Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
Home / When Describing Art What Do They Mean by Medium Format and Genre

When Describing Art What Do They Mean by Medium Format and Genre

Post a Comment
header
published quarterly past the university of borås, sweden

vol. 22 no. one, March, 2017
  • Contents |
  • Author index |
  • Subject field alphabetize |
  • Search |
  • Home

Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information science, Uppsala, Sweden, June 27-29, 2016

Genre, format and medium beyond the information professions

Tim Gorichanaz

Introduction. Convergence in the information professions has brought sure tensions to the fore. This motivates further research into fundamental disciplinary concepts, which tin can be approached through the study of vocabulary.
Method. A survey of diverse information professionals was conducted to explore their apply and understanding of genre, format and medium. Participants described multiple manifestations of textual, visual and auditory works according to these terms. Afterwards, participants gave their definitions of these terms, plus form and way.
Assay. Information were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively to address three research questions: What do these terms hateful to working data professionals? How are they used in dissimilar cases? Are these terms understood differently by dissimilar types of information professionals?
Results.The essential themes that narrate each term are discussed. While dissimilar professionals encounter different nuances in these concepts, the differences do not seem to be related to their field, supporting the notion of convergence in the data disciplines.
Conclusions. Tensions between inquiry and practice are reflected in unlike ways of arriving at and employing definitions. This study brings to light common essences that have been obscured by these tensions, opening the door to further enquiry that seeks to bridge enquiry & practice.

Introduction: convergence in the information disciplines

Libraries, archives and museums maintain unlike sorts of collections which are used by different constituents for different purposes, merely the structure of their activities is largely similar. This similarity was acknowledged in the literature past Hjerppe (1994), who coined the term 'retention institutions' in his discussion of the notion of a generalized document, perchance following the lead of White (1992), who characterized the object of information science equally 'external memory'. The shared vision of retentiveness institutions was articulated by Dempsey (1999) and has since been the subject of much discussion, such as Bates' (2015) integrative model of the information professions.

This convergence is not but terminological; rather, information technology is evidenced past numerous real-earth memory establishment mergers. For instance, Library and Archives Canada was created in 2004 from the previously distinct National Library and National Archives (Doucet, 2007). Given and McTavish (2010) note that this convergence may have resulted from the budgetary realities of shared staff and space every bit well as irresolute data practices in the digital age; in their view, it has too benefited from conceptual affinities amongst the information disciplines and their shared histories as organizations congenital around sharing noesis.

Springing, possibly, from this epistemological link among the memory institutions, the convergence in practice has been accompanied by convergence in theory. Consistent with Given and McTavish (2010), Buckland (2012) presents a unified conceptualization of information science as a research discipline. Indeed, this shared research agenda is reflected in recent efforts to rechristen the umbrella discipline of library and/or data science/studies, allonym documentation (among a slew of other contending names, discussed in Hjørland, 2014). Settling on a name for the discipline has proven difficult—and more of import than Juliet might take suggested ('What's in a proper name?'). For example, Hjørland (2000) discusses how the problems that arose in adopting the term information rather than the previously-preferred documentation reflect deep-seated, problematic assumptions. Furner (2015), too, criticizes the field's purported focus on the concept of data (and, moreover, status equally a 'science').

These tensions bespeak a demand for further clarity on key concepts in our subject field. The value of conceptual enquiry in our discipline is only offset to be widely acknowledged; our conceptual development still lags (Gorichanaz, 2015). In Buckland's (1999) view, conceptual limitations are revealed through issues in vocabulary. Day (2000) agrees that vocabulary is central to our subject, and that 'the limits and possibilities of vocabulary as a whole are little discussed' (p. 810). Thus investigations of vocabulary sally as one horizon for conceptual research in our subject. In the past few decades, some discussions effectually vocabulary have emerged, just these tend to focus on select terms, such as data and cognition; as Hjørland (2014) points out, any number of other important concepts remain unarticulated, and these 'basic concepts are not given' (Hjørland, 2014, p. 231, emphasis his).

In this newspaper, I seek to contribute to the conceptual basis of our subject area by exploring the terms genre, format and medium, also as form and style. To do so, I compare how these terms have been used by both researchers and practitioners in the literature. I and so present findings from a survey in which I asked data professionals in diverse fields to first operationalize and so conceptualize these terms to see how the terms are understood differently from field to field, ultimately with an center toward extracting their essences. These essences are then discussed. All in all, this focussed exploration serves to brand abstract concepts more concrete. I also find that, while dissimilar professionals do meet dissimilar nuances in these concepts, the differences are non related to their field, supporting the notion of convergence in the information disciplines.

