Information Cosmopolitics: An Actor-Network Theory Approach to Information Practices (Chandos Information Professional Series)

Information Cosmopolitics explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts of these interactions. This book is also a resounding critique of existing theories and methods as well as the launching point for the proposition of an alternate approach. Dominant approaches in the Information Behaviour (IB) field are investigated, as well as questions existing theoretical approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The concept of information cosmopolitics is introduced as an approach for tracing information practices and enabling research participants to perform their own narratives and positionings, and that the focus of information studies should be on tracing the continuous circulation of processes of individualisation and collectivization. Provide an alternative to the dominant approaches in the field of Information Behaviour Offers a novel theoretical model to trace information practices Questions existing approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism

Information Cosmopolitics explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts of these interactions. This book is also a resounding critique of existing theories and methods as well as the launching point for the proposition of an alternate approach. Dominant approaches in the Information Behaviour (IB) field are investigated, as well as questions existing theoretical approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The concept of information cosmopolitics is introduced as an approach for tracing information practices and enabling research participants to perform their own narratives and positionings, and that the focus of information studies should be on tracing the continuous circulation of processes of individualisation and collectivization.

• Provide an alternative to the dominant approaches in the field of Information Behaviour
• Offers a novel theoretical model to trace information practices
• Questions existing approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism

__Information Cosmopolitics__ explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts of these interactions. This book is also a resounding critique of existing theories and methods as well as the launching point for the proposition of an alternate approach. Dominant approaches in the Information Behaviour (IB) field are investigated, as well as questions existing theoretical approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The concept of information cosmopolitics is introduced as an approach for tracing information practices and enabling research participants to perform their own narratives and positionings, and that the focus of information studies should be on tracing the continuous circulation of processes of individualisation and collectivization. Content: Front-matter, Pages i-iii Copyright, Page iv List of figures and tables, Page vii About the author, Page ix Foreword, Pages xi-xiii Acknowledgements, Page xv 1 - Introduction, Pages 1-12 2 - Theory and practice: Jumping between different frames of references, Pages 13-34 3 - Actor-network theory: An alternative approach, Pages 35-57 4 - Setting up the fieldwork, Pages 59-76 5 - The fieldwork, Pages 77-107 6 - Some patterns in participants’ information practices, Pages 109-119 7 - Information cosmopolitics: A model of information practices, Pages 121-138 8 - Propositions instead of conclusions: Yet another invitation to perplexity, Pages 139-145 References, Pages 147-162 Index, Pages 163-166