Information generation

Information generation refers to the process of creating or producing new data, facts, knowledge, or
insights from various sources or through human actions. It involves the collection, organization, analysis,
and synthesis of data and ideas to generate valuable and meaningful information. This process is
fundamental in various fields, including science, technology, business, and education, as it enables
decision-making, problem-solving, innovation, and the dissemination of knowledge.

In the digital age, information generation often relies heavily on technology and data sources. It
encompasses activities such as data collection through sensors, surveys, and observations, data
processing through algorithms and software, and the transformation of raw data into understandable
and actionable insights. Moreover, information generation is not limited to numerical data but can also
involve the creation of textual content, multimedia, reports, and more.

In the context of research and academia, information generation includes conducting experiments,
surveys, literature reviews, and empirical studies to produce new knowledge. In business, it involves
market research, customer feedback analysis, and financial data analysis to inform strategic decisions. In
essence, information generation is the pivotal step that bridges raw data and actionable knowledge,
contributing to progress, innovation, and informed decision-making in various domains.

Factors responsible for generating information

Observation

Observation serves as a fundamental process for the generation of information due to its pivotal role in
data collection, empirical grounding, and pattern recognition. It begins with the systematic gathering of
data through the senses or instruments, offering an empirical basis for generating information firmly
rooted in reality. This process strives for objectivity, minimizing biases and personal opinions, thereby
enhancing the reliability and accuracy of the generated information. Observation often leads to the
formulation of hypotheses, serving as a springboard for further testing and experimentation. Through
the repeated act of observation, patterns and trends emerge, enabling the drawing of meaningful
conclusions and the generation of information that is invaluable for decision-making, problem-solving,
and scientific discovery. Additionally, the collected data can undergo analysis, using various techniques
such as statistics, which transforms raw data into comprehensible information by revealing relationships
and correlations. Thus, observation is not just a passive act but an active generator of knowledge that
underpins informed choices, solutions to challenges, and the advancement of understanding in
numerous fields. Microbiologists gathered information on all microbes observing them with
microscopes. A police officer has to observe minutely every detail of the venue while investigating an
accident, theft, etc. A scientist conducting an experiment has to observe very carefully the changes
taking place in temperature, pressure, colour, etc. and faithfully record the changes. A doctor has to
observe the condition of a patient at regular intervals to see whether his condition is improving or
deteriorating. Thus, we find, in every walk of like observation is a prerequisite for the generation of
information.
Discussion and deliberation

Discussion and deliberation are integral processes in the generation of information as they facilitate the
exchange of ideas, perspectives, and knowledge. These interactions serve as crucibles for refining,
synthesizing, and expanding information in a collaborative manner. When individuals engage in
discussions or deliberations, they bring diverse viewpoints and insights to the table, sparking critical
thinking and analysis.

Through active dialogue, participants can clarify their thoughts, challenge assumptions, and identify gaps
in their understanding, leading to a deeper exploration of topics. This collaborative effort often leads to
the synthesis of information from different sources, allowing for the creation of a more comprehensive
and nuanced understanding of complex issues.

Furthermore, discussions and deliberations provide a platform for peer review and scrutiny, which is
essential for quality control and accuracy in information generation. When ideas are subjected to
rigorous questioning and debate, weaker or unsupported claims are exposed, leading to the refinement
of information.In academic and scientific settings, peer-reviewed journals and conferences are prime
examples of how discussion and deliberation contribute to information generation. Researchers present
their findings, receive feedback, and refine their work, resulting in the dissemination of well-vetted
information to the broader community.

Overall, discussion and deliberation foster a dynamic exchange of ideas, stimulate critical thinking,
enhance the accuracy of information, and lead to the synthesis of knowledge, making them
indispensable processes in the continuous generation and refinement of information.

Thought Process and Imagination

Thought process is the mother of generation of information. Be it observation, experimentation or data

collection, thought process is involved in every case to generate information. Man has seen the solar and
lunar eclipses for thousands of years and have tried to find out the underlying causes with his limited
knowledge and generated information. The ancients observed that during eclipse the sun or the moon is
gradually swallowed by something and again it comes out. Hence, the ancient Hindus reasoned that
during an eclipse the sun or the Moon is gradually gobbled by the beheaded Rahu. As it gobbles the
celestial body through the mouth it comes out through the cutout throat. Considering

The level of knowledge human beings possessed at that time, the reasoning was quite logical. After
centuries of observation and reasoning, now we know the real cause of eclipse. The information we
generate through our observation, experimentation, reasoning, etc may not always be absolutely true. In
many cases, it is subject to correction at a later date. In Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels we have seen both
Dr. John Watson and Mr. Sherlock Holmes have visited together the site of the crime. It was always the
superior thought process of Sherlock Holmes that was able to pinpoint the culprit.

