Birth of Modern Facts: How the Information Revolution Transformed Academic Research, Governments, and Businesses

by James W. Cortada

Overview

For over twenty years, James W. Cortada has pioneered research into how information shapes society. In this book he tells the story of how information evolved since the mid-nineteenth century. Cortada argues that information increased in quantity, became more specialized by discipline (e.g., mathematics, science, political science), and more organized. Information increased in volume due to a series of innovations, such as the electrification of communications and the development of computers, but also due to the organization of facts and knowledge by discipline, making it easier to manage and access. He looks at what major disciplines have done to shape the nature of modern information, devoting chapters to the most obvious ones. Cortada argues that understanding how some features of information evolved is useful for those who work in subjects that deal with their very construct and application, such as computer scientists and those exploring social media and, most recently, history. The Birth of Modern Facts builds on Cortada’s prior books examining how information became a central feature of modern society, most notably as a sequel to All the Facts: A History of Information in the United States since 1870 (OUP, 2016) and Building Blocks of Society: History, Information Ecosystems, and Infrastructures (R&L, 2021).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538173916
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/09/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	512
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

James W. Cortada is Senior Research Fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He formerly worked at IBM Corporation in a variety of sales, consulting, research, management, and executive positions. His research and writing have focused on the business history of information technology and in the role of information in modern societies. He is the author or editor of more than three dozen books and serves on the editorial board of key journals devoted to the history of information and its technologies. Most recently he co-authored with William Aspray, Fake News Nation: The Long History of Lies and Misinterpretations in America (R&L, 2019) and From Urban Legends to Political Fact-Checking (Springer, 2019); and authored Building Blocks of Society: History, Information Ecosystems, and Infrastructures (R&L, 2021).

Table of Contents

Preface

1. How Librarians, Scholars, and the New Professions Defined Modern Information
2. Second Industrial Revolution Encounters Information

1. How Librarians Organized Information
2. Early Encounters by Computer Builders
3. Mathematicians and Statisticians Create New Tools
4. Scientists and Medical Experts Shape Information
5. New Business and Government Information Ecosystems
6. What Information Economists Created
7. Contributions of Political Scientists and Historians to Modern Information
8. How Information Evolved

Endnotes

Bibliographic Essay

Index

Editorial Reviews

Birth of Modern Facts is an essential read for researchers, scholars, professionals, and students interested in the evolution of information and its impact on society. Cortada’s expertise, comprehensive scope, and engaging writing style make this book a valuable resource for understanding the historical and contemporary dynamics of the information age. Whether as a reference guide or a source of inspiration, this book provides a solid foundation for exploring and navigating the complexities of the information revolution.

Technical Services Quarterly

Cortada provides an eloquent and accessible examination of nearly two centuries of information collection, processing, and use in the professions—from librarians, physicians, and scientists to mathematicians, government bureaucrats, and economists. Throughout, his approach is unique, and his insights are profound.

Jeffrey R. Yost