In this piece of work, I hope to foster synergy betwixt enquiry and practice. Affinities notwithstanding, certain tensions have prevented potent integration betwixt research and do in our bailiwick. This is, perhaps, partly because of the cardinal difference betwixt context-bound, fast-paced and pragmatic practitioners and the broad-viewed, slow-moving and meditative world of enquiry. Fidel (2012, pp. 56–58) describes the mutual frustration of both camps as each effectively ignores the noesis gained past the other. In seeking conceptual clarity by taking into account the fashion practitioners apply certain concepts in their work, I promise to avoid perpetuating this behavior.

Literature review

The practicality of the conceptual

One task that data professionals regularly face is the description of objects (not necessarily physical) in their collections. This description is done chiefly in society to aid in retrieval. Many aspects of objects can be described, including both content and form. Zinkham, Cloud and Mayo (1989) argued for the utility of form headings such equally course and genre, which they defined through lists of examples, and called for their increased use and farther cooperation to ensure effective access to objects in collections. Since their writing, grade headings accept become more widely used, but problems remain. Caudle and Schmitz (2014), for instance, emphasize how new and complex certificate forms are unaddressed by existing cataloguing systems.

Retrieval is virtually effective when an institution uses a controlled vocabulary. In our clime of convergence, dreams of a universal vocabulary for all memory institutions have surfaced. These dreams have been most fully realized, arguably, in Machine Readable cataloguing (MARC), which is 'emerging as a new de facto international standard' (Bawden and Robinson, 2012, p. 109). Developing such a universal vocabulary for describing objects is challenging for a number of reasons, most importantly considering different constituents accept different needs: objects tin differ vastly in their characteristics (consider the differences between a digital book, an antique sculpture, a piece of music and a geological specimen); which characteristics are relevant for retrieval can too vary; and the needs of catalogers and audiences across time and space must besides exist taken into account.

Young and Mandelstam (2013) document the development of a controlled vocabulary with universal aspirations: the Library of Congress genre/grade terms thesaurus, which is intended for utilise by an immensely various audience for the description of moving images, sounds, maps, legal works, literature, music and religious objects. This account suggests that, fifty-fifty considering various audience and objects, convergence is possible. If, that is, the headings rest on solid conceptual footing. In developing the genre/course terms thesaurus, the Library of Congress plant conceptual work to be critical: 'Meaning decisions nigh the scope of the new thesaurus had to be made as headings were selected for inclusion' (Young and Mandelstam, 2013, p. eight). 'For case, the decision to exclude nationality and linguistic communication from the genre/form thesaurus was relatively easy once the definitions of genre and form were examined' (Young and Mandelstam, 2013, p. 9). In other words, applied breakthroughs can ascend from conceptual research.

Genre, format and medium: An exploratory disentanglement

Though considering definitions was effective in the development of the genre/form thesaurus, as discussed in a higher place, the employed definitions were non without their limitations. In this sense, the research conducted could have been more rigorous. The definitions used by the Library of Congress were fatigued from the extant guides Moving image materials: genre terms and Moving prototype genre–form guide.

  • Genre was understood as: 'any recognized category of fictional works which is characterized by recognizable conventions [and] contain[southward] conventions of narrational strategy and organizational structure, using similar themes, motifs, settings, situations, and characterizations' (Immature and Mandelstam, 2013, p. 8).
  • And grade: 'whatever recognized category of works characterized past a item format or purpose … and which are separate from its actual content, not necessarily implying a particular narrative structure' (Immature and Mandelstam, 2013, p. eight).

While these definitions were helpful in formulating the thesaurus, they heighten a number of questions when analysed: Why practise some conventions cohere into genres, while others do non, and how does this occur? What is meant past format? How does format differ from form? How tin 'purpose' be disentangled from 'narrative construction'? Moreover, these definitions practice not seem to assistance in the conveying of the essence of the concepts of genre and form; practitioners seem, as information technology were, encouraged to simply memorize their laundry list rather than internalize the underlying principles. In this way, the definitions have limited utility for complex and new types of objects, to echo Caudle and Schmitz (2014).

