science

UNISIST model

UNISIST model is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand UNISIST model rather than just read about it. In short: The UNISIST model of information dissemination was proposed in 1971 by the United Nations. UNISIST (United Nations International Scientific Information System) is a model of the social system of communication, which consists of knowledge producers, intermediaries, and users.

Key takeaways

UNISIST model belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect UNISIST model to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of UNISIST model from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The UNISIST model of information dissemination was proposed in 1971 by the United Nations. UNISIST (United Nations International Scientific Information System) is a model of the social system of communication, which consists of knowledge producers, intermediaries, and users. These groups of people (or actors) are different kinds of professionals. The social system also contains institutes such as research institutes, publishers, and libraries. The actors and institutions perform information services such as writing, publishing, storing and retrieving documents and information. The actors are communicating in both formal and informal ways and they are producing different kinds of documents such as journal articles, books, book reviews, proceedings, bibliographies and catalogues, dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias and review articles. The UNISIST model can be used to define relations between various kinds of scientific and scholarly documents and to compare various domains and their discursive practices. It provides a classification of documents and information services into primary, secondary and tertiary services and products. The original UNISIST model has been updated. The two most important reasons for the updated version have been:

to emphasize differences between different knowledge domains and their structures of communication to reflect the changes in scientific and scholarly communication facilitated by the Internet and information technologies

See also Primary source Secondary source Tertiary source Source literature

References

Further reading Hjørland, B.; Fjordback Søndergaard, T. & Andersen, J. (2005). UNISIST Model and Knowledge Domains. In: Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp. 1–14. Online: http://www.dekker.com/servlet/product/DOI/101081EELIS120024989 (Only available for subscribers). Radford, N. A. (1971). [Book review of] UNISIST: Synopsis of the Feasibility Study on a World Science Information System by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Council of Scientific Unions. Paris, UNESCO. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 59(4), 643–644.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with UNISIST model

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what UNISIST model claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to UNISIST model before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about UNISIST model ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of UNISIST model

In research: UNISIST model appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses UNISIST model in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: UNISIST model is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Library and information science stubs, Library science, UNESCO, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for UNISIST model outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study UNISIST model in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what UNISIST model means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain UNISIST model out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is UNISIST model in simple terms?

Why does UNISIST model matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study UNISIST model?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on UNISIST model.