Domain Analysis PDF

Module 5 - Domain Analysis TOPIC: Domain analysis A google search of 'domain analysis' initially retrieves a number of matches pertaining to software engineering. These results are not particularly relevant to this chapter. However, with the use of more limiting keywords, a google search on 'domain...

Module 5 - Domain Analysis TOPIC: Domain analysis A google search of 'domain analysis' initially retrieves a number of matches pertaining to software engineering. These results are not particularly relevant to this chapter. However, with the use of more limiting keywords, a google search on 'domain analysis information science' retrieves results that are more relevant, many of them concerning the work of Birger Hjørland. In this conference paper, Download conference paper, Hjørland explains the difference between the fields of Information Technology (IT) and Information Science (IS) in the following manner: "While computer science is the science about IT, we in IS try to optimize people's access to information, knowledge and documents. This optimization is extremely dependent on IT, which explains the close relationship between the two fields. But an important goal for IS involves the quality of information and the social perspective related to information intermediating. That goal is to enable users to make informed choices about how they are informed." He goes on to explain Domain Analysis in IS: "Domain analysis offers a theoretical perspective, which in my opinion is able to satisfy the need for a comprehensive theory of IS. Domain analysis is an approach that connects theory and practice, has a coherent view of all major concepts in IS and provides an identity for IS consistent with the history of the field. Domain analysis is able to unite different sub-disciplines such as bibliometrics, knowledge organization, information retrieval and information literacy." Hjørland lists "the following specific ways to study domains, which together define the specific competencies of information scientists: 1.​ Producing literature guides 2.​ Producing special classifications 3.​ Research on indexing and retrieving specialties 4.​ Empirical studies of users in different fields 5.​ Bibliometrical studies 6.​ Historical studies of information exchange 7.​ Document and genre studies 8.​ Epistemological and critical studies 9.​ Terminological studies, languages for special purposes (LSP), discourse studies 10.​Studies of structures and institutions in scientific communication 11.​Domain analysis in professional cognition and artificial intelligence While these 11 approaches may be used separately (and some of them are often used and taught in a "general" way), the application of more than one to the same domain may provide a deeper understanding of underlying dynamics. The approaches need to be tested on specific fields." I condensed the chapter's description of what constitutes a domain into the following outline to help organize the aspects of this concept: A Domain: 1.​ Is a specified sphere of activity or knowledge (dictionary definition) 1.​ Academic subject area (Sociology) 2.​ Scientific discipline (Biology) 3.​ Profession (Medicine) 4.​ Trade (Plumbing) 5.​ Hobby (Yoga) 6.​ Concern (Politics) 7.​ NOTE: The above categories can overlap as biology, for example, can be an area of academic study, a professional job, or a hobby) 2.​ Is associated with people who have common concerns, viewpoints, and vocabulary 3.​ May include information systems (perhaps databases like MEDLINE), resources (like textbooks and reference works), services, processes 4.​ Two elements help define the boundaries of a domain  1.​ "Areas of modulation" set parameters of what is included and not included, and what the domain may be called 2.​ Degrees of specialization set the intention of the domain, the focus of its specialization 5.​ Has different dimensions 1.​ Ontological - defines domain by main topic of interest. For example, botany is defined by plants; history is defined by past events 2.​ Epistemological - relates to the kind of knowledge in the domain or to different kinds of knowledge associated with different paradigms (for example, one epistemological dimension of the topic of evolution might be scientific evidence, while another dimension of the topic might be theological teachings) 3.​ Sociological - this is the types of people or groups involved in the domain (professional baseball with its players, coaches, fans, etc. versus Little League with its players, parents, volunteer coaches, sponsors, etc.) Extra reading for this module: Check out the article from Birger Hjørland on Domain analysis in information science: Eleven approaches – traditional as well as innovative. Download Domain analysis in information science: Eleven approaches – traditional as well as innovative. This is a dense article, but give it a quick read so you have a basic knowledge of the 11 approaches.