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...