Be it a household, an office, an organisation or institution, the process of deliberation is encountered

everywhere. While studying in class XII, many students are to appear in a number of entrance tests.
When a student qualifies in more than one test, the student and the parents are to deliberate a lot to
arrive at a decision as to the course the student is going to pursue. The moment The final decision is
taken and is made known to others, information is generated. Before declaring the dates of a general
election, the Election Commission (EC) has to consider a number of factors like weather (usually rainy
season is Avoided), school and college examinations (because schools and colleges are used for setting
up polling booths), availability of security personnel, dates Suggested by various political parties, and so
on. After deliberating on all the factors, when the EC announces its decision, information is generated. In
a parliament or a legislative assembly, after a lot of debates, decisions are taken giving birth to plenty of
information. An artist has to imagine about the art piece he is going to create, a chemical engineer has to
visualize in his mind the chemical plant he is going to install, an architect is also to picture the building in
the canvass of his mind. Once the Art piece is complete, the blue prints of the chemical plant or the
building are ready and handed over to the persons concerned, information is generated.

Experimentation

Experimentation is a primary driver of information generation by systematically testing hypotheses and

exploring cause-and-effect relationships. Through controlled variables and precise setups, experiments
offer insights into how specific factors influence outcomes. They provide empirical data, both
quantitative and qualitative, which serves as the foundation for generating information. Experiments
often lead to the discovery of new phenomena, and their reproducibility ensures the reliability of the
information generated. In the scientific realm, experimentation plays a pivotal role in expanding our
understanding of the natural world, contributing to the accumulation of knowledge, and enabling
evidence-based decision-making across various fields.

If we go through abstracting and indexing services devoted to physics, chemistry, biology, medicine,
engineering, agriculture, and other scientific Disciplines, we shall find that about two million articles are
being included in these databases every year. Most of these articles are based on experimentation. Just
from this, one can make out how much information is being generated per Year through
experimentation. It is however to be noted that experimentation is always attended with observation
and thinking process. The results of Experimentation usually appear in the form of research papers, short
communications, patents and so on.

Processing of data

The processing of data is a critical step in the journey from raw information to meaningful knowledge.
Data, in its raw form, consists of unorganized facts and figures that lack context and significance.
Processing, which involves sorting, analyzing, and interpreting this data, transforms it into structured and
coherent information.

Firstly, data processing entails organizing and categorizing data, making it more manageable and
comprehensible. This categorization helps identify patterns, trends, and relationships within the data.
Subsequently, statistical and analytical techniques are applied to extract valuable insights and draw
meaningful conclusions. Data processing can involve calculations, filtering, and transformation to convert
data into a more informative format, such as graphs, charts, or reports.
Furthermore, data processing often involves data integration, where information from multiple sources
is combined to provide a more holistic view. This integration helps in generating comprehensive and
actionable insights. Data processing also includes error checking and validation to ensure the accuracy
and reliability of the information.

In essence, data processing bridges the gap between raw data and actionable information. It adds
context, relevance, and structure to data, enabling informed decision-making, problem-solving, and
knowledge generation. Without effective data processing, data remains a mere collection of numbers
and facts, whereas with it, data evolves into a powerful tool for generating meaningful information and
contributing to our understanding of complex phenomena.

Events

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines an event as ‘a thing that happens or takes place [Pearsall, Judy
(ed), 1999]. A scholar releasing a book, an artist Inaugurating an exhibition, a philosopher explaining the
concept of time, saint giving a discourse on a religious matter, a political leader campaigning For vote,
legislators debating in a parliament, a lawyer passing a judgement,the prime minister of a country taking
oath of office, a war breaking out at a Particular region of the world, a patient dying in a hospital due to
neglect, anew train being flagged off by a minister, two buses colliding causing death And injuries to a
number of passengers, a terrorist hijacking a plane, a comet appearing in the sky, a physicist bombarding
an atom with alpha particles, a chemist conducting an experiment to create a new material, a geologist
drilling borehole to prospect petroleum deposit, a paleontologist spotting the skeleton of a dinosaur, a
geneticist giving birth to a high-yielding variety of rice, an inventor filing a patent application, a surgeon
performing an open heart surgery, a director shooting a new film, umpteen number of sports and games
being held every day all over the world, adventurers venturing to conquer a mountain peak, etc. are all
examples of events. Let us go through some of the headlines figured in The Hindustan Times of

30th July 2004.

