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355

Titel / Title Information science in the German Democratic Republic
Author / Autor Stock, W. G.
Source / Quelle Journal of Documentation, 80(7), 287-305. DOI (open access): https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-03-2024-0058
Language / Sprache English/Englisch

Abstract:

Purpose – The article aims to give an overview of the history and the achieved status of information science in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) with an emphasis on the organisation of information science and practice in the GDR and on theoretical foundations of information science.

Design/methodology/approach – Primarily, this article is based upon critical literature studies especially upon German-language books and journal articles, but the empirical basis includes also some unpublished sources (e.g., letters from information scientists from the GDR).

Findings – There are interesting results concerning the roots of information science in cybernetics, philosophy, and in the practical area of documentation. The naming of this knowledge field as “informatics”, “informatics of science”, or “information and documentation science” is partly very distinct from Western conceptions. We found different theoretical foundations for information science including the approaches of Bonitz, Engelbert, Koblitz as well as Groß and Fuchs-Kittowski. In the GDR, information science and information practice was centralised, but, through the information system science and technology, consistently accessible on all levels of professional work. With German reunification, the information practice and its institutions as well as GDR’s information science efforts disappeared.

Originality – This is the first overview article on the state and entire development of information science in the GDR.

Research limitations/implications – The article gives hints on the importance on and the survival of some GDR approaches in contemporary information science, but those developments should be analysed in much more detail.

Keywords: Information science, German Democratic Republic (GDR), Informatics, Information and documentation science, Information practice, Organisation of information activities

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