Information Products: Concept, Definition and its Types for students of Library and Information Science Course

1. Submitted by: Aman Kumar Kushwaha
Master of Library and Information Sciences
1st Semester
Enrollment No: 245/17
Session: 2018-2019

2.  Information product is any portion of
information/knowledge that has been recorded in some
systematic way whether that is in print format or audio or
video format- so that it can be transmitted to others for
use.
 According to Jennifer Tribe some of the most common
information products are printed books and electronic
books, booklets and special reports, manuals and
workbooks, audio cassettes, CDs, or downloadable audio
films, videotapes, DVDs, subscription-based web sites,
and so on.

3.  Information products are also sometimes referred to as
“digital goods” and “knowledge-based goods”. If it
delivers information or knowledge and one can e-mail it
to the customer, or offer it as a downloadable file, then it
qualifies as an information product.
 Information products are also sometimes referred to as
“artefacts” because they capture the idea that an
information product is something left behind for future
generations.
 Information products can also be delivered over the
internet and essentially provide information about a topic
of sufficient interest to users to pay for the information
contained therein.

4. In order to create an information product, the product
developer needs to know the following aspects in their right
context:
 Demand: There is need to know the demand, and create
the product that people want to use.
 Quality: People believe that there is only one kind of
product, and it is high quality product.
 Presentation: The presentation of the product does
matter to the customers.
 Follow-ups: Information product should not be very
expensive. Therefore, create an information product that
can be upgraded and follow-ups can be offered.

5.  Once user demand is determined, the developer
may venture into preparing an information product.
 Accordingly, information products may be defined
as those that are prepared after selecting and
acquiring suitable information sources.
 These are those products that originate from the
information units of various organizations. Hence,
the design and development of the information
products involve such activities like selecting,
acquiring, evaluating, analysing, synthesizing,
restructuring, packaging, repackaging, etc.

6. In order to meet different requirements of users, the
library and information centre will prepare different
types of information products. Saracevic has
enumerated the following types of information
products:
 Reviews: These include critical and state-of-the-
art reports.
 Reports: These include assessment, technical
reports, market reports, alerting bulletins,
newsletters, and house journals.

7.  Data: This category includes data compilations
and tables, statistical abstracts, correlations,
composites, and critical data.
 Databases: These include expert databases and
subject knowledge bases.
 Technical Writings: This type has in its fold
guides, manuals, instruction sheets, explanations
on a complex subject provided in a style and
language geared toward a given audience level,
popular articles on a scientific or technical topic.

8.  Handbooks: These include compilations of
essential data, and information on a subject.
 Critical Studies: This type includes comparison of
different practices or policies, or studies, and
impact and future studies.
 Requests: These include briefings, evaluative on-
demand studies, and compilations.
It may be pertinent to mention that each of the above
mentioned products has its own requirements,
criteria, procedures, etc.

9.  DRDO Newsletter.
 Guinness World Records, 2014. London: Guinness World
Record. Annual since 1955.
 Statistical Yearbook of the United Nations. New York: United
Nations Statistical Office. Annual.
 Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations. By
Kate L. Turabian. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2007.
 Information Technologies: State-of-the-Art and Imperatives for
India, vol. II. New Delhi: TIFAC, Department of Science and
Technology, 1993.
 IFLA Trend Report, 2014.

10.  Paper No : 04 Information Sources, Systems and
Services Module : 26 Information Products
https://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/ahl.php?csrno=21
 Guha, B. Documentation and Information: Services,
Techniques and Systems. 2ndrev. ed. Calcutta: World
Press, 1983.Reprinted 1999.

11. THANK YOU