CITATION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Cite as: Neill, S. D. (1987). The dilemma of the subjective in information organisation and retrieval. Journal of Documentation, 43 (3), 193-211
© Journal of Documentation (1987)

ABSTRACT:
A discussion of the nature of information is undertaken by bringing together the views of Brenda Dervin and Karl Popper on subjectivity and objectivity as these relate to information use. It is shown that while they take different routes, they come to similar positions. From the historical development of information science, some work on the problem of information management is selected to show the relevance of the philosophical discussion to the practice. The overall purpose is to establish information as an existent with which librarians (I use the word 'librarian' to indicate the intermediary since the word 'intermediary' can carry the meaning 'human and or non-human'. Here we are concerned with the human problems) and information scientists work in a peculiar way, resulting in the acts of classification and indexing as applied information retrieval systems (or libraries). The nature of information and its relationship to human activities is seen to be fundamental to the practice and principles of the profession as well as the science.

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