1) IA diverts flight, saves Pakistani baby. (p 1)

2) Bofor’s Ardbo dead (p1)

3) Aravali bio-diversity park takes off (p2)

4) PM flies, spares traffic (p3) [PM’s journey to the airport by a helicopter

While proceeding to Thailand]

5) 16 lockers cleaned out at Safdarjung Enclave Bank (3)

6) 1 killed as bus overturns in NOIDA (p5)

7) As expected Pak win easily [in Asia Cup ODI in Sri Lanka](p9)

8) CA examination results on August 4 (p19]

9) Pakistani hostages killed (p21)

10) Madonna makes peace with Jesus in Portugal (p22).

It can be seen that all these news items have generated out of events. A newspaper not only provides
information about past events but also of future events (vide headlines against serial no. 8). It is also to
be noted that a newspaper also contains items of thought process, (e.g. editorials); data processing
(prediction about election results); observation (reporting of an accident); and So on. It is to be noted
that just the happening of an event does not generate information. The information relating to the
event generates only when it is seen by someone and reported.

Evolution

Man started communicating by speech some 100,000 years ago [Odham’s Colour Library of Knowledge:
Language and Communication, 1968]. In those dizzy old days of human civilisation, the vocabulary of
human beings of a particular race was only limited. They had only that many words which were required
to express their ideas. As they invented newer and newer devices, encountered objects not known
before, they started naming them for the purpose of easy identification. This led to the enrichment of
vocabulary. When they moved from an old area to a new area they encountered numerous new things
such as trees, animals, fruits, tubers, and so on. They also named them. In the Course of their endless
journey sometimes they encountered an alien race, which resulted either in fighting or friendship. For
the exchange of ideas between two different races, need arose for interpretation. How and when the art
of Interpretation came into being is shrouded in mystery. However, this much is sure that the need for
interpretation occasioned the need for linguistic Information. That is, how a particular object is called by
the alien group. In plain words, they needed information as to the equivalent terms in the language of
the alien race. The process of building up of the vocabulary of languages is As mind-boggling as
interesting. Sometimes a word has travelled over centuries from one language to the other retaining its
original form. For example, the word ‘ginger’ belonging to a now extinct Middle Indian language
travelled from India to Europe through Middle East. In twenty-four languages of the world the word has
retained its original form. In many cases words have undergone small changes while travelling from one
language to the other. For example, the word ‘nine’ has taken the following forms in a number of Indo-
European languages of the world. It seems as if the word first originated in a particular language and
then moved from language to language with small changes in its sound and form. It is depicted below:

In some cases, of course, we find that a word having the same or similar meaning differs from language
to language. Let us take the example of the word ‘science’. In Sanskrit it is called ‘vijnan’, in Russian
‘nauka’, in German ‘Wissenshaften’ and so on. In the development of vocabulary, conquest of a country
by another, international trade, etc. has also helped a lot. The development of languages, which
originated 2,000 or more years ago, is still continuing. Take for example, the English language. Even
today, hundreds of new words are being added tothis language every now and then. Just with e, we have
e-mail, e-journal, e-zine, e-library, e-librarian, and so on. Similar is the case with cyber. We have

Hundreds of words starting with cyber. Even a decade ago most of these words were unknown. In this
way a language has developed over thousands of years following the path of evolution and still the
process is on.Several thousand years ago, man invented the art of writing. Starting from stones down to
leaves were used as writing media. Products of human thought thus started getting recorded. At one
time the art of translation also began. In the famous ‘Rosetta Stone’ of 2nd century BC, the decree has
been engraved in three different languages, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, demotic (the popular
language of Egypt at that time), and Greek [Odham’s Colour Library of Knowledge: Language and
Communication, 1968]. This record bears infallible testimony to the fact that the art of translation was
pretty developed in Egypt At that time. The requirement of translation necessitated reference tools to
provide information about the equivalent words in the target language in which the matter is to be
translated. In response to the need started appearing bilingual and multilingual dictionaries. For
translating, sometimes we need information even for a letter. For example, we come across letters like vk
in Indus scripts.

