Purpose – The purpose of this article is to introduce the special issue of Journal of Documentation about library and information science (LIS) and the philosophy of science. Design/methodology/approach – The most important earlier collected works about metatheories and philosophies of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance and influence of the epistemologies: “empiricism”, “rationalism” and “positivism” in library and information science (LIS). Design/methodology/approach – First, outlines the historical development of these...

Purpose – The purpose of this afterword is to examine which questions have been illuminated in the present issue and which theoretical problems still need to be addressed. Design/methodology/approach – Examines articles in this issue. Findings – Many epistemological views, e.g. social...

Purpose – The philosophical position known as critical realism is briefly introduced, and some of its central features are used to connect the philosophy and the realist social theory to some current library and information science (LIS) models of information behaviour....

Purpose – To examine work on phenomenology and determine what information studies can learn and use from that work. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a literature‐based conceptual analysis of pioneering work in phenomenology (including that of Edmund Husserl, Martin...

Purpose – Explores the relevance of structuralism and post‐structuralism to the field of library and information science (LIS). Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a literature‐based conceptual analysis of the two philosophical movements, structuralism and post‐structuralism, as...

Purpose – Describes the basic premises of three metatheories that represent important or emerging perspectives on information seeking, retrieval and knowledge formation in information science: constructivism, collectivism, and constructionism. Design/methodology/approach – Presents a...

Purpose – To analyse the use of hermeneutics in library and information science (LIS). Design/methodology/approach – Presents a literature‐based conceptual analysis of: the definition of hermeneutics in LIS; and the practical use of hermeneutics within recent LIS studies. Findings – The...

Purpose – To review critically the applicability of Grounded Theory. Design/methodology/approach – Two perspectives are used: that of the author's personal experience and that of the internal pros and cons of Grounded Theory. Findings – Grounded Theory is called into question regarding...