Information-as-a-thing versus information-as-a-process: the legitimate differences between information resources management and information management

Abstract

Purpose Information resources management (IRM) and information management (IM) are two distinct terms often used interchangeably in the literature as synonyms, but perhaps, they mean different things. It is worthy of investigation to clarify whether these two related terms are in fact synonyms, and if not, what line of demarcation does them apart, discussion of some underpinning common generalities and issues that compass their misconceptions. This is a significant gap in the literature that needs to be bridged to develop a common ground of what differentiates IRM from IM. Design/methodology/approach It is a general review of the legitimate differences between IRM and IM. Findings Information resources in the ambit of IRM cannot achieve anything except people do something with it either by examining, categorizing or describing it, but in the end, they understood, rebut, alter or do all sorts of manipulation to the data set or information. Meanwhile, all this interpretation and manipulation constitute the hallmark of IM. Originality/value At this point, we need to take note of the fact that IRM is not the same as IM but rather IRM forms part of a holistic framework or components of IM. This is to say that successful IM cannot take place without proper IRM.