In search of the essences of these concepts, ane might refer to the scholarly literature. Genre, to start with, has preoccupied the pages of endless publications. Andersen (2008) reviews this literature as it relates to information studies, arguing for an understanding of genre as posited by Miller (1984), which sees genre not as a descriptor of an data object in isolation, but rather one that considers the production and consumption of that information.

This suggests an interplay between genre and course, though the nature of this interplay remains to be clarified. To this end, Yates and Orlikowski (1992) articulate a view of genre that subsumes both purpose (communicative intent and rhetorical features) and grade (readily observable features, such equally layout and medium). This supports the finding of Clark, Ruthven, Holt, Song and Watt (2014) that form (divers as layout and formatting) is the manner that genre is recognized in reading emails. Still, the interface between genre and form remains to be articulated with clarity. Indeed, Graham (2008) suggests that the complexity of the relationship betwixt mode, medium and genre is little-acknowledged.

hough the concept of genre, equally outlined higher up, has been much-discussed, it hinges on understandings of format and medium that are often left implicit. A deeper agreement of genre, then, requires a deeper understanding of format and medium.

The concept of format, it seems, is largely unexplored in the literature. A survey of academic publications using the term reveals that the term format is used primarily equally an ad-hoc differentiator without explicit definition (e.g., digital vs. physical, electronic vs. print), secondarily in phrases such as 'MARC formats,' and tertiarily every bit a vague manner to imply how something is represented. In the MARC 21 documentation, the only mention of format is in 'Format of Notated Music,' where it refers to the 'musical or concrete layout of the content' (Library of Congress, 2015b, para. i). A substantial word of the concept is found in Genette's (1997) Paratexts, where it is presented in relation to genre:

The well-nigh all-embracing aspect of the production of a book—and thus of the materialization of a text for public use—is doubtless the choice of format. Over time, the meaning of this discussion has changed in one case or twice. Originally information technology designates ii things: one is the manner in which a sheet of paper is or is not folded to terminate upward as the "leaves" of a book (or, in common parlance, as the book's pages, one recto-verso foliage naturally making two pages, even if one of the two remains blank); the other is the size of the original sheet itself, conventionally designated by a type of watermark (shell, Jesus, bunch of grapes, and and so forth). The way of folding thus did not by itself point the flat dimensions of a volume; merely information technology quickly became a autograph way of estimating them: a folio volume (folded one time, hence ii leaves, or four pages per sheet), or a quarto volume (folded twice, hence four leaves, or 8 pages per sheet) was a large book; an octavo volume (eight leaves [8vo]) was a medium book; and a duodecimo (12mo), a sextodecimo (16mo), or an octodecimo (18mo), a small book. In the classical period, "big formats" (quarto) were reserved for serious works (that is, works that were religious or philosophical rather than literary) or for prestige editions that enshrined a literary work. (Genette, 1997, p. 17)

Genette goes on to describe how, over fourth dimension, 'format' became less associated with standardized sizes and more approximate ones: best-sellers, for case, are printed in large format for advert purposes. This understanding of format as a measure of size, of course, does not accept into business relationship the lay agreement of format every bit arrangement (i.e., how 'format' is used in a word processor), which also seems to be encapsulated in the invocation of format in the above-cited definitions of genre and form. A satisfactory exploration of the concept of format, then, should incorporate both these senses.

Another word wrapped up with genre and of import in the description of objects is medium, which suffers the same problems as genre, form and format. MARC 21 includes a few mentions of medium/media:

  • 337 Media Type: 'Media type reflects the full general type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource' (Library of Congress, 2015a).
  • 340 Concrete Medium: 'Physical description information for an particular that requires technical equipment for its employ or an item that has special conservation or storage needs' (Library of Congress, 2011).
  • 382 Medium of Performance: 'For manifestations: the instrumental, vocal, and/or other medium of performance embodied in the manifestation. For works and expressions: the instrumental, vocal, and/or other medium of performance for which a musical piece of work was originally conceived or for which a musical expression is written or performed' (Library of Congress, 2015c).

Over again, these definitions do fiddling to convey the essence of the term medium. That is, what ties these dissimilar senses of medium together? Similarly, Graham (2008) exemplifies medium equally 'Net, estimator, Flash' (p. 87) only does not seem to engage conceptually with the notion of medium itself.

Inquiry Questions

The above give-and-take presents an opportunity to explore the essences of the concepts genre, format and medium as used in the information disciplines, specially in light of our contemporary (re)convergence—and with an heart toward bridging research and exercise.

