Information economy

Information economy is the study of the economic handling of information . The information economy emerged through the use of information and communication technology in the course of the digital revolution . In the information economy, aspects of structural sciences come together , including information science , linguistics , mathematics , systems theory , and economics ( business administration , economics ).

Different views

There are several different ways of understanding the term information economy, which is also evident in the training situation at German universities. Some examples are:

• Information management as an independent area that is multidisciplinary.
  In terms of content, information management specialists are seen here as mediators who can mediate between the various areas in which they have acquired basic knowledge. An information specialist of this type has roughly the same knowledge of technical fundamentals, business administration , law and information science .
• Information management as a sub-area of business informatics
  In this form, information management is viewed as a level of information management . The supply, demand and use of information is the subject of the information economy according to Helmut Krcmar's framework model .
• Information economics as an "updated" version of library systems and documentation systems
  In this form of training, the information economist is primarily trained in the area of ​​information science and is, for example, a specialist in information retrieval and indexing .
• Information economy as a subspecies of business administration
  This is strongly influenced by business administration, which lays the foundations for information.

The knowledge pyramid

Furthermore, the information economy as a science deals with how economically usable data , information and knowledge are extrapolated and how these factors can be made available to systems. Reference is also made to the knowledge pyramid shown on the right, which shows the relationship between the above. Factors made clear. The management of knowledge (knowledge management) has also gained enormous importance in companies and universities in recent years. Especially in the course of the development of social software and the Semantic Web , efficient processes and methods for generating, managing and disseminating knowledge are available. In particular, e-learning systems, CMS solutions and above all wikis are powerful tools in this area.

Training

Information science is taught as a degree at a few German universities and other colleges. This term can be found more often in vocational and commercial schools. The contents of the training are partly very different, in accordance with the ambiguity of the term information economy.

• At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology , the diploma or bachelor's / master's degree in Information Engineering and Management consists of three sub-areas: computer science , economics and law . These are taught in a ratio of 40% to 40% to 20%. The course deals with the interactions between these areas and examines their interrelationships, which increasingly arise as a result of the information society . Karlsruhe information experts are therefore mainly used in companies at the interface between IT, business administration / economics and law.

• The University of Augsburg offers a master's degree in "Computer Science and Information Management". The course allows the individual focus on the areas of computer science and business administration . The course also imparts interface skills between these two areas and addresses issues from business informatics.
  The bachelor's degree in “Computer Science and Information Management” was replaced in 2008 by the newly created degree in business informatics.

• The Cologne University of Applied Sciences focuses half of its courses on the economic handling of information and around a quarter each on information science and information technology. The core of the Information Management course is the planning of information processes from an economic point of view, the efficient development of information content and the reuse of already saved information resources (e.g. knowledge management). Accordingly, the Information Management course is based on the occupational field of information departments in private companies or in public institutions. One of the main tasks of these departments is the economic extraction, administration and marketing of information using technological aids.
  In the main course, the student can choose his focus from the areas of economics (business administration, e.g. marketing ), information sciences (e.g. information retrieval) and information technology (e.g. new media, e-business ).
  The graduate receives the academic degree : Bachelor / Master of Science - Information Economics, or Bachelor / Master of Science in Information Management and Business Studies (accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals).

• The Stuttgart Media University also offered the Information Management course up to 2007, but renamed it from 2005 to Information Systems (Bachelor of Science) and meanwhile Business Informatics (Bachelor of Science). The aim of the training was the interdisciplinary communication of essential contents of business administration, computer science and information management. The course was completed with the academic title "Diplom-Informationswirt / in (FH)".

• At the vocational colleges in North Rhine-Westphalia, information management emerged as a subject from the amalgamation of office management, data processing / business informatics / organizational theory and word processing. The teaching concepts used there place value on close practical relevance. With the help of various model companies (RAND OHG, office design etc.), the former specialist content is integrated and taught. The subject didactics for this is still being tested / developed.

• The Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences offered the bachelor's degree "Corporate Accounting and Information Management" on the Schwäbisch Hall campus. In terms of comprehensive information management, the course combined the content of classic corporate accounting with the particularly relevant areas of market research. The course is now called "Management and Corporate Accounting".

See also

• Information specialist , information professional
• Office economics , information science
• Internet economy , information economy
• Specialist information , information retrieval
• Information management , knowledge management

literature

• H. Krcmar: Information Management . 4th edition. Springer, Berlin 2005
• Willi Bredemeier, Patrick Müller: Informationswirtschaft , In: Rainer Kuhlen, Thomas Seegner, Dietmar Strauch (Ed.): Basics of practical information and documentation , 5th completely revised edition, Vol. 1, Saur, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-598 -11674-8 , pp. 579-589

Web links

Wiktionary: Information economy  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Infoconomy.de - portal for information management at Cologne University of Applied Sciences
• Informationswirtschaft.de - Information website for the course of the same name at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
• Informationswirtschaft.org - Information website of Forum Informationswirtschaft eV for students or prospective students at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
• Description of a teaching concept for information management at vocational colleges
• The development of the German information economy

Course of study at universities of applied sciences

• Cologne University of Applied Sciences: Degree in Information Management
• Heilbronn University - Schwäbisch Hall campus: Degree program - Corporate Accounting and Information Management

Degree course at universities

• University of Augsburg: Degree in Computer Science and Information Economics
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Degree program - Information Management