Pictorial metaphors for information. Issue 5 (12th September 2016)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Pictorial metaphors for information. Issue 5 (12th September 2016)
- Main Title:
- Pictorial metaphors for information
- Authors:
- Hartel, Jenna
Savolainen, Reijo - Abstract:
- Abstract : Purpose: Arts-informed, visual research was conducted to document the pictorial metaphors that appear among original drawings of information. The purpose of this paper is to report the diversity of these pictorial metaphors, delineate their formal qualities as drawings, and provide a fresh perspective on the concept of information. Design/methodology/approach: The project utilized pre-existing iSquare drawings of information that were produced by iSchool graduate students during a draw-and-write activity. From a data set of 417 images, 125 of the strongest pictorial metaphors were identified and subjected to cognitive metaphor theory. Findings: Overwhelmingly, the favored source domain for envisioning information was nature. The most common pictorial metaphors were: Earth, web, tree, light bulb, box, cloud, and fishing/mining, and each brings different qualities of information into focus. The drawings were often canonical versions of objects in the world, leading to arrays of pictorial metaphors marked by their similarity. Research limitations/implications: Less than 30 percent of the data set qualified as pictorial metaphors, making them a minority strategy for representing information as an image. The process to identify and interpret pictorial metaphors was highly subjective. The arts-informed methodology generated tensions between artistic and social scientific paradigms. Practical implications: The pictorial metaphors for information can enhance informationAbstract : Purpose: Arts-informed, visual research was conducted to document the pictorial metaphors that appear among original drawings of information. The purpose of this paper is to report the diversity of these pictorial metaphors, delineate their formal qualities as drawings, and provide a fresh perspective on the concept of information. Design/methodology/approach: The project utilized pre-existing iSquare drawings of information that were produced by iSchool graduate students during a draw-and-write activity. From a data set of 417 images, 125 of the strongest pictorial metaphors were identified and subjected to cognitive metaphor theory. Findings: Overwhelmingly, the favored source domain for envisioning information was nature. The most common pictorial metaphors were: Earth, web, tree, light bulb, box, cloud, and fishing/mining, and each brings different qualities of information into focus. The drawings were often canonical versions of objects in the world, leading to arrays of pictorial metaphors marked by their similarity. Research limitations/implications: Less than 30 percent of the data set qualified as pictorial metaphors, making them a minority strategy for representing information as an image. The process to identify and interpret pictorial metaphors was highly subjective. The arts-informed methodology generated tensions between artistic and social scientific paradigms. Practical implications: The pictorial metaphors for information can enhance information science education and fortify professional identity among information professionals. Originality/value: This is the first arts-informed, visual study of information that utilizes cognitive metaphor theory to explore the nature of information. It strengthens a sense of history, humanity, nature, and beauty in our understanding of information today, and contributes to metaphor research at large. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Journal of documentation. Volume 72:Issue 5(2016)
- Journal:
- Journal of documentation
- Issue:
- Volume 72:Issue 5(2016)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 72, Issue 5 (2016)
- Year:
- 2016
- Volume:
- 72
- Issue:
- 5
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2016-0072-0005-0000
- Page Start:
- 794
- Page End:
- 812
- Publication Date:
- 2016-09-12
- Subjects:
- Information theory -- Information -- Metaphor analysis -- iSquare -- Visual research -- Visualization of information
Documentation -- Periodicals
Library science -- Periodicals
025 - Journal URLs:
- http://firstsearch.oclc.org ↗
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0022-0418 ↗
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1108/JD-07-2015-0080 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0022-0418
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4970.000000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 2629.xml