RESEARCH PAPERS

Research on the Origin of Information Definition and the Contributions from Chinese Scholars: Concurrently Discuss the Revelation of Concept Research to Academic Discourse System

  • Guo Langrui ,
  • Zhou Yi
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  • 1 Institute of Intelligent Society and Data Governance, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000;
    2 School of Social Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215000
Li Cairong, Associate Professor, PhD;Du Keting, Master’s Candidate, Corresponding Author, E-mail: duketing8888@163.com;Zhang Yijing, Master’s Candidate.

Received date: 2025-02-24

  Revised date: 2025-07-06

  Online published: 2026-04-30

Abstract

[Purpose/Significance] Research on the concept of information makes significant contributions to the academic discourse system. From the perspective of information theory, the classical definition is that information is something that can be used to remove uncertainty. Research on the origin and evolution of the definition can reveal the innovative contributions of Chinese scholars to the idea of “uncertainty” in the conceptual history of information, which inspires us to value subjectivity and originality in basic research. [Method/Process] The origin of the concept of information was identified through textual research. Initially, the Chinese literature on the origin of this definition was reviewed. Subsequently, further textual research was conducted on the relevant primary sources in other languages. Ultimately, the true origin of the concept was traced to the early research by Chinese scholars in information theory and information science. [Result/Conclusion] This definition is widely believed to have been proposed by Claude Elwood Shannon(1916-2001), the founder of information theory, in his 1948 work, A Mathematical Theory of Communication, but there is no such statement in his original text. This definition is a creative interpretation of Shannon's information theory by Chinese information scientist Zhong Yixin. It emerged during the period when the “San Lun”(i.e., general systems theory, cybernetics, and information theory) was widely studied in China around the 1980s, and was first published in Zhong Yixin's article The Present and Future of Information Science in 1978. It was widely disseminated due to the significant academic impact of Zhong's book XINXI KEXUE YUANLI(i.e., Principles of Information Science) in 1988, but its content has been misinterpreted. This definition reflects the theoretical connotation and local value of the meta-concept of information science, constituting the ideological core of the academic discourse system of information resource management in China.

Cite this article

Guo Langrui , Zhou Yi . Research on the Origin of Information Definition and the Contributions from Chinese Scholars: Concurrently Discuss the Revelation of Concept Research to Academic Discourse System[J]. Library and Information Service, 2026 , 70(9) : 68 -81 . DOI: 10.13266/j.issn.0252-3116.2026.09.006

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