To this terminate, the following research questions are explored in this study:

  • How are the terms genre, format and medium used in dissimilar cases?
  • Are the terms genre, format and medium understood differently by different types of information professionals?

Information collection

This research was conducted as an online survey hosted by SurveyMonkey, which was distributed to information professionals working at a number of various memory institutions in Philadelphia. These retention institutions included:

  • public, academic and special-collections libraries;
  • museums of art, local history, natural history, cultural history and medicine;
  • literary, historical, religious and scholarly archives;
  • gardens and arboreta;
  • historical societies.

Prospective participants were found on the public websites of the retentiveness institutions; those considered eligible had chore titles that included 'librarian,' 'archivist,' 'curator,' 'collections managing director,' etc. Two hundred prospective participants were contacted with a link to the online survey in Dec 2015. The survey remained open for two weeks, during which 1 reminder email was sent to those who had not even so participated. Eighty-three participants completed the survey.

The survey began with demographic questions regarding the participant'due south education and current role. Later that, the participants were asked to consider a number of items (presented equally textual descriptions) and then describe the genre, format and medium of those items in open text areas. Items were selected to stand for an array of document types, including textual, visual and auditory data in analog and digitized manifestations. Though breadth was sought, it was also desirable to go on the survey equally short equally possible in order to maximize participation. The items included in the survey are reproduced in Table ane.


Table 1: Items in the survey. The messages stand for to the gild of presentation.
Handmade Analog/mechanical Digitized
Textual C. The manuscript of Ulysses, by James Joyce, written on paper past his own hand in the 1910s. Information technology is not bound; rather, the manuscript is a stack of loose papers that are kept together in a box. A. The first edition of the novel The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, published equally a clothbound hardcover past Trivial, Brown, in October 2013. B. The Kindle edition of the novel The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, published electronically by Little, Brown, in Oct 2013 and distributed by Amazon.com.
Visual D. The actual, framed painting Vase with Twelve Sunflowers (Arles), by Vincent van Gogh in 1889. The painting was done in oil on canvas and measures 92x72.five centimeters. Information technology depicts a diverse set of orange and yellow sunflowers in a yellow vase on a golden table confronting a blue background. E. A digitized prototype of the painting Vase with Twelve Sunflowers (Arles), by Vincent van Gogh in 1889. This is a jpeg file measuring 550x684 pixels. The original painting was done in oil on canvass. It depicts a diverse set of orangish and yellow sunflowers in a yellow vase on a golden tabular array confronting a blue background.
Auditory F. A magnetic-tape compact cassette containing the oral history interview with New York artist Philip Guston conducted by Joseph Trovato in Jan 1965. The audio is 15 minutes, 27 seconds long. G. A digital sound file of the oral history interview with New York artist Philip Guston conducted by Joseph Trovato in Jan 1965. The audio is 15 minutes, 27 seconds long and is an mp3 that occupies 21 megabytes.

After providing the genre, medium and format for each of these items, participants were asked to provide their ain definitions for several terms in open up text fields. These terms were:

  • genre
  • format
  • medium
  • form
  • mode

Finally, there was an open up text area at the end of the survey for participants to include other terms they used to describe objects in their work beyond the ones surveyed here, also as a concluding text expanse for boosted comments. The survey was constructed such that participants could revisit and potentially revise previous answers if they chose to exercise so, though this was not explicitly mentioned.

Assay and findings

The survey information were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The specific analytical methods and respective findings are presented below for each of the research questions articulated higher up.

RQ1: What practice the terms genre, format and medium mean to working information professionals, and how are they related?

To address this question, thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was conducted on the definitions provided by the participants in the latter part of the survey. The analysis for each term proceeded in this style: The definitions were aggregated and read several times. During these initial readings, informal notes were made of recurring themes; these notes functioned every bit a tentative, open list for codes. During a subsequent reading, these codes were practical formally. In the side by side reading, the coding scheme was refined and abstracted. Based on the frequency of and relationship among these codes, themes were extracted which were meant to stand for the essence of each term.

Genre

For this term, 53 definitions were analysed. Genre was largely understood to be a ways of categorizing items (constitute in 41 definitions), either by focusing on the subject field matter (specified in 14 definitions) or some aspect of the material (specified in 4 definitions). It was pointed out that specific genres vary by field, and are selected for their relevance to that field.