Scholars have been trying for about a century to extract information from these scripts.

Dream

It is common with every human being to dream. Some of the dreams we remember, other we do not.

The dream that we remember and convey about The same to others or record it in our diary, information
is generated. Psychologists extract a lot of information about the subconscious mind of a Patient through
the interpretation of dreams. At times dreams provide the necessary information or clue for solving a
problem. Kekule, an organic chemist, was trying to find out the structural formula of benzene for quite
sometime, but failing again and again. One night, he dreamt that six snakes had created a ring by biting
the tail of each other. This dream immediately gave him the information or clue that the structural
formula of benzene would be ring-shaped. Dreams are intriguing mental phenomena that can contribute
to information generation in a unique way. During dreaming, our brains often process and consolidate
memories, emotions, and experiences from our waking lives. This subconscious processing can lead to
the generation of creative ideas, problem-solving insights, and even novel perspectives. Dreams have
historically inspired artists, scientists, and thinkers, influencing their work and contributing to the
generation of new knowledge. While dreams themselves may not always provide concrete information,
they can serve as a source of inspiration and a catalyst for innovative thinking, making them an intriguing
and mysterious aspect of human cognition.

What are the forms of information?

We are already familiar with the forms of documents such as books, periodicals, patents, theses,
standards, catalogues, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, Bibliographies, and so on. The form of information is
different from the form of documents. In a document, the information may be in hand-written form,
printed form, coded form, simplified form, disguised form, and so on. Here, we are going to deal with
oral form, hand-written form, printed form, digitized form, condensed form, coded form, simplified form,
translated form, and disguised form. This is not an exhaustive list.

Oral Form

When we talk to a person sitting or standing in front of him or through telephone, the information
exchanged between the two is oral form of information. This form of information is extensively used in
our day-to-day conversation, in the lectures delivered by teachers, speeches delivered by ministers,
notes and letters dictated by officers, cross examination undertaken by lawyers, interviews conducted by
interviewers, commands given by military officers, and so on. In our Vedic period also this was the most
predominant form of information. People used to listen (shruti) and remember (smriti). They also did not
have any system of writing. Illiterates all over the world use this form of information to express
themselves. Using this form of information does not require the Knowledge of the scripts and the
spelling of words. There are tribes in the world who speak languages that do not have any script.
Obviously, those tribes Use oral form of information for communication.

Information in Sign Language

Deaf and dumb people cannot use oral form of information. Hence, sign languages have been developed
for them whereby they communicate. In this case, information is generated using hands, fingers, and
other parts of body. For example, using our forefinger and middle finger we produce the shape of V to
indicate victory. Many a time we indicate our consent with a nod. People all over the world use sign
languages to communicate. Some primitive tribes use sophisticated sign languages for communication.

Printed Form

The Chinese developed the technique of block printing by 8th century AD or before since the oldest
known example of block printing recording Buddhist charms dates to around 765 AD. The Chinese and
Koreans also developed the technique of printing from movable types. However, their technique
remained confined within the region. The technique of printing from movable types that spread the
world over was developed by the German printer Johannes Gutenbergin mid-1450s [9]. The impact of
Gutenberg’s technique was so great that by the end of 15th century some 9,000,000 books comprising
mostly religious writings, and classical works of Greek and Roman authors were in circulation all over
Europe. The world has never seen the generation of so many titles in just less than 50 years! [Odham’s
Colour Library of Knowledge: Languages and Communication, 1968]. Even today, printed information
reigns supreme as maximum amount of recorded information is in printed form.

