Read the text: The Place of the Scientific Discipline of Documentation in the System of Sciences (Part II)

The scientific discipline of documentation is related to a number of scientific disciplines, which is explained by its complicated history and the multi-aspect nature of the study of documents. But its closest relationships are with the disciplines connected with the origin of the scientific discipline of documentation.

In particular, a close relationship exists between the scientific disciplines of documentation andinformatics (social), which deals with the general problems of information processes. The general scientific discipline of documentation is in close contact withbibliology, in particular, the general theory of books.

The basic principles and conclusions of the scientific discipline of documentation are actively used in library science andbibliography science. We can state this more bluntly: the main problems of the gen­eral science of documentation (or documentology) are studied, mainly, by library and bibliography specialists.

Apart from this, the scientific discipline of documentation is related to the disciplines ofhistoric sources study, archives science, and thetheory of document production, as well as with a number of scientific disciplines dealing with activities where documents are created, function, and are used (such as the theories of management, accounting and banking, etc.).

N.N. Kushnarenko, in her textbook, stated that the scientific discipline of documentation was a "meta- science for all the sciences of the documentation-communicative cycle." In her works, the "scientific disci­pline of documentation, as an integrative scientific dis­cipline, is closely connected with document production, book, library, bibliography, and archives sciences, as well as informatics, etc." How is it con­nected? It turns out in another paragraph that all the mentioned disciplines (in place of the term "informat­ics" "information science" was used) are part of the "special scientific discipline of documentation." This was emphasized with the statement that "with a broader approach, the scientific discipline of documentation includes historic sources study and museums study, semiotics, textology, codicology and other sciences." In our opinion, this statement is an exaggeration of the potential of the scientific discipline of documentation. Kushnarenko, probably subconsciously, thought the same, for in the "structure of the scientific discipline of documentation," she suggested that these sciences were not represented.

The place of both the general and special scientific discipline of documentation among other scientific disci­plines is characterized by their "connections" with a whole group of sciences. For the general scientific discipline of documentation these are represented by sciences of the documenta­tion-communicative cycle, semiotics, informology, linguistics, informatics, philosophy, culturology, sociol­ogy, the general theory of communication, historic sources study, the history of writing, the history of cul­ture, the general theory of classification, and psychol­ogy. For the special scientific discipline of documenta­tion these are represented by archives science, linguis­tics (document linguistics), theory and practice of management, law science, historic sources study, tech­nology of office work, informatics, information, theory of communications, theory of scientific information activity, history of office work, diplomatics, neodiplomatics, filigranology (history of paper), paleography, codicology, etc. Here, "connections" means a shared subject of study (in some cases), a shared group of problems, shared methods, etc.

Summing up the above we can state that thescien­tific discipline of documentation simultaneously belongs to different series of sciences.

Connections of the scientific discipline of documentation with other sciences are conditioned, first of all, by the origin of documentological concepts, in particular, from bibliology funds science, scientific information activity, bibliographology and the science of management activity. The scientific discipline of documentation forms an "organic unity" with the history of science, archives science, library science, bibliology, bibliography, informatics, patents science, office work and other disciplines, which are "aimed to study the world of documents, their individual varieties, the pro­cesses of their production, storing and use." However, the scientific discipline of documentation coincides with these sciences only within definite segments, that is, it intersects with them.

The scientific discipline of documentation serves as a methodological platform for bibliography. It also incorporates into its own structure the theoretical sections of bibliology, but separates itself from bibliology as an independent science. On the other hand, independent disciplines, such as patentology and technology of management documentation support office work.

The position occupied by the scientific discipline of documentation should be considered in the context of different complexes of scientific disciplines. First, among disciplines dealing with the sphere of informa­tional communication activity of the society; second, disciplines dealing with particular kinds and types of documents, their functioning in society (historical and bibliological disciplines); third, disciplines dealing with semiotic systems, particularly, language (docu­ment linguistics and the theory of editing).

I. Answer the questions:

1. To what disciplines is the discipline of Documentation related according to N.N.Kushnarenko?

2. What “connections” has the general and special scientific discipline of documentation?

3. Why does thescien­tific discipline of documentation simultaneously belong to different series of sciences?

4. What is a methodological platform for bibliography?

5. How does the scientific discipline of documentation form an "organic unity" with the history of science, archives science, library science etc.?

II. What is the role of Documentation in our life? Describe it.

Lesson 18