Example definitions included:

  • 'group of items that share the aforementioned format or content'
  • 'Some genres are more closely linked than others to the physical characteristics of an item'.
  • 'often restricted to literary or artistic forms'
  • 'grouping of items that share the aforementioned format or content'
  • 'type of content'

Format

For this term, 52 definitions were analysed. Format was understood to be a clarification of an object's concrete system/construction (plant in 25 definitions), as in file structure or physical dimensions, possibly regarding either how the object is presented (specified in 13 definitions) or how it was created (specified in 4 definitions). For 6 participants, format refers to a container/storage for information. Five participants saw format as a subtype of or synonym for medium./p>

Example definitions included:

  • 'physical packet of the information object'
  • 'the method in which the object is displayed or viewed by audition'
  • 'concrete embodiment of object (even digital files)'
  • 'classification of how item is presented (book on newspaper, ebook, jpeg, TIFF, mp3)'
  • 'the precise grade of the medium on which something is recorded'

Medium

For this term, 53 definitions were analysed. Medium is largely understood as a description of how an object was created, either in terms of the physical materials used (specified in 38 definitions) or the processes of production (specified in 27 definitions). Secondarily, medium is understood equally the process of carrying information (found in 10 definitions) through the object.

  • 'materials or techniques from which object is made'
  • 'concrete structure'
  • 'materials object was made from and/or way object is presented'
  • 'communication method'
  • 'Of class it actually depends on the institution and the standards in identify'.

Class

For this term, 31 definitions were analysed. This lower number (many participants left this item blank) suggests that this term is in less common usage than genre, format and medium. Course is a ways of describing the physical shape or attributes of an object (xv definitions). Five participants understood it as a 'detailed version' of format, while four understood it as a detailed version of medium.

  • 'shape of something'
  • 'format'
  • 'shape and structure of an object'
  • 'How the content is organized/expressed'

Way

For this term, 29 definitions were analysed. Again, this term may non be a common one. Mode describes how an object is presented (nine definitions), how it is created (ii definitions) or how it is experienced or used (iii definitions). In this sense, mode can be understood equally adverbial. Once more, some participants saw mode as a synonym or subtype of format (3) or medium (two). Finally, the term style tin can also be used as a way to describe the thoroughness of a cataloguing description.

  • 'the way something is presented'
  • 'More detailed category of the items medium'
  • 'How the object format is experienced'.
  • 'approach to cataloguing, degree of particular, standard for final product'
  • 'How an object can be transmitted to the viewer'

Relationships

For a given object, it seems that these participants anticipate genre primarily as a descriptor of content and format primarily every bit a descriptor of arrangement, only these two overlap. Medium seems primarily to be processual, and perhaps it can be understood every bit the means by which the genre+format unit is conveyed. Form seems most related to format and seems to entail a more idiographic description of an object'southward physical properties, rather than a nomothetic 1, as in naming a format. Finally, manner is related to medium in its processual aspect and may too be considered idiographic.

RQ2: How are the terms genre, format and medium used in different cases?

To address this question, participants' descriptions of the genre, medium and format of the vii items (Tabular array i) were analysed. First, responses were cleaned for consistency; capitalization and pluralization were regularized, spelling was corrected, etc. Then counts were conducted of the frequency of each answer. These results are presented in Tabular array 2.


Tabular array 2: 3 almost frequent responses for each particular, along with a count for each. The number in parentheses represents the number of unlike responses.
A. Hardcover B. Kindle C. Manuscript D. Painting E. Jpeg F. Cassette G. MP3
Genre Fiction 59 Novel thirteen Literature 5 (7) Fiction 57 Novel fourteen Book 3 (8) Fiction 39 Novel 15 Literature 6 (8) However Life 29 Art 16 Painting 7 (9) Art vii Postal service-Impr'ism six Impr'ism 6 (16) Oral History 38 Interview 16 Recording two (x) Oral History 38 Interview fifteen Recording iii (8)
Medium Book xxx Paper/Ink 27 Impress 18 (8) Digital xvi Electronic 15 Volume 11 (15) Paper/Ink 33 Manuscript 25 Text 5 (6) Oil/Canvas 58 Painting vii Visual Art 3 (4) Digital Img 13 Oil/Sheet 9 Digital File 7 (16) Tape 18 Recording thirteen Cassette 11 (11) Digital Sound File nine Recording 9 Audio viii (17)
Format Volume 28 Hardcover 25 Print 13 (11) Due east-Volume 31 Electronic 15 Kindle vii (11) Manuscript 53 Newspaper/Ink x Text 3 (ix) Painting 35 Framed 16 Oil/Canvas ix (ix) Jpeg 28 Reproduction ix Digital 8 (13) Cassette 35 Tape 9 Recording half-dozen (10) MP3 25 Digi Audio File 16 Digital 9 (nine)