Hand-written Form

People of ancient Egypt, Indus Valley, China developed systems of writing much before the advent of
Christian era. With this development the written form of information came into being. Different
languages of the world developed varied scripts and alphabets. Sometimes a group of languages
adopted the same script and alphabet with slight change here and there. For example, languages like
English, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Rumanian use the Roman scripts. Even in our country,
Roman scripts are used For writing in languages like Mizo. Some ethnic groups like the Romans preferred
writing from left to right; the Arabs preferred writing from right to Left, and the Chinese from top to
down. For recording hand-written information numerous recording materials like papyrus, parchment,
vellum, bhurjapatra, palm leaves, terracotta tablets, bamboo strips, etc. were used. The advent of paper
extensively reduced the use of other writing materials. Lakhs of manuscripts preserved in thousands of
libraries of the world are all hand-written. Scribes thrived in those centuries when printing was still a
very distant dream. Copying manuscripts was the order of the day and a respectable means of earning
livelihood.
Pictorial Form

In newspapers, everyday, we see cartoons conveying some message in a humourous or satirical way.
General maps and atlases present information in pictorial form about places, rivers, lakes, mountains,
universe, and so on. Anatomical atlases present information about various parts of the body. There are
other types of atlases as well. A photograph of Taj Mahal, a portrait of Shakespeare, a statue of Gandhiji,
etc. tell us about their look. Children like to read comics such as Amar Chitra Katha. In many cases, say in
comics and cartoons, words and/or sentences are also added to make it more comprehensible and
interesting.

Digitised Form

With the advent of computers, Digitised form of information came into being. Here information is
recorded using only two digits 0 and 1. For digitisation,there are codes like ASCII and EBCDIC. ASCII
stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange and EBCDIC for Extended Binary Coded
Decimal Interchange Code. ASCII is 7-bit code, and EBCDIC 8-bit code.However, extended ASCII is 8-bit
code. In extended ASCII, the word INFORMATION will be recorded as
11001001110011101100011011001

11111010010110011011100000111010100 110010011100111111001110.

This is Digitised form of information. Presented in this form, a computer will be able to easily handle the
data.

Condensed Form

We are all aware of abstracts and summaries. These are nothing but condensed form of information. An
article of twenty pages may have an abstract of half a page only. Abbreviations like ILA, BLA, etc. are also
condensed form of information. In fact, condensed form is secondary form of information as it is Always
derived from the primary form of information.

Coded Form

In the coded form of information, usually numbers, letters and symbols are used. Sometimes, they are
used singly, and sometimes in combination with One another. We find coded form of information in a
number of subjects including our own. When we represent the subject of a book on science with a class
number like 500 or A, we put the information in a coded from. A class number like 954 or V2
immediately tells the classifier that the number signifies ‘history of India’. The above examples show us
that the information can be codified simply with Numbers, letters, or a combination of both.

The information exchanged in espionage is normally in codified form. Each country has its own codes for
the purpose. For deciphering the coded information there are keys to the codes. Once keys are available,
coded information can be deciphered without much of a problem. There are also experts who can break
the codes even without the keys. In trade and commerce we use $ to mean dollar, £ to mean pound, ¥ to
mean yen, @ to mean at the rate of, and so on. We use PIN code in postal communication. For example,
110019 indicates Kalkaji area of New Delhi encompassing Kalkaji, Nehru Place, Chittaranjan Park,
Alaknanda and few other places. From the term ‘PIN code’ itself, it is clear that the information in coded
form. The number written on the number plate of a car or scooter is also coded Information. From the
number it is possible to make out whether the vehicle belongs to the government, an embassy, or an
individual. The state wherefrom The license for the car has been issued can also be identified. For
example, the number TN01S9899 indicates that the vehicle belongs to Tamil Nadu. The number DL1T
2345 informs that the vehicle is a Delhi taxi. In mathematics, we encounter symbols like +, –, x, ÷, <, =, >
etc. meaning respectively plus, minus, into, divide, less than, equal to, and greater than. In geometry ∠
indicates an angle, Δ a triangle, Ο a circle, ? a square, and so on. Astronomers also use various symbols
like O, ?, O, •, ∗, to mean respectively the sun, mars, full moon, new moon, and star. Abbreviations and
equations in physics are also coded form of information. The formula that provided the base for the
manufacture of atom bomb is as simple as E = mc2 where ‘E’ means energy, ‘m’ means mass and ‘c’
velocity of light. It indicates that the annihilation of one kilogram of mass can generate 1 × 300,000,000 ×
300,000,000 = 9 × 1016 joules of energy. Chemists all over the world use coded form of information for
representing Names of elements as well as compounds. For example, to them Fe means iron, Pb lead,
Nacl sodium chloride and so on.

