The Evolution of the Concept: A Case Study from American Documentation

摘要

Concepts are central elements of knowledge. This article reveals some of the historical contours of the use of "the concept" in information by delving into the evolution of the use of the term in American Documentation, the first formal journal of information science in North America. Discourse in American Documentation about "the concept" was critical to the development of machine searching to have a concrete definition of a concept. Metaphors used to visualize the role of concepts range from multidimensional arrays to lights shining in the darkness of semantic space.