Based on the nature of these responses, genre, medium and format can be summarized as follows:

  • Genre: nomenclature based on content (fiction, however life)
  • Medium: physical materials (newspaper/ink, oil/canvass), how it was made (recording)
  • Format: name for the manner information is organized (book, jpeg, mp3)
RQ3: Are the terms genre, format and medium understood differently by different types of data professionals?

To accost this question, a Pearson's chi-squared test was conducted using SPSS. This technique tests for independence betwixt two sets of chiselled data—in this case, the participants' descriptions of the items and their roles. Data on roles was self-reported; at the beginning of the survey, participants were asked, 'Exercise y'all identify as whatever of the following? Check any/all that utilise,' and presented with checkboxes for: Archivist; Bibliographer; Curator; Librarian; Records Director; Researcher; Other (delight draw). Answers for Other were considered if at to the lowest degree two participants provided the same answer; all participants identified with at least ane office (with a mean of two.14 roles per participant). These answers are summarized in Table three.


Table 3: Participants' roles.
Part due north
Archivist 25
Bibliographer 6
Curator 32
Educator 25
Librarian 32
Records Manager xv
Researcher 31
Artist 3
Ambassador 2
Collections Director 5
Conservator ii

The initial chi-squared test found the relationship between role and clarification to be largely insignificant. A second test was conducted without outliers: those descriptions that had merely one or ii mentions were removed; the chi-squared test requires every bit few categories as possible with less than five cases, and removing outliers was a stride toward achieving this. Yet in this analysis, as well, very few relationships were significant. Out of 231 relationships tested (each role from Table 3 with each cell in Table 2), 27 measured significant to p < 0.05. This is not deemed meaningful, as in such a large pool of tests it is expected that some relationships will measure as significant purely by chance. Finally, another chi-squared test was conducted to look for a relationship between those participants who held an MLIS degree versus those who did non; like the other tests, this one also showed no significance.

These tests propose that, though understandings of these terms vary from person to person, they do not necessarily have to do with that person's specific information profession.

Discussion and conclusion

This study allows for the comparison between the definitions as conceptualized by the participants (RQ1) and the definitions equally operationalized (RQ2). Overall, the conceptually-derived and operationally-derived definitions are quite consistent with each other. For case, though the conceptualization of genre included descriptions of both subject thing and physicality, the operational notion of genre seemed overwhelmingly to focus on subject matter, whereas the issue of physicality was taken up by medium. Regarding format, the conceptualized definition referenced the concrete arrangement of information, while the operationally-derived definition revealed an emphasis on naming socially-established arrangements of information, similar to genre. In full general, the operational definitions seem to be narrower, perhaps considering they relate to concrete cases (narrow) rather than generalizations (broad). This is an important insight: It suggests that, when describing new or complex data objects, information professionals should consider the conceptual, broad definition, as a narrower definition may not include aspects that are salient in the novel object. This was reflected in the open-comment response of one participant: 'Things get really basics the further one strays from the traditional means of communicating information. Similar, a conservation x-ray of the van Gogh sunflowers, pre-conservation'.

Detached, conceptual thinking may be non-customary for many information professionals, equally they generally work with specific types of objects and in specific contexts. This seems to reverberate the divergence betwixt inductive and deductive routes to arriving at definitions, likewise as different values regarding generalizability, which characterize the difference between practitioners and researchers. For some participants, this resulted in difficulty responding to questions on the survey. One participant wrote in their final comments, for instance: 'Words like medium, way, format have several meanings depending on the context. I'd bet a person's professional feel almost informs their definition of the give-and-take'. Similarly, another participant said: 'Request these questions without the context of a larger finding aid or catalogue is very disruptive'. These comments recall the viewpoint of Kwaśnik and Crowston (2005), who argued that concepts such as genre are delineated according to the specific needs of the application at hand (e.g., classification demand, research question). Similarly, Clark, Ruthven, Holt, Song and Watt (2014) write:

Any thorough book or literature review on genre … volition divulge an overall lack of consensus on an advisable definition of genre because and then many questions remain unanswered with regard to how genres are replaced, created, evolve, function, overlap and interact with each other, which rules and patterns constitute a genre and how these characteristics are perceived.(p. 177)

To this end, it is notable that all definitions of genre focused on information objects in isolation, rather than on practices around them in the manner advocated for by Andersen (2008).