Simplified Form

Writings in many subjects are pretty difficult to understand for a common man. One requires special
knowledge to grasp. Moreover, an expert in a subject may be a total novice in another. Hence,
simplification of information becomes essential for laymen, school children, and in certain cases even for
scholars.Now let us see how difficult-to-understand sentences can be made simple and easily
understandable. John Keog of Australia patented a ‘circular transportation facilitation device’ in the year
2001 and was awarded the Ig (Ignoble!) NobelPrize [11] for his novel invention [Australian Patent No.
2001100012]. The sentence may not be comprehensible to every one because of the jargon used. If we
rewrite the sentence as – John Keog of Australia patented a ‘wheel’ in the year 2001 and was awarded
the Ig (Ignoble!) Nobel Prize [Abrahams, M,2004] for his novel invention, then everybody will understand
the sentence without any difficulty. Let us take another sentence – Mr. Salim Ali was numero uno in
ornithology in India. The sentence may not be comprehensible to aLayman or school-going children
because of the two terms numero uno and ornithology. If we rewrite the sentence as ‘Mr. Salim Ali was
the number one bird specialist in India’, everybody will get the meaning of the sentence quite easily.
Thus we find difficult writings can be simplified to make them understandable to a layman. Information
is generally presented in simplified form in encyclopaedias meant for children and laymen. In these
encyclopaedias, usually jargons; long, difficult And highly complex sentences are avoided and whenever
a technical term occurs, its meaning is explained in simple terms.

Translated Form

There are numerous languages in the world, which are extant. There are also languages, which are
extinct. Some of the extinct languages of the world had even written form, e.g. hieroglyphics of Egypt.
The people of Indus Valley civilisation had also a language in written form. The need for translation of
information from one language to the other was felt By men even in ancient times. We find in Rosetta
stone, the content in hieroglyphic and its translation in demotic and Greek. It may be noted here That
the translation of the hieroglyphic content into Greek was of great help to the linguists like Champollion
in deciphering writings in Egyptian Hieroglyphics. The deciphering of the Egyptian hieroglyphics opened
up before the world the entire history of Egypt. We have already discussed about the oral and written
form of information. The translation can be from oral to oral form, oral to written form, written to oral
form, and written to written form. In the written form we include the

Printed form as well.

i) Oral to Oral Form

In the UN Assembly, international conferences, and in many other occasions the speaker delivers his
speech in a particular language and immediately it is

Translated into several other languages by interpreters. When two persons do not know the language of
each other, they take the help of an interpreter to convey their messages. In these cases the translated
form of information is oral.

ii) Oral to Written Form

In Purnea Zila School where I studied in early 1950s, the teachers in subjects like social studies used to
deliver the lecture in Hindi. The Bengali students in

The class immediately translated the same mentally and took down the notes in Bengali. This was a case
of oral to written form of translation.

iii) Written to Oral Form

In India and many other countries of the world an English teacher in a non-English medium school orally
translates the poems, short stories, essays, etc

From English language to local language (Bengali, Hindi, etc.) to make the student understand the
thought content of the piece of writing. In this process, the student understands the thought content of
the piece of writing much better.

In bilingual mode of teaching, the practice is quite common all over the world.

iv) Written to Written Form

Every year thousands of books are translated from one language to another. For example, Nehru’s
Glimpses of World History has been translated into Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Croatian, German,
Gujarati, Hindi, Japanese, Kanarese, Malayalam, Marathi, Mongolian, Oriya, Persian, Russian, Swedish,
Urdu, and so on. Apart from books journals, articles are also translated. Once Upon a time, INSDOC used
to translate articles and books from around twenty non-English languages of the world to English
language. Many Russian journals are translated from cover-to-cover. There are various other modes of
translation such as natural language to Digitised language and vice versa; sign language to natural
language and vice versa; and so on.

Disguised Form
In a disguised form of information, sentences appear pretty innocuous to a common man. Only the
person, for whom the information is meant, can get the real meaning of the sentence. One of our drivers
at INSDOC used to stop the car at a particular point on the road and say, “Sir, I am going to fetch my
medicine”. Only those close to him used to know that he was going to fetch a bottle of wine! In 1942
Arthur H Compton, head of the nuclear fission project at the University of Chicago telephonically told
James B Conant, Director of the National Defense Research Commission of the USA, “The Italian
navigator arrived at the shores of the new world and found the natives were quite friendly.

