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Dissertation Information for Christopher Fox

NAME:
- Christopher Fox

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Syracuse University (USA) (1982)

ADVISORS:
- Leigh Stewart Estabrook

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Inspected

Title: ON INFORMATION

Abstract: Information science lacks an adequate characterization of the notions of information, misinformation, informing, and misinforming, despite the obvious importance of these notions for the foundations of the field. The methods of contemporary analytic philosophy are brought to bear in taking the first steps to remedy this deficiency.

Attention first focuses on the ontological character of information. It is established that information cannot be spatio-temporal in character, and that it cannot be sentence types. On the basis of various "propositional" features of information, it is argued that information must be propositions.

Discussion then turns to informing and misinforming. After preliminary consideration of these notions, an extensive investigation of the connection between informing, misinforming, and truth is carried out, relying heavily on findings from Linguistics regarding so-called "factive" terms. It is concluded that X may inform Y that p regardless of the truth-value of p, but that X may misinform Y that p only if p is false.

Similar consideration is given to the relationships between informing and believing, informing and the reliability of informants, and informing and being in a position to know. Only the latter proves to be of importance in the analysis of informing, it being concluded that X may inform Y that p only if X is in a position to know that p.

These conclusions about informing and misinforming are extended into parallel conclusions regarding information and misinformation. The investigation culminates in an analysis of information obtained by combining the findings about information generated throughout the essay.


MPACT Scores for Christopher Fox

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:11:43

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Students under Christopher Fox

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None