Differences in context smoothen through peculiarly when it comes to digital objects. Whether a digital object is to be considered an object in its ain right is a question that may have dissimilar answers in dissimilar settings. In the example of the digital photograph of the van Gogh painting in the survey, many evidently 'looked through' the photo at the original painting: nine participants described the medium of the photograph as 'oil on canvas'. As one participant clarified: 'If this was printed in a book or catalogue the medium would notwithstanding exist oil on sail. If y'all are talking nigh the bodily image which is never really considered every bit an entity in itself the medium is a digital file'. This seems to reflect the tension observed by Day (2008) regarding the concept of a piece of work; traditional bibliography sees a work as epistemic content, whereas the concept of a piece of work in the arts sees content and form every bit inseparable.

Though the relevant aspects of an information object may vary according to any number of factors, it does non seem that the concepts of genre, format and medium are irreconcilable across the information disciplines. Indeed, the non-significance of the chi-squared tests in the analysis higher up is testament to this. Equally the convergence of the information disciplines continues to progress—parallel with the introduction of novel sorts of information objects—our commonage understanding of these and other cardinal concepts will slowly come up to light. Further research can better elucidate the matter; the methodology presented hither can exist reused in other comparative studies, and different methodologies tin, surely, be brought to deport.

Clarifying these concepts is important for both researchers and cogitating practitioners, as they assistance us to describe and understand the relationship between content and form in a given document. As documents become increasingly digital and digitized, and new and complex forms of documents proliferate, rote lists of examples no longer serve in lieu of essential definitions. Conceptual clarity tin also permit us to run into cohesion where we normally focus on differentiation. For example, domain analysis recognizes that documents in different domains accept different relationships betwixt form and content (Bawden and Robinson, 2012, pp. 97–98). While recognizing these differences is important, information technology is besides important to recognize the essences shared across domains. Finally, this type of inquiry tin besides serve to bring to light the concepts underlying our categories, which are frequently invisible (Bowker and Star, 2000). In one case visible, these essential concepts tin can be operationalized in hereafter inquiry questions that explore, for case, practices surrounding differing sorts of documents.

About the author

Tim Gorichanaz is a PhD candidate in information studies at the College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University, U.S.A., whose research explores how people build agreement through their experiences with information. His inquiry areas include document theory, ultrarunning, artwork and religious practise. He received his Bachelor'southward degree in Advertising and Spanish from Marquette University, U.South.A., a graduate document in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, U.S.A., and his Primary'due south degree in Spanish and Latin American Linguistic, Literary and Cultural Studies from New York Academy in Madrid, Spain. He tin exist contacted at: gorichanaz@drexel.edu.