It is a smaller world than he believed” [Cane, P, 1961]. The sentences looked as if somebody like
Columbus had found out a new continent. It was not so. In reality, the information was about the
successful achievement of the first nuclear Chain reaction by Enrico Fermi, the very first step towards the
manufacture of atom bomb. In the aforesaid quotation the ‘Italian navigator’ was Enrico Fermi, ‘the new
world’ meant the world of atomic energy, ‘natives were friendly’ connoted that the reaction could be
controlled, and ‘smaller world’ gave an idea of the amount of uranium needed [Cane, P, 1961]. I think the
example makes it clear what the disguised form of information is.

Main factors of generating information

 Author: Authors play a crucial role in generating information. They can be individuals, experts,
researchers, or professionals who create content in various forms such as books, articles,
reports, and blogs. The author’s expertise, credibility, and perspective significantly influence the
quality and reliability of the information.
 Government: Governments generate a vast amount of information, including legislation, policy
documents, statistical data, and reports. This information is often authoritative and can impact
various aspects of society, such as law, public policy, and governance.
 Universities (Research Activities): Universities are hubs of research and knowledge creation.
Researchers and academics at universities conduct studies, experiments, and investigations that
lead to the generation of scholarly articles, research papers, theses, and other academic
materials.
 Libraries and Information Centers: Libraries and information centers curate and provide access to
a wide range of information sources, including books, journals, databases, and archives. They
serve as important repositories of knowledge and resources for researchers and the public.
 Judiciary (Supreme Court Judgments): The judiciary, particularly the highest courts like Supreme
Courts, generate legal information through their judgments and decisions. These legal
precedents have a significant impact on the interpretation and application of laws.
 Academics and Societies: Academic institutions and professional societies often publish research
findings, journals, and scholarly works. These sources are trusted for their rigor and peer-
reviewed content, contributing to the dissemination of specialized knowledge.
 Professional Organizations: Various professional organizations in different fields generate
information relevant to their industries. This includes best practices, standards, guidelines, and
reports that help professionals stay updated and make informed decisions. Example- ILA ,IFLA,
UNESCO.
 Internet: The internet has revolutionized information generation and dissemination. It hosts a
vast amount of user-generated content, websites, blogs, forums, and social media platforms
where individuals and organizations share information and opinions.
 Research and Development Houses: Research and development (R&D) institutions and
companies engage in cutting-edge research to create innovative products, technologies, and
solutions. Their findings and inventions contribute to scientific and technological progress.
 Publishers through Publisher or Trade Catalogues: Publishers produce a wide array of
information, including books, magazines, and journals. Publisher or trade catalogues provide
listings of available publications, making it easier for individuals and institutions to access
relevant materials.
 Mass Media like Television or Radio: Mass media outlets such as television and radio stations
generate news and entertainment content. They play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and
disseminating current events.
 Business Houses and MNCs (Multinational Corporations): Businesses generate information
related to their operations, financial reports, market research, and product documentation.
Multinational corporations often generate global economic data and industry-specific
information.
 Archives and Museums: Archives and museums preserve historical records, artifacts, and cultural
heritage. They contribute to the generation and preservation of information related to history
and culture.
 Think Tanks: Think tanks conduct research and analysis on various policy issues, generating
reports and policy recommendations that influence public discourse and decision-making.
 Citizens and User-Generated Content: Individuals contribute to information generation through
user-generated content on social media, blogs, and forums. This content reflects diverse
perspectives and experiences.
 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): NGOs engage in research, advocacy, and data
collection related to social, environmental, and humanitarian issues, generating information that
informs public awareness and policy decisions.
 Healthcare Institutions: Healthcare providers, hospitals, and medical research institutions
generate medical records, clinical studies, and healthcare guidelines, contributing to the field of
healthcare and patient care.
 Government Agencies (Statistical and Research Bureaus): Besides legislation and policies,
government agencies operate statistical and research bureaus that generate data and reports on
demographics, economics, and social trends.
 Weather and Environmental Monitoring Agencies: These agencies collect and disseminate data
related to weather, climate, and environmental conditions, which is crucial for public safety and
environmental management.
 Market Research Firms: Market research firms conduct surveys and studies to gather
information about consumer behavior, market trends, and industry insights, aiding businesses in
decision-making.
 Each of these entities plays a specific role in generating and disseminating information,
contributing to the diversity and richness of available knowledge across various domains and
sectors. The credibility, accuracy, and accessibility of information from these sources can vary,
making critical thinking and evaluation skills essential for information consumers.