ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the topic of information by considering the: nature of information and its relationship to data and knowledge, concepts of information management and knowledge management, the contribution of information specialists, life cycle of information from creation through management to utilization. Nevertheless, a whole industry has built itself around knowledge management (KM), often simply replacing the word 'information' by 'knowledge' or rebranding products so that today's 'search engine' becomes tomorrow's 'knowledge manager'. Information required to enable the organization to operate from one day to another tends to be short-term and detailed and is typically delivered through automated means. For some organizations the role of information will have particular significance because their productive activities are information-intensive, as is the case for pharmaceutical companies. Studies have shown that if both IS specialists and users heighten awareness of their respective power bases this can facilitate the parties working in unison for the development of effective systems.
