Date of Award

5-11-2025

Date Published

June 2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Professional Studies

Department

Information Management

Advisor(s)

Jeffrey Stanton

Keywords

boundary objects;information science;interdisciplinarity;text analysis

Abstract

This research investigates interdisciplinarity within the field of information science through the lens of boundary objects, addressing the primary research question: How does an examination of academic boundary objects provide evidence of the evolution of interdisciplinarity? By analyzing four boundary objects, (1) a peer-reviewed journal, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (JASIS&T) (2) an academic conference, the iConference, (3) university organizational structures of U.S. iSchools, and (4) the nomenclature used to refer to U.S. iSchool academic units, the study explores how these artifacts document the collaboration and evolution of academic communities in information science. Motivated by the need to provide actionable insights for higher education administrators, this research provides a process to demonstrate fluctuations in interdisciplinarity that can inform resource allocation, recruitment, and organizational planning. Grounded in Star and Griesemer’s Theory of Boundary Objects and Kline’s interdisciplinarity framework, this study employs text and content analysis to track shifts in academic communities. It introduces a novel method that extends beyond bibliometric approaches, allowing for the examination of non-traditional artifacts such as course catalogs and syllabi. Findings reveal three distinct narratives: (1) the evolution of the information science field, (2) the evolving role of library science within information science, and (3) the shifting of key elements - Information, People, and Technology - within the discipline. By analyzing boundary objects within information science, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of interdisciplinarity amongst academic communities and over time.

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Open Access

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