What is it about?
This paper looks at how the words we use to talk about information can mislead us. We say that books contain information, information flows, and search engines find information. These phrases are useful, but they can hide important differences. A book is not relevant all by itself. Something in it becomes relevant when it matters to a person. A search engine can find a document, but that does not mean anyone has learned anything from it. The paper argues that instead of treating information as a thing, we should pay more attention to informing: what happens when a person encounters something that changes what they know or understand.
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Why is it important?
The words we use shape how we think. When we treat information as something that can be stored, moved, or delivered, we may overlook the person who must make sense of it. This matters because finding or sharing information is not the same as informing someone. Understanding the difference can help us design better search engines, AI systems, and other tools that support human understanding.
Perspectives
This paper grew out of my frustration with the way we talk about information as though it were a thing that can be stored, moved, or delivered. Working with Michael Buckland gave me the opportunity to explore how this language developed and why it matters. I particularly enjoyed tracing how ideas borrowed from engineering became accepted ways of explaining human understanding. I hope the paper encourages readers to question familiar language and reconsider assumptions we often take for granted.
William D Senn
Tarleton State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: On information science theory, Journal of Documentation, September 2026, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/jd-07-2026-0451.
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