Running head: INFORMATICS 1

Informatics: A Brief History

Christina Magnifico

Emporia State University

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Introduction

From the beginning of mankind to 2003, five exabytes of information had been created. Now, that same

amount of information is created every two days with no plans of stopping anytime soon (Siegler, 2010).

The amount of information generated by a single person in a given day is so overwhelming, and the need

to wrangle that information has become increasingly apparent. All kinds of companies, from healthcare

companies to educational companies, have begun to view the possible applications of this data with

greater interest. Those with the ability to understand, analyze, translate and interpret data are now fought

over by companies. By using data and technology to solve large scale problems, these pioneers in

information technology have developed a new field of study called informatics. Lately, the word

informatics has taken on a life of its own, but long before informatics was a buzzword thrown around in

information technology circles, it was cultivated into existence through a very detailed and complicated

history.

The Origins of Informatics

According to the Routledge International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science (2003),

informatics is the science of information [that] studies the representation, processing, and

communication of information in natural and artificial systems. The artificial systems mentioned in the

preceding definition are what we consider the automatic machines or intelligent tools created by early

humans and improved upon by more modern civilizations like the Greeks (Kyrmanidou & Taxidou,

2008). Around 3000 B.C., the Greeks are believed to have invented the abacus. This device gave way to a

more complicated calculating machine discovery in 1617 (Napiers machine) and ultimately paved the

way for the first automatic loom in 1801 (Kyrmanidou & Taxidou, 2008). Now in the 20th century,

calculating machines have given way to modern computers developed by pioneers like Alan Turing

(complex systems) and pushed even further by companies like IBM (Kyrmanidou & Taxidou, 2008).

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In terms of computer hardware, software, and communications there have been four generations of

computer technology since the 1950s. Each generation has continued to build upon the preceding

generations applications, networks and basic hardware, and has created what we consider to be modern

day computing (Collen, 1994).

Contributing disciplines. Informatics is an eclectic field of study which pulls from a variety of

disciplines. Some of the most well-known disciplines that help to comprise informatics include:

information technology, information science, computer science, mathematics, artificial intelligence and

communications (Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing, 2013). Lesser known, but not

any less important, disciplines might include: didactics, biomimetics and cognitive science (Gammack,

Hobbs, & Pigott, 2011). Since informatics is comprised of various disciplines, it can be applied to a

multitude of fields and it has an immense impact on academia in general. Many fields of study solve

complex problems by utilizing informatics concepts, applying theories and, in turn, they advance the

study of informatics by showcasing the many ways in which informatics can be used outside of the

specific discipline.

Informatics pioneers. Samuel Morse, Alexander Graham Bell, Norbert Wiener, and Claude

Shannon are all considered pioneers in the field of informatics. In 1753, with little more than a

rudimentary understanding of electromagnetism conversion, Samuel Morse proposed a device which

would come to be known as the telegraph machine (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002). This

machine would revolutionize the way humans communicated with each other, and in 1837 the first device

was unveiled (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002). Alexander Graham Bellarguably the most

famous of the informatics pioneersgrew up with a passion for communication (Public Broadcasting

Service, 2009). This passion stoked a fire inside Bell that only intensified as he began to study Samuel

Morses telegraph line and began to understand how it worked. It was from this understanding that Bell

developed his idea for the harmonic telegraph, which ultimately led him to invent the telephone. Even

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more than the telegraph wire, Bells telephone would go down in history as one of the greatest inventions

in technological history (Public Broadcasting Service, 2009).

Though they are not considered inventors, both Shannon and Wiener are considered two of the

most influential pioneers in the development of informatics as a discipline. Claude Shannon, known as

the father of information theory, (James, 2009) is credited with helping to create both digital computer

and circuit theory (Price, 1982). Wiener, on the other hand, was a brilliant mathematician who many

consider to be the father of cybernetics or the science of control and communication in the animal and

the machine (George Washington University, American Society for Cybernetics, n.d.).

Types of Informatics

The list of sub-fields within informatics is extensive, but there are several fields that are mentioned more

frequently in the literature. These fields include: bioinformatics, health informatics, and legal informatics.

Each of these sub-fields draws from theories, concepts and technology that currently exist in informatics

as an academic field of study.

Bioinformatics. When you combine biology and chemistry, you have biochemistry. Combine

biology with physiology and the field of biophysiology is born. What do you get when you combine

biology and computer science? The field of bioinformatics! Bioinformatics is the [conceptualization of]

biology in terms of macromolecules [which have had] informatics techniques applied [in order] to

understand and organize the information associated with these molecules, on a large-scale (Luscombe,

Greenbaum, & Gerstein, 2001).

Health/Medical informatics. Medical or health informatics constitutes the foundation of health

care. Medical informatics improve[s] the health of people, through its contributions to high-quality,

efficient health care and to innovative research in biomedicine and related health and computer sciences

(Haux, 2010). Medical informatics can trace its roots back to first von Neumann computers and the basic

development in information and communication technology (ICT) (Haux, 2010). Today, medical

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informatics helps generate research, disseminate information and the exchange of knowledge, and helps

to promote educational behaviors across health disciplines (Haux, 2010).

Legal informatics. According to Erdelez & OHare (1997) legal informatics pertains to the

application of informatics within the context of the legal environment and as such involves law-related

organizations (e.g., law offices, courts, and law schools) and users of information. Where the future of

legal informatics is headed next is very much a topic of discussion. A 2010 post by Abdul Paliwala

mentions that there are several arenas into which legal informatics could potentially venture, all of which

would result in collaborative involvement between informationists and legal professions.

Other types of informatics. There are dozens of different sub-fields within informatics and more

seem to crop up every day. As companies, researchers, and innovative individuals continue to combine

different fields of study with information technology, new type of informatics will be added to the ever-

expanding list. Other types of informatics sub-fields include: social informatics, business informatics,

educational informatics, mathematical informatics, scientific informatics, and community informatics

(West, Baker, Bright, Hughes, & Hartley, 2013).

Conclusion

Informatics is an ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-adapting field of study. As technology continues to

advance, and data continues to be generated, the need for individuals interested in solving the resulting

problems will continue to increase. With the changing landscape of information science and information

technology leaning towards a more digital environment, adaptability by those currently practicing

informatics will be needed. The shift in health care from silo medicine to interprofessional

collaboration will bring about a need for stream-lined processes and seamless hand-offs, both of which

informatics can play a vital role in creating. In order to continue to remain relevant, the field of

informatics will have to attach itself to trends such as big data, data management, and knowledge

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management. As long as informatics is willing to adapt, while also maintaining the ability to produce

innovative pioneers, the field will continue to thrive for the indefinite future.

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[Presentation]. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/48kpxiyjxihz/types-of-informatics/