Is it possible informatics as a unified general-disciplinary science?
Authors:   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Volkova Violetta N. , Loginova Aleksandra V. ,   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Leonova Alla E. ,   JSC “Research Center for Electronic Computer Engineering” (NICEVT), Chernyy Yuri Yu. ,   Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: October 2023

The article sets the task of analyzing existing research related to the information support of decision-making processes carried out by different authors in different periods of informatics and other information sciences’ development. The reviewed studies were initiated by various reasons and were carried out almost independently from each other. The authors of the article hope that the combination of these studies in one article will lead to the effect of emergence and will allow to set the task of creating a unified general-disciplinary science of information. The origins of the term “informatics” are considered, which have been arising independently; including F. E. Temnikov’s informatics as a complex science of information elements, information processes and information systems; informatics of A. I. Mikhailov – A. I. Сhernyj – R. S. Gilyarevskij as a science of scientific and technical information; informatics for secondary education of A. P. Ershov and its development into a type of informatics, called computing science in foreign works. It is stated that at present the original term introduced into the scientific literature by F. E. Temnikov has turned into the name of science of technical means and technologies for working with information, and while information is the basis for understanding and predicting the development of all spheres of human life and society, the theory of automated information and control systems and complexes’ design as well as the theory of scientific and technical information have been developing; there are studies focused on the formation of information science as a general discipline (e. g., Informetriya (Informetrics) of V. I. Gor’kova, Systemantics proposed by Yu. I. Shemakin). The conclusion is drawn about the need to rethink the essence and role of informatics, perhaps introducing a new term (for example, “applied informatics” which was preferred by the founder of the journal “Applied Informatics” A. A. Emelyanov). It could also be useful to consider the definition of informatics introduced by F. E. Temnikov, who divided the informatics into three strata “information elements – information processes – information systems”. In such a stratified structure, it will be possible to find a place for various concepts and types of informatics. It is also useful to rethink the concept of F. E. Temnikov that includes “systematics”, “informatics” and “intellectics”; F. E. Temnikov introduced the idea of the informatics’ development as the basis for intellectual processes and systems. The realization of this idea can be facilitated by the information theory of A. A. Denisov. An important contribution to the creation of the foundations for integrated information science was made by A. A. Emelyanov, who was one of the first to connect informatics with systems theory and computer simulation, developed the Actor Pilgrim simulation system, created the journal “Applied Informatics”, which discusses the problems of computing science development. The analysis of different publications allows the authors of this article to make a conclusion that the integral interdisciplinary science of information can be called “applied informatics”.