Library and Information Sciences.

4. References:

Abrahams, M. (2004). Weird Science Discoveries that will make you laugh, then make you Think. Readers Digest, (June), 129.
Britannica Book of the Year 1988. (1988). London: Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 136.
Cane, P. (1961). Giants of Science (Pyramid ed.). New York: Pyramid Books, 276.
Odhams Colour Library of Knowledge: Language and Communication. (1968). London: Odham Books, 17.
Odhams Colour Library of Knowledge: Language and Communication. (1968). P54.
Odhams Colour Library of Knowledge: Religion and Philosophy. (n.d.). P83.
Pearsall, J. (Ed.). (1999). The Concise Oxford Dictionary (Indian ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 493.
Szymanski, R. A., et al. (1994). Computers and Information Systems. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
The New International Webster’s Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language. (1996). Deluxe Encyclopaedic ed. Naples, FL: Trident Press International.

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