Handbook of Information Science by Wolfgang G.Stock, and MechtildStock. Berlin, Germany, de Gruyter Saur, 2013. 901 pp. $210.00. (hardcover). (ISBN: 978‐3‐11‐023500‐5).
这是一本901页的信息科学手册，涵盖信息检索与知识表示两大领域，面向学生、学者和实践者，提供系统性的概念、方法和文献综述。
By implication and expectation, handbooks are hefty. At 901 pages, sturdily bound, this one certainly is. “Information, knowledge, documents, and their users are research objects of Information Science, which is the science as well as technology dealing with the representation and retrieval of information—including the environment of said information (society, a certain enterprise, or an individual user, amongst others). … This Handbook focuses on the fundamental disciplines of information science, namely, information retrieval, knowledge representation, and informetrics.” “Information Science studies the representation, storage and supply as well as the search for and retrieval of relevant (predominantly digital) documents and knowledge (including environment of information).” Certainly, a quarrel could be made of these definitions of information science, and by implication even more so of the conception of inclusions and exclusions that follow, but, then, as important as they are, definitions by themselves do not make any field. However, definitions are to be expected in a handbook. This Handbook did not disappoint: numerous other definitions of a range of concepts are included in various parts of the book. Overall, the Handbook is well organized. Chapters (called parts) are consistently and well laid out. Each part starts with a discussion of the given research area, followed by a selection of important results and ending with conclusions, neatly summarizing main points and findings. Histories of concepts and efforts are included. Each part also has a full bibliography. No large, unified bibliography is provided at the end; yes, it would be long, but it would be nice to have everything in one place. However, a detailed, good index of names helps, and so does an excellent subject index. The last part (Part Q. Glossary and Indexes) has a wide-ranging glossary and lists of abbreviations, tables, figures, and mentioned indexes. This part is comprehensive, at 71 pages, making searching, finding, and navigation easy. In addition to the Introduction, The Handbook has two major sections: Information Retrieval and Knowledge Representation (they are not labeled generically, so I am calling them sections). Information Retrieval covers seven parts: Propaedeutics of Information Retrieval (basic topics); Boolean Retrieval Systems; Classic Retrieval Models; Web Information Retrieval; Special Problems in Information Retrieval; and Empirical Investigations on Information Retrieval. The Knowledge Representation Section covers eight parts: Propadeutics of Knowledge Representation; Metadata; Folksonomies; Knowledge Organization Systems; Text Oriented Knowledge Organization Methods; Indexing; Summarization; and Empirical Investigation on Knowledge Organization. This table of content also shows the way in which the authors divided or grouped the field of information science. Of course, any field can be grouped in different ways, but this grouping is a bit unorthodox; similar organization cannot be found in standard information science texts and journals. The working definition by the authors, cited above, uses description of relevant documents and knowledge as being (in their words) “predominantly digital.” In fact, the book covers many concepts and constructs that are not digital at all, as in Metadata (part J); Knowledge Organization Systems (part L); Indexing (part N), and others. This brings us to a division of the field. Over the years, information science has branched out and then split into two distinct areas of concentration: one that concentrates more on systems aspects and algorithms and the other that concentrates more on users and use. Research and education efforts of the former are associated with computer science and the latter with library science. They differ considerably. A while ago, they cooperated and communicated well; nowadays they do not. They are almost completely separated. The Handbook covers both orientations but is much more oriented toward the system than the user end of information science. Still, members interested either in the computer end or in the library end of information science will find plenty to explore and learn. By definition, a handbook is a guide that is kept constantly at hand for consultation. This book can certainly serve this function quite well. Different parts and subparts can be consulted independently of each other. The authors did not shy away from their own interpretations and evaluations. Conclusions from each part can also be read on their own. The bibliography of different parts is selective, covering major contributions. The primary audiences for this Handbook are students, scholars, and practitioners in information science, computer science, and library science as well as those in any field interested in information. In fact, one can pick and choose almost at random and learn, confirm, or refresh something. Or argue back. Overall, in its depth, this is an impressive book. Quite evidently, a great deal of effort was taken to put it together. But a larger question for all handbooks in any field looms: in this day and age, with information of all kinds widely accessible online, are printed handbooks becoming superfluous? Or even an anachronism? Probably not, but the case is harder and harder to make.