References

  • Andersen, J. (2008). The concept of genre in information studies. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 42, 339–367.
  • Bates, Yard. J. (2015). The information professions: knowledge, memory, heritage. Information Research, 20(ane), paper 655. Retrieved from http://InformationR.cyberspace/ir/20-ane/paper655.html (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6WyNray1L)
  • Bawden, D., and Robinson, 50. (2012). Introduction to information science. Chicago: Neal Schuman.
  • Bowker, G., and Star, Southward. L. (2000). Sorting things out: classification and its consequences. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
  • Braun, 5., and Clarke, Five. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology, iii(2), 77–101.
  • Buckland, M. (1999). Vocabulary as a central concept in library and information science. In T. Aparac, (Ed.), Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Informatics (pp. three-12). Zagreb: Lokve.
  • Buckland, M. (2012). What kind of science tin information science be? Periodical of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63(1), one–7.
  • Caudle, D. M., and Schmitz, C. (2014). Go on it elementary: using RDA's content, media, and carrier blazon fields to simplify format display problems. Journal of Library Metadata, 14(iii-4), 222–238.
  • Clark, M., Ruthven, I., Holt, P. O., Song, D., and Watt, Due south. (2014). You have email, what happens next? Tracking the eyes for genre. Information Processing and Management, l, 175–198.
  • Twenty-four hour period, R. E. (2000). The "conduit metaphor" and the nature and politics of information studies. Periodical of the American Society for Computer science, 51(ix), 805–811.
  • Day, R. E. (2008). Works and representation. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 59(10), 1644–1652.
  • Dempsey, Fifty. (1999). Scientific, industrial, and cultural heritage: a shared approach. Ariadne, five(22). Retrieved from http://www.ariadne.ac.great britain/issue22/dempsey/ (Archived past WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6krp86knt)
  • Doucet, M. (2007). Library and Athenaeum Canada: a case study of a national library, archives, and museum merger. RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage, 8(ane), 61–66.
  • Furner, J. (2015). Information science is neither. Library Trends, 63(3), 1–16.
  • Genette, Chiliad. (1997). Paratexts: Thresholds of estimation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Printing.
  • Given, L. Yard., and McTavish, L. (2010). What's quondam is new again: the reconvergence of libraries, archives, and museums in the digital age. The Library Quarterly, 80(1), 7–32.
  • Gorichanaz, T. (2015). Minting the contrary: LIS every bit an unfinished coin [Manuscript under review].
  • Graham, S. S. (2008). Fashion, medium, genre: A case study of decisions in new-media pattern. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 22(1), 65–91.
  • Heidegger, Grand. (2010). Being and fourth dimension. Albany, NY: State Academy of New York Press. (Original work published 1927)
  • Hjerppe, R. (1994). A framework for the clarification of generalized documents. Advances in Cognition Arrangement, iv, 173–180.
  • Hjørland, B. (2000). Documents, memory institutions and computer science. Journal of Documentation, 56(1), 27–41.
  • Hjørland, B. (2014). Information science and its core concepts: levels of disagreement. In F. Ibekwe–SanJuan and T. G. Dousa, Theories of information, communication and noesis: a multidisciplinary approach (studies in history and philosophy of scientific discipline, volume 34) (pp. 205–235). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
  • Kwaśnik, B. H., and Crowston, K. (2005). Introduction to the special issue: Genres of digital documents. Data Technology & People, 18(2), 76–87.
  • Library of Congress. (2007). 655 - Index term-genre/course (R). MARC 21 format for bibliographic data. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd655.html (Archived past WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6krpDpni7)
  • Library of Congress. (2011). 340 - Physical medium (R). MARC 21 format for bibliographic data. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd340.html (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6krpI9iPy)
  • Library of Congress. (2015a). 337 - Media type (R). MARC 21 format for bibliographic data. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd337.html (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6krpLqxTy)
  • Library of Congress. (2015b). 348 - Format of notated music (R). MARC 21 format for bibliographic data. Retrieved from http://world wide web.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd348.html (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6krpOs2lD)
  • Library of Congress. (2015c). 382 - Medium of performance (R). MARC 21 format for bibliographic data. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd382.html (Archived past WebCite® at http://world wide web.webcitation.org/6krpRruQB)
  • Miller, C. R. (1984). Genre as social action. Quarterly Periodical of Spoken communication, 70, 151-167.
  • White, H. D.  (1992). External retentiveness.  In H. D. White, Thousand. J. Bates, & P. Wilson, (Eds.), For information specialists: Interpretations of reference and bibliographic piece of work (pp. 249-294). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
  • Yates, J. A., and Orlikowski, W. J. (1992). Genres of organizational communication: A structurational arroyo to studying communication and media. University of Management Review, 17(ii), 299–326.
  • Young, J. Fifty., and Mandelstam, Y. (2013). Information technology takes a village: Developing Library of Congress genre/course terms. cataloguing & Classification Quarterly, 51, half-dozen–24.
  • Zinkham, H., Deject, P. D., and Mayo, H. (1989). Providing admission by form of material, genre, and physical characteristics: benefits and techniques. American Archivist, 52(iii), 300–319.

How to cite this paper

Gorichanaz, T. (2016). Genre, format and medium across the information professions. In Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Scientific discipline, Uppsala, Sweden, June 27-29, 2016 Information Research, 22(1) paper colis1636. Retrieved from http://InformationR.net/ir/22-1/colis/colis1636.html (Archived past WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6oJgP4oYZ)

watsonocket1951.blogspot.com

Source: http://informationr.net/ir/22-1/colis/colis1636.html

Post a Comment for "When Describing Art What Do They Mean by Medium Format and Genre"