Information Discovery in Ambiguous Zones of Research

Electronic environments for information discovery are considered in relation to open-ended and dynamic research practices in the humanities, but a system suitable for these scholars would have many other applications as well. Considerations of flexible electronic environments that would support research are based on the holistic view of information processes and the requirements that information systems enable connections, as well as the trustworthiness and authenticity of information. The proposed electronic environment consists of flexible networks of connections between information of different granularity. Strong and weak information paths are established through use, which contributes to the development and informational value of the system. Organizational support, as well as new forms of information provision and services, are required to enable novel approaches to information discovery and research. Research practices in the humanities have been a challenge for information systems. Scholars’ unpredictable and dynamic research paths, the use of a variety of materials in any form and from any period, and particularly the subject matter of their work—human lives, artifacts, imagination, and creativity—remain elusive for any information system to capture. This article considers the possibility of developing an electronic environment that would enable information discovery in the humanities, but any system that is suitable for these scholars would have other academic and general applications. Considerations of possible electronic environments in this paper are based on findings from the literature and from a study into the roles of Information Discovery in Ambiguous Zones of Research