informasjonsfag

Informasjonsfag is an interdisciplinary field that studies the creation, organization, storage, retrieval, distribution, and use of information. It combines elements from library and information science, information technology, knowledge management, and information policy to understand how information is produced, organized, and accessed in diverse settings. The field is taught at universities and colleges, including programs in Norway and other Scandinavian countries, with emphasis on both theoretical foundations and practical applications.

Core topics in informasjonsfag include information literacy, information behavior, information retrieval systems, metadata and cataloging, information architecture, and database design. It also covers digital libraries, archives and records management, data management, and digital preservation. Ethical and legal aspects such as privacy, copyright, and information governance are addressed, along with standards and interoperability. Human-centered design, user experience, and organizational knowledge management are often integrated to support effective information use in education, public administration, healthcare, business, media, and other sectors.

Education and career paths typically involve bachelor’s or master’s degrees in informasjonsfag or related information science programs, with opportunities for doctoral study. Graduates pursue roles as librarians, information managers, knowledge managers, information analysts, data stewards, archivists, records managers, or information technology consultants focusing on information governance and digital information systems.

Historically, informasjonsfag emerged from library science and information systems, evolving in response to digital technologies and the growing importance of data, information access, and information literacy in society. In Norwegian contexts, it reflects a continuity of library and information science traditions blended with contemporary IT and data practices.