On the scientific paradigm of informatics: Data, information, and knowledge

Three basic notions of informatics — data, information, and knowledge — are considered. The variant of specification of these notions within the framework of constructing a system of terms of the scientific paradigm of informatics as a fundamental science is proposed. On the one hand, the notions of “data,” “information,” and “knowledge” are widely used in the scientific literature and textbooks on informatics, in particular, when describing its theoretical foundations. On the other hand, there is still no consensus on their semantic content. The current situation is most likely due to the widespread presupposition (implicit assumption) that the notions in question express some objective entities of the subject domain of informatics. The paper assumes that they express intersubjective entities that by their nature arise as objects of thought during an agreement process, that is, they are not objectively existing. From the point of view of the Frege's triangle (subject – notion (concept) – word that expres the notion and denote the subject), for objective entities, the primary vertex of the triangle is the subject as a result of the study of which the notion and the word appear. For intersubjective entities, the primary vertex is the notion, the definitions of which must be discussed in the interests of reaching consensus. If it can be achieved, then it is during the process of discussion that the subject of thought appears, the word denoting it and expressing the notion which together form the Frege's triangle. The aim of the paper is to specify the basic notions of informatics as expressing intersubjective entities and being the primary vertices of the Frege's triangle, to distribute them among the media of the subject domain of informatics, highlighting the boundaries between the media, and to consider the relationship between the specified notions on these boundaries.