Identifying Events Affecting the Thematic Trend of Future Research in Knowledge and Information Science: Delphi Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD. Student, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Regional Information Center for Science and Technology, Shiraz, Iran.

10.22091/stim.2022.7391.1656

Abstract

Aim: The present study seeks to identify and analyze the most important events and possible occurrences affecting the subject trend of future research in the field of knowledge and information science to provide an opportunity for effective synchronization and confrontation with future developments.
Methodology: The present study was conducted using literature review and Delphi methods. The research population is professors of knowledge and information science at the international and Iranian levels with study backgrounds in the field of future studies. In order to analyze the data, a one-sample t-test, mean, standard deviation, and significance index were used.
Findings: The research findings showed that 78 future events will affect the thematic trend of knowledge and information science research. These events come in 6 general dimensions including teaching and learning events; Scientific and research; Innovative and technological; Social and cultural; Political and legal; And economic and employment were categorized. Among the future events, from the experts' point of view, innovative and technological events will have the greatest impact on changing the course of future research topics. Among innovative and technological events, enhancing the performance of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing comes first, and the ability to process and analyze big data comes second.
Conclusion: Information and communication technology is a dynamic field that has
rapidly expanded its influence in most scientific fields, including knowledge and information science.
It is obvious that developments due to information and communication technologies will play an important role in the content of future research in this field. Artificial intelligence and machine learning In recent years, with emphasis on automation and intelligence of various affairs and services, has played an important role in knowledge and information science, and its entry into this field has created great changes in various dimensions of this field. It is expected that with the increase in the use of artificial intelligence in the future, more changes will be made in the way services are provided in this area. Obviously, these developments will manifest themselves in various dimensions of this field, including education, employment, research and the topics and content of studies conducted in this field. Proper management of developments affecting the content of research in this field in the future can help to accurately map the future topics of research and, on the contrary, ignoring them will make it difficult to research policies in this field.
 
 

Keywords

References

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Sciences and Techniques of Information Management
Volume 8, Issue 2
July 2022
Pages 23-52

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