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question-answering systems, fact retrieval systems, and otheradvanced types of information systems which must 'understand1
to some extent the information they manipulate.
In thereceived taxonomy, the shallow and deep ends of information
science correspond (more or less) to theoretical bases fordesigning 'reference retrieval' and 'data retrieval' systems
respectively.
If the swimming-pool characterization of information
science is accepted, a case can be made that the 'shallow'
part of the science is largely an application and elaborationof decision theory.
To maximize the collective utility toits users of a literature search system, one must first define'utility'; one must next find ways of predicting the probabilities of certain future events; and finally one must
somehow put the utility and probability predictions together
and come up with design decisions.
Classical decision theory stands available as the currently received logic for how
to do these kinds of things.
The 'deep' regions of information science involve utility and probability considerations
too, but now these emerge as just two of the elements of afar more extensive theory which is partly linguistic, partly
logical, in character.
Logical considerations are becoming
more prominent in the work of some descriptive linguists, and
it is reasonable to expect that the study of logical inferencesamong linguistic expressions will eventually be seen as central
to 'deep' information science.
It has been demonstrated manytimes over that systems of deductive and inductive inference
are indispensable to the design of most advanced information
systems, and if the inferences are to take place in richlanguages, the essentially logico-linguistic nature of theunderlying theory becomes clear.

M. Kochen'What kind of sceince is information science?'
My brief
answer to that question is that it is meta-science, or thescience of science.
It should not be forced into the existing typology of science, though it draws heavily on both the67.

social sciences and the sciences of the artificial (engineering) .

It may well intersect strongly with the life sciences

and the physical sciences as well.
science as well.

It is a mathematical

I will try to substantiate and illustratesome of these points and to shed some light on specificissues that motivate the concern about the kind of science
it is.

Information science as an emerging discipline
K. Samuelson

The emerging nature of information science is explained
through the impact of knowledge growth, telecommunication,
computer technology and new media.
The paper gives an analysis of the other disciplines and scientific fields fromwhich certain paradigms have been lifted to form a true science of information.
It appears to be a trans-science anda constitutive outcome with derivatives of general systems
research and cybernetics with epistemological frames of reference.
The gist of information science stems from pragmatism and a need for measurement and evaluation of sufficient
observable or controllable phenomena.
A formalization ispresented which includes the majority of related subjects
and activities such as: classification, management systems,
networks, library operations, information storage, retrieval
and dissemination, organizing, recycling and cost assessment.
The overall approach of the presentation is based on ten
years experience of running and improving an interdisciplinary university program in information science and a fiveyear evaluation of the graduatesf work